Central Works Announces 2024 Season: Cautionary Comic Tales - History Repeating Itself

Central Works 2024 Season opens March 2 and runs through November 17, 2024 featuring 3 world premiere plays at the historic Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue, Berkeley.

The company's 34th season begins with Boss McGreedy (Mar 2–Mar 31) by Gary Graves, in which Bill McGreedy, former Boss of New York City, languishes in prison in 1876 yearning for freedom and a chance to “get back in the game” despite his 200 convictions on fraud and corruption. The season continues this summer with the return of the “Victorian Ladies' Detective Collective” in Accused! (July 13–August 11), the third mystery by award-winning playwright Patricia Milton, featuring the scandalously entertaining  trio of detectives. The fall then brings two titans of the Renaissance into a competition devised by the infamous Niccoló Machiavelli: it's Michelangelo vs. Leonardo da Vinci in The Contest (Oct 19–Nov 17) written by Gary Graves. Who will win–the aging master or the arrogant upstart? 

"I see Central Works 34th Season as a series of loosely historical cautionary tales–with entertaining twists. The themes of political intrigue, social justice and artistic freedom are examined from a historical perspective...with just a smidge of humor. Because who doesn't need something to chuckle at these days?" said Central Works' Co-director Jan Zvaifler.

CENTRAL WORKS 2024 SEASON

Boss McGreedy written by Gary Graves  Mar 2–Mar 31

Accused! written by Patricia Milton Jul 13–Aug 11

The Contest written by Gary Graves Oct 19–Nov 17

Boss McGreedy

 

written & directed by Gary Graves 

Mar 2–Mar 31

World Premiere #73: a Gilded Age comedy

“Back in the game”

In 1876, Bill McGreedy, the former Boss of New York City, languished in prison on Blackwell's Island in the East River.  Convicted on over 200 counts of fraud and corruption, he fears he may spend the rest of his days in the slammer. When an unexpected offer comes from the Attorney General's “Special Counsel” Bill sees a chance to regain his freedom and get back in the game. All he has to do is…tell the truth.

GARY GRAVES is a director and playwright living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 1998, he's been a resident playwright and company co-director at Central Works, developing 73 world premiere productions with the company, many of which were either written and/or directed by him. Some of the plays he has written for the company include Mondragola, The Lion & the Fox, Machiavelli's The Prince (all part of his cycle of plays on the life of Niccolò Machiavelli), Wonderland, Chekhov's WARD 6, Palace Wreckers, Edward King, Project Ahab, Lola Montez, Enemy Combatant, The Mysterious Mr. Looney, Misanthrope, Mata Hari, and Pyrate Story. He directed the company's first collaboratively developed script, Roux, at the Berkeley City Club in 1997. He also leads the Writers Workshop at Central Works and teaches playwriting regularly at the Berkeley Rep School of Theater.

Accused!

 

written by Patricia Milton & directed by Kimberly Ridgeway

Jul 13–Aug 11

World Premiere #74: from the Central Works Writers Workshop

The Victorian Lady Detectives return!

London's scandalous trio of female detectives returns in a hilarious murder mystery. When a dead body turns up in the parlor of the Hunter Lodging House, the evidence  points to Victorian Lady Detective Katie Smalls herself as the prime suspect. The trail of clues leads our intrepid detectives into a murderous web of anarchists and religious fanatics in their most daring caper yet!

Patricia Milton is a resident playwright at Central Works, and her plays have been produced around the world. Her productions at Central Works include The Engine of Our Disruption, Bamboozled (Outstanding Production, East Bay, and Outstanding Ensemble, Theatre Bay Area), Hearts of Palm, Reduction in Force, The Victorian Ladies' Detective Collective (BroadwayWorld Critics Choice “Best of Maine” 2022, at The Public Theater) and Escape from the Asylum (Outstanding Production, 2022, SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle). Enemies: Foreign and Domestic was awarded Outstanding World Premiere Play by Theatre Bay Area. Her audio plays are Bystanders (Central Works) and The Law of Attraction (New Conservatory Theater Center, San Francisco). Without Mercy was commissioned and produced by Off-Broadway West. Her comedy Believers was produced in San Francisco (Wily West Productions) and ran for three years in Istanbul, Turkey. She is a former Regional Representative for the Dramatists Guild and former President, Playwrights Center of San Francisco.

The Contest

 

written by Gary Graves

Oct 19–Nov 17

World Premiere #75: an Exquisite Rivalry

Michelangelo vs. Leonardo da Vinci

Florence in 1504, the height of the Italian Renaissance, the two greatest artists of the era:  Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti–one the recognized master of science and painting, the other a young wizard with stone, having just completed the statue of David to wild acclaim. Each assigned to paint a magnificent battle scene on one of two opposing walls in the Great Hall of the Republic. And the people of Florence will decide which is the best: the aging master or the arrogant upstart? The winner set to be known as the greatest artist of the day.

But has Michelangelo ever even painted anything before?  And who would arrange such a devious competition?  Niccolo Machiavelli, of course.  What was he thinking?

Now in its 34th season, Central Works continues to fill a special niche for theater artists in the San Francisco Bay Area, producing more new plays by local playwrights than any other company in the region. “The New Play Theater” utilizes three basic strategies: some are products of the Central Works Method, some are developed in the Central Works Writers Workshop, and some come to the company fully developed.

Central Works Method plays bring together writer, actors and director at the very outset of the playwriting process. In a supportive workshop environment, group research and collective brainstorming contribute to the entire development of the script.

The Central Works Writers Workshop is an ongoing commissioning program established in 2012.  Twice a year, in 12-week sessions, 8 local playwrights are selected to develop projects through informal readings and carefully directed discussions.  Last season, both Cristina García's King of Cuba and Patricia Milton's Bamboozled emerged from this program, followed by two more this season.  For more information, visit our website:  www.centralworks.org

Company Co-directors Jan Zvaifler and Gary Graves remain steadfast in their mission to develop and produce new works. “New plays are the lifeblood of the theater,” says Ms. Zvaifler. “We look at current events, politics, classic literature and traditional storytelling to bring our audience face to face with the challenges of our lives everyday, juxtaposed against the reflections of history, both recent and far-reaching. Given our current harrowing times, we all need an opportunity to pause, feel, think and act.” The special intimacy of the Central Works theater offers this in a truly unique package.

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