Written by Steve Cosson and James La Bella
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Trask, Aaron Whitby, Martha Redbone, and Michael Friedman
Directed by Steve Cosson
Conceived by Steve Cosson and Jessica Mitrani
CAST:
Whitney Andrews, David Greenspan, Robert M. Johanson, Jo Lampert, Irene Lucio, and Heath Saunders
CREATIVE:
Based on the Book by George W. Henry
Music Director/Keys/Bass Matt Duncan
Guitar/Keys Matt Katz-Bohen
Drums Gintas Janusonis
Movement Director Sean Donovan
Dramaturgs Jocelyn Clark, Melissa Hardy, Phoebe Corde
Set Designer David Zinn
Costume Designer Emily Rebholz
Lighting Designer Amith Chandrashaker
Sound Designer Drew Levy
Video Designer Jessica Mitrani
Associate Video Designer Attilio Rigotti
Associate Set Designer Oscar Escobedo
Associate Costume Designer Maeve Rose
Associate Lighting Designer Stoli Stolnack
Associate Sound Designer Brandon Bulls
Music Supervisor Wiley DeWeese
Producer Margaret Moll
Associate Producer Melissa Hardy
Casting Consultant Geoff Josselson, CSA
Production Stage Manager E Sara Barnes
Assistant Stage Manager Aisling Galvin
Assistant Director Sammy Zeisel
In their latest venture, The Civilians mine an extraordinary archive to reveal the intimate lives of Depression-era queers.
Co-conceived by writer/director Steve Cosson, and multimedia artist Jessica Mitrani, and co-written with James La Bella, Sex Variants of 1941 is a kaleidoscopic fantasia adapted from a medical study of queer sexuality. Drawing on the study’s explicit interviews, pseudoscientific analysis, “medical” diagrams, and glossary of era-specific slang, the company uses scenes, songs, and striking visuals to celebrate an undersung community—and subvert the pathologizing gaze of the medical establishment.
Featuring original songs by star composers Stephen Trask, Aaron Whitby, Martha Redbone, and the late Michael Friedman. Sex Variants paints a radically candid portrait of queer America in the 1930s. Racy bits and all.
PRESS:
New York TImes: Uncovering Gay & Lesbian History in A 1941 ‘Sex Variants’ Study
WRITTEN & CREATED BY: Steve Cosson
CAST:
Michael Castillejos, Aysan Celik, Trey Lyford, Jennifer Morris, Heath Saunders, Colleen Werthman
CREATIVE:
WRITER & DIRECTOR: Steve Cosson | MUSIC DIRECTOR: Dan Lipton | SET DESIGN: casaboyce | COSTUME DESIGNER: Emily Rebholz | LIGHTING DESIGNER: Amith Chandrashaker | SOUND DESIGNER: Ryan Gamblin | VIDEO & PROJECTION DESIGNER: Attilio Rigotti | PRODUCTION MANAGER: Zach Jenkins | ASSOCIATE PRODUCTION MANAGER: Beatrice Perez-Arche | PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER: Andrew Petrick | ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER: Ais Galvin
In a novel collaboration between humans and AI, Artificial Flavors turns the hot topic of artificial intelligence into a theater experience like nothing else. Knowing that the stories we tell ourselves shape and influence what happens in society, what will happen when many of those stories are computer-generated?
Hosted by The Civilians’ Artistic Director Steve Cosson, parts of the show are generated live by the latest AI programs and immediately performed, creating an entirely different show every night. The evening culminates with an original musical in which the performers roll with the punches, nimbly adjusting to every bizarre plot twist and oddly phrased original song the AI throws their way to surprising and hilarious effect.
Artificial Flavors is a fascinating evening of barely-controlled chaos that you won’t want to miss.
This production is supported, in part by the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.
PRESS:
TheaterMania
WRITTEN BY: Lucas Hnath based on interviews with Dana Higginbotham conducted by Steve Cosson
DIRECTED BY: Les Waters
Deirdre O'Connell
Dana H.
SCENIC DESIGN: Andrew Boyce
COSTUME DESIGN: Janice Pytel
LIGHTING DESIGN: Paul Toben
AUDIO EDITING & SOUND DESIGN: Mikhail Fiksel
Commissioned and developed by The Civilians and Goodman Theatre.
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
Goodman Theatre - Chicago
Center Theatre Group - Los Angeles
Vineyard Theatre - New York
Lyceum Theatre - Broadway
AWARDS/NOMINATIONS:
*Top 10 of 2021 The New York Times
*10 Best Theatre of 2021 Time Magazine
PRESS:
New York Times - Broadway
New York Times – Vineyard
Chicago Tribune - Goodman
LA Times - Center Theater Group
Production Photos by: Carol Rosegg and Craig Schwartz
WRITTEN BY: Marin Gazzaniga
DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson
CAST:
David Aaron Baker, Jeff Biehl, Sonnie Brown, Dan Domingues, Nina Hellman, Joshua David Robinson, and Richard Topol
CREATIVE:
MOVEMENT DIRECTIONS: Sean Donovan | SET DESIGN: Andrew Boyce & Se Oh | COSTUMES: Emily Rebholz and Miriam Kelleher | LIGHTS: Lucrecia Briceno | ORIGINAL MUSIC & SOUND: Christian Frederickson | DRAMATURG: Jeremy Stoler | CREATIVE CONSULTANT: Megan Kingery | PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER: Molly Shea | ASM: Dack Justiz
In the classic tale of religious conversion, finding God holds the promise of a life filled with purpose and meaning. But what happens when this transformation occurs in reverse, and a faith you have built your life around begins to fall away? The Unbelieving takes a penetrating look into the lives of practicing clergy members— Catholics, Episcopalians, Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, Jews, Mormons, Muslims—who have stopped believing in God.
Staged by NYC’s acclaimed downtown theater company The Civilians in the brilliant investigative-theater style they pioneered, THE UNBELIEVING tells the intimate stories of these faith leaders. Using their actual words, obtained during a groundbreaking study by philosopher Daniel C. Dennett and qualitative researcher Linda LaScola, the play explores the struggles, courage, and great humor of these “unbelievers” as they face the hardest decision of their lives—whether to continue living in secret or to risk everything by telling the truth.
Based on interviews conducted for the book, Caught in the Pulpit: Leaving Belief Behind (2013) by Daniel C. Dennett and Linda LaScola
PRESS:
New York Times *Critics Pick
New York Stage Review
Broadway World
WRITTEN BY: Steve Cosson from interviews by the company*
MUSIC & LYRICS: Michael Friedman
DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson
* Marsha Stephanie Blake, Greg McFadden, Melanie Nocholls-King, Michael Premo, Alex Rosenthal, Joaquin Torres, and Colleen Werthmann.
CO-WRITER & DRAMATURG: Jocelyn Clarke | SETS: Andromache Chalfant | COSTUMES: Chloe Chapin | LIGHTS: Lucrecia Briceño | SOUND: Shane Rettig | PROJECTIONS: Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew | MUSIC DIRECTOR: Kris Kukul
Developed with support of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Cultural Innovation Fund as the project known as Brooklyn at Eye Level, with partners including BRIC, Urban Bush Women, Michael Hill’s Blues Mob, youth from the Atlantic Terminal Community Center working with writer Lucy Thurber, students from Brooklyn Tech High School, and photographer Alix Lambert. Project Manager: Michael Premo. Brooklyn at Eye Level was an in-depth community engagement project that culminated in performances and town hall discussion at the Brooklyn Lyceum theater.
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
Brooklyn Lyceum
Irondale Center, Brooklyn*
Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, Philadephia
ArtsEmerson, Boston
AWARDS/NOMINATIONS:
*Best of 2010 New York Times
*Best of 2010 Time Out New York
*Best of 2010 The New Yorker
PRESS:
New York Times Critic's Pick
New York Magazine
WNYC's Soundcheck
New York Times Feature
New York Times Video Michael Friedman’s “The Four Brooklyns”
Urban Omnibus documentary on Brooklyn at Eye Level workshop
More...
Production Photos by: Adrian Kinloch, Alix Lambert, and Carol Rosegg
WRITTEN BY: José Rivera
MUSIC & LYRICS: Héctor Buitrago
DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson
SETS: Andrew Boyce | COSTUMES: Emily Rebholz | LIGHTS: Robert Wierzel | SOUND: Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen | PROJECTIONS: Mike Tutaj | MUSIC DIRECTOR: Mike Przygoda
Commissioned and developed by The Civilians and The Goodman Theater. New York Stage and Film in the Martel Theater, Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
The Goodman Theater - Chicago
PRESS:
Chicago Tribune
Third Coast Review
Production Photos by Liz Lauren
WRITTEN BY: Anne Washburn
DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson
MUSIC: Michael Friedman
SETS: Neil Patel | COSTUMES: Emily Rebholz | LIGHTS: Justin Townsend | SOUND: Ken Travis | MUSIC DIRECTOR: Mike Brun
Commissioned and developed by The Civilians. Workshops with Seattle Rep and Playwrights Horizons.
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
Woolly Mammoth – Washington, D.C.
Playwrights Horizons – New York
AWARDS/NOMINATIONS:
* Best Production of 2012, The Washington Post
* Top 10 Plays of 2013”- New York Times, Time Out New York, Vogue, Out Magazine, New York Post.
* Top 10 Most Produced Plays of the 2015-2016 American Theater Season
PRESS:
New York Times Critic's Pick
The Washington Post
Ben Brantley's TONY Picks
More...
