Mosaic Theater Company Of DC Presents SOONER/LATER: A Comedy About Life And Love And Loss

Mosaic Theater Company of DC presents the DC premiere of Sooner/Later, a romantic comedy about life and love and loss. Written by local DC playwright, Allyson Currin, Sooner/Later is part of Locally Grown Mosaic, an in-house program to nurture local, DC artists through commissions, new play development, and full productions. Originally produced at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in 2018, the play has received a first-ever "completion commission" from Mosaic to continue its refinement as the first official production of the Trish Vradenburg Play Commission. Now set in DC, the play is underwritten by the Vradenburg Foundation's George Vradenburg in memory of his wife, playwright and screenwriter, Trish Vradenburg. The commission ensures that women's voices will be at the forefront of Mosaic's seasonal offerings and will continue to distinguish Washington DC as a home for innovative and groundbreaking theater.

Mosaic is producing Sooner/Later at The Atlas Performing Arts Center's Sprenger Theatre from May 15 through June 16, with an Opening Press Night of Monday, May 20 at 7:30 pm. Gregg Henry, artistic director of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, directs after overseeing a weeklong workshop of the play this past fall at the Kennedy Center.

When teenage daughter Lexie helps her reluctant single mother Nora re-enter the dating scene, an unlikely suitor emerges in Griff-the guy at the coffee shop who inadvertently witnesses Nora's string of unsuccessful dates. As choices collide with coincidences and longing mixes with grief, this cross-cultural, DC story with a metaphysical twist navigates the paths of romance, marriage and single-parenting, exploring the heart-breaking hilarity of all three.

"Ally Currin is one of our city's wittiest, most prolific writers," notes Mosaic Founding Artistic Director, Ari Roth, "but she's summoned something utterly unique here; a deeply personal story about what it means to be middle aged and dating, parenting a surly 17 year old, while navigating a separation of the most elusive of natures. Because it has this amazing plot revelation we can't give away, we can only say that it's as much about the birth of love as it is about acceptance of loss. As part of this very exciting completion commission, made possible by this Trish Vradenburg new play initiative, Ally's been able to go back into the play to reconceive the casting of characters for this Mosaic debut to allow the play to fully reverberate with the diversity of this city. The play is so perfectly resonant with the voice, tone and sensibility of the late Trish Vradenburg, in whose memory our commission program was named. Ally acted in one of Trish's signature plays 15 years ago (Surviving Grace) and it's moving to contemplate the continuity of humanity and emotion that's being shared in Trish's memory with Ally's living testament to the endurance of love, in spite of loss."

Playwright, Allyson Currin says, "I am profoundly grateful to my friend (and neighbor) Ari Roth and Mosaic Theater for giving Sooner/Later that most elusive of opportunities: a second production after a world premiere. It has been a pure joy to revisit this play, which is profoundly near and dear to my heart, and to reimagine in for my artistic hometown with the gentle, insightful guidance of director Gregg Henry and dramaturg (and Sister Welder) Caleen Jennings. I am so lucky to be a playwright, so lucky to get to go to work every day in this craft that I love, with the full support and complete enthusiasm of the marvelous Mosaic team. It's all so dreamy."

Following select performances of Sooner/Later, Mosaic will host a series of post-show discussions exploring resonant themes present in the work with a diverse set of panelists. These free post-show discussions, beginning immediately after the performance, will cover topics such as:

"Women Playwrights of DC"
"The Levity of Wit"
"Casting The Modern Family"
"The Color of Love: Interracial Marriage"
"The Wit and Wisdom of Trish Vradenburg"

A full list of discussions will be posted shortly on our website at: http://www.mosaictheater.org/discussions

To post a comment, you must register and login.