Seagull 2022

They triumphantly tackled Faulkner, Fitzgerald, and Shakespeare with their celebrated productions of The Sound and the Fury, Gatz, and Measure for Measure. Now in their newest project, Elevator Repair Service takes on The Seagull, Anton Chekhov’s classic drama of artists in life and love. Blurring the line between the play itself and an informal chat with the audience, ERS’s venturous approach to the text twists truth into lies and fact into fiction as actors become characters who become actors who become characters. All the while, the play remains a permanently modern exploration of the conflicting pursuits of art, love, and happiness.



Elevator Repair Service (ERS) is a New York City-based company that creates original works for live theatre with an ongoing ensemble. The company’s shows are created from a wide range of texts that include found transcripts of trials and debates, literature, classical dramas, and new plays. Founded in 1991, ERS has authored an extensive body of work that includes upwards of 20 original theatrical productions. These have earned the company a loyal following and made it one of New York’s most highly acclaimed experimental theatre companies. ERS productions share a commitment to risk-taking and reinvention, blending unusual texts with innovations in theatrical form. The finished works feature the company’s signature dynamic performance style coupled with a rigorous commitment to psychologically complex performances. ERS has received numerous awards and distinctions. elevator.org