Production Photos by Joan Marcus
MUSIC & LYRICS BY: Duncan Sheik
BOOKS & LYRICS BY: Kyle Jarrow
CONCEIVED WITH: Keith Powell
DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson
CHOREOGRAPHY: David Dorfman | MUSIC DIRECTOR / ADDITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS: Wiley DeWeese | SET: Alexander Dodge | COSTUMES: Linda Cho | LIGHTS: Jeff Croiter | SOUND: Ken Travis | VIDEO DESIGN: Mark Holthusen | SPECIAL EFFECTS: Jeremy Chernick | FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY: Ryan Bourque
Produced by The Civilians at 59E59 Theatres
(Produced closed in previews due to COVID)
Press links:
Time Square Chronicles – The Civilians, Duncan Sheik and Kyle Jarrow’s Whisper House Come to 59E59 Street Theatre
Playbill – Check Out Exclusive Rehearsal Photos From Duncan Sheik and Kyle Jarrow’s Whisper House Off-Broadway
WRITER: Claire Kiechel
DIRECTOR: Steve Cosson
CHOREOGRAPHER: Dan Safer
SETS: Andromache Chalfant | COSTUMES: An-Lin Dauber | LIGHTS: Lucrecia Briceño | SOUND: Avi Amon | MUSIC: Avi Amon and Robert M. Johanson
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
Site-specific, Immersive production at Torn Page, NYC.
CAST: Helen Cespedes, Robert M. Johanson, Alexis Scott & Tony Torn,
PRESS:
Hyperallergic
The New Yorker
The New York Times
The New York Times
Production Photos by: Maria Baranova
WRITTEN BY: Sam Chanse
DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson
CAST:
Sonnie Brown, Curran Connor*, Emma Kikue, Robert Lee Leng, Pisay Pao
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
CREATIVE:
SET DESIGN: Riw Rakkulchon | COSTUMES: An-lin Dauber | LIGHTS: Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew | SOUND DESIGN: Leah Gelpe | ORIGINAL MUSIC: Sophy Him | DRAMATURG: Soriya Chum | PROPS DESIGNER: Caitlyn Murphy | CREATIVE CONSULTANT: Megan Kingery | PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER: Fran Acuña-Almiron | TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Steven Brenman | ASM: Lauren Nicole Jackson
Casting by JZ Casting, Geoff Josselson, CSA and Katja Zarolinski, CSA
Pia is a passionate young researcher investigating cutting-edge new ideas about how to heal the mind from traumatic memories. But her interest is also personal, deeply intertwined with her family’s history. When a figure from the past unexpectedly shows up, urging Pia’s mother to testify about her experiences during the violence of 1970s Cambodia, unresolved histories are brought to the surface. Pia must navigate through a latticework of interconnected memories: her relationship, her brother Darany and, centrally, her mother Chantrea—making discoveries that will radically alter everyone’s lives in the present.
what you are now asks what if our memories aren’t fixed, but change each time we recall the past? This world premiere by Sam Chanse is a thrillingly insightful new play that asks the audience to move through the shifting dance between the past and present, and to consider how with new understanding we might change “who you were then” to “what you are now.”
The Civilians’ co-production of What You Are Now was supported by The National Endowment for the Arts and Venturous Theater Fund, a fund of the Tides Foundation.
PRESS:
New York Times
The New Yorker
WRITTEN BY: Steve Cosson
MUSIC & LYRICS BY: Michael Friedman
CHOREOGRAPHED BY: Joe Chvala
SETS: Andrew Boyce | COSTUMES: Jessica Pabst | LIGHTS: Jake Degroot | SOUND: Sten Severson | FIGHT AND HOCKEY CHOREOGRAPHY: Ryan Bouoque | MUSIC DIRECTOR: Andrew Fleser
The Abominables was commissioned and developed through a production partnership with the Children's Theatre Company in association with The Civilians.
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
Minneapolis Children's Theatre
* Children’s Theatre Company Commissioned World Premiere
PRESS:
Star Tribune
Twin Cities
Talkin Broadway
Production Photos by: Dan Norman
WRITTEN BY: William Luce
SETS: Antje Ellerman | COSTUMES: William Ivey Long | LIGHTS: David Weiner | SOUND: Daniel Kluger
Press:
New York Times
Production History:
Westside Theater, New York
WRITTEN BY: Steve Cosson & Michael Friedman
DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson
SETS: Alexander Dodge | COSTUMES: Sarah Breers | LIGHTS: Thomas Dunn | SOUND: Ken Travis | PROJECTIONS: Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew | MUSIC DIRECTOR: Dan Lipton, Jonathan Mastro
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
The Civilians at the Mazer Theatre, NYC
La Jolla Playhouse
The Public Theater
BAM Next Wave Festival
ArtsEmerson, Boston
PRESS:
New York Times
New York Magazine
Boston Globe
More...
Production Photos by: Richard Termine, Carol Rosegg, Manuel Rotenber
BOOK BY: Bess Wohl
MUSIC & LYRICS BY: Michael Friedman
DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson
CHOREOGRAPHED BY: Sam Pinkleton
SETS: Neil Patel | COSTUMES: Emily Rebholtz | LIGHTS: Justin Townsend | SOUND: Ken Travis | PROJECTIONS: Darrell Maloney | MUSIC DIRECTOR: Nathan Dame
Commissioned and developed by Center Theater Group, Los Angeles.
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
The Civilians at Abrons Arts Center, NYC
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS:
Lucille Lortel Award Nomination for Outstanding Musical
Drama Desk Award Nomination for Outstanding Musical
NY Times and Time Out NY Critic’s pick
PRESS:
New York Times Critic's Pick
Variety
Time Out New York
More... (Press, Photos & Video)
Production Photos by: Richard Termine
MUSIC BY: Duncan Sheik
BOOK & LYRICS BY: Steven Sater
CHOREOGRAPHY BY: Sam Pinkleton
SETS: Adrian Jones | COSTUMES: Sarah Beers | LIGHTS: Robert Wierzel | SOUND: Will Pickens | MUSIC DIRECTOR: Chris Youstra
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
Olney Theatre Center | Washington DC
Production Photos by Stan Barouh
WRITTEN BY: Steve Cosson
MUSIC & LYRICS BY: Michael Friedman
DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson
CHOREOGRAPHED BY: Tracy Bersley
SETS: Mimi Lien | COSTUMES: Sarah Breers | LIGHTS: Jeff Croiter | SOUND: Alex Hawthorn | PROJECTIONS: James H. Thompson | MUSIC DIRECTOR: Andrea Grody
Developed with Princeton’s Lewis Center for the Arts and the Princeton Environmental Institute; supported by the National Science Foundation.
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
The Public Theater, New York
Kansas City Repertory Theatre
PRESS:
New York Times
Huffington Post
Multiple academic reviews, Resilience journal of eco-criticism
Additional press...
Videos, context and more...
Production Photos by: Don Ipock, Denise Applewhite, Richard Termine
Developed with the support of Colorado College and the Sundance Theatre Lab.
WRITTEN BY: Steve Cosson & Jim Lewis
MUSIC & LYRICS BY: Michael Friedman
DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson
CHOREOGRAPHED BY: John Carrafa
SETS: Neil Patel | COSTUMES: Alix Hester | LIGHTS: David Weiner | SOUND: Ken Travis | PROJECTIONS: Jason Thompson
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
Colorado College, Colorado Springs
Vineyard Theatre, New York
Center Theater Group, Kirk Douglas Theatre, Los Angeles
Studio Theatre, Washington, D.C.
Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival
PRESS:
New York Times
New York Times Feature
Variety
Washington Post
More...
Production Photos by: Tom Kimmel and Craig Schwartz
WRITTEN BY: Steve Cosson from interviews by the company*
MUSIC & LYRICS: Michael Friedman
ADDITIONAL TEXT: Peter Morris
DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson
*Damian Baldet, Trey Lyford, Jennifer R. Morris, Brian Sgambati, Alison Weller, and Colleen Werthmann. Additional interviews by Quincy Bernstine, Matthew Francis, Charlie Schroeder and Winter Miller.
SETS: Takeshi Kata | COSTUMES: Sarah Breers | LIGHTS: Thomas Dunn | SOUND: Ken Travis | MUSIC DIRECTOR: Andy Boronson | CHOREOGRAPHER: Jim Augustine | DRAMATURG: Winter Miller | MUSIC DIRECTOR: Andy Boronson
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
Joe's Pub at The Public Theater — New York
Galapagos Art Space — New York
The Belt Theater* — New York
The Gate Theatre — London
HBO US Comedy Festival – Aspen
Under the Radar Festival — New York
Vanderbilt University
Fairfield University
Carriage House Stage - Providence
Connecticut College
Pennsylvania State University
Davidson College
Brown University
University of California at Irvine
University of California at Santa Barbara
University of California at Riverside
Actors' Theatre of Louisville
Wesleyan University
Princeton University
Yale University
Dartmouth College
Barrow Street Theater** – New York City, Off Broadway 6/14/07 – 6/6/08
AWARDS/NOMINATIONS:
*Time Out Top 10 of 2003
*New York Times Top 10 of 2007
PRESS:
New York Times 2018 Encores! production
New York Times
The Daily Telegraph
More...
Production Photos by: Sheldon Noland and Lesley Lyons
WRITTEN BY: Steve Cosson
Poems by Arthur Rimbaud translated by John Ashbery