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Manahatta Off-Broadway

Manahatta 2023

Opened: December 5, 2023
Closing: December 17, 2023

Manahatta - 2023 Off-Broadway History , Info & More

Anspacher Theatre
425 Lafayette Street (between Astor Place & 4th St) New York, NY

A gripping journey from the fur trade of the 1600s to the stock trade of today, Mary Kathryn Nagle's MANAHATTA tells the story of Jane Snake, a brilliant young Native American woman with a Stanford MBA. Jane reconnects with her ancestral Lenape homeland, known as Manahatta, when she moves from Oklahoma to New York for a banking job just before the 2008 financial meltdown. Jane’s struggle to reconcile her new life with the expectations and traditions of her family and Nation are powerfully interwoven with the heartbreaking history of the Delaware Nation's expulsion from their land. Both old and new Manahatta converge in a lesson about the dangers of living in a society where there’s no such thing as enough.

A stunning play about self-discovery, MANAHATTA was written as part of The Public’s prestigious Emerging Writers Group. Obie Award winner and The Public’s Director of Public Works, Laurie Woolery, directs.


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FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Manahatta

Review: An Earnest Yet Awkward Land Acknowledgement for ‘Manahatta’
4 / 10

If our culture were fearless and thriving, we’d have more plays like Manahatta—which is to say, ones better written than it. We’d also have more big-budget movies like Killers of the Flower Moon (but made by Native filmmakers) and more series like Reservation Dogs. Not to mention more Native theater critics. The play disappoints because it could have dug deeper, told us something research materials don’t or can’t. May it inspire other, beginning writers. Anyone can scribble a moral; mapping a journey to the revelation is hard.

MANAHATTA: HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF, DIDACTICALLY
5 / 10

It’s hard to avoid the sound of gears grinding while you’re watching Manahatta, now playing at the Public Theater. Mary Kathryn Nagle’s drama takes place both in modern times, culminating in the 2008 financial crisis, and in the 1600s, when both Native Americans and Dutch settlers were populating the island that gives the play its name. As the action shifts back and forth in time, it painstakingly accentuates the similarities in the manner in which the country’s original inhabitants were screwed over by the European colonists and modern-day Americans by exploitative financial markets. By the time the evening’s over, you’ll be impressed by the playwright’s logistical ingenuity. But you won’t have been particularly moved. Manahatta ultimately feels like a thesis in search of a play.

Photos: Mary Kathryn Nagle's MANAHATTA Opens At The Public Theater
by A.A. Cristi - December 6, 2023


Mary Kathryn Nagle’s MANAHATTA, directed by Laurie Woolery, opened last night at The Public Theater! See photos from opening night!

Photos: Inside Opening Night of the Public Theater's MANAHATTA
by Bruce Glikas - December 6, 2023


Mary Kathryn Nagle’s MANAHATTA officially opened last night for its New York Premiere at The Public Theater. Directed by Laurie Woolery, the production has recently been extended through Saturday, December 23. Check out photos from opening night here!

Reviews: Critics Visit Mary Kathryn Nagle's MANAHATTA At The Public Theater
by A.A. Cristi - December 5, 2023


Mary Kathryn Nagle’s MANAHATTA is currently having its New York Premiere at The Public Theater. Directed by Laurie Woolery. Read the reviews!

Photos: Go Inside Rehearsals for Mary Kathryn Nagle's MANAHATTA at The Public Theater
by Chloe Rabinowitz - October 20, 2023


Mary Kathryn Nagle’s MANAHATTA (Directed by Laurie Woolery), is in rehearsals at The Public Theater. Check out rehearsal photos!

Full Cast Set for Mary Kathryn Nagle's MANAHATTA at The Public Theater
by Chloe Rabinowitz - September 21, 2023


The Public Theater has revealed the complete cast for the New York premiere of MANAHATTA written by Emerging Writers Group alumna Mary Kathryn Nagle and directed by Obie Award winner and Public Theater Director of Public Works Laurie Woolery. 

Manahatta History

Other Productions of Manahatta

2023   Off-Broadway Public Theater New York Premiere Production
Off-Broadway

Manahatta - 2023 Off-Broadway Awards and Nominations

Note: Award winners will appear on a background
Year Ceremony Category Nominee
2024 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Costume Design of a Play Lux Haac
2024 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play Sheila Tousey
2024 The Lortels Outstanding Costume Design Lux Haac

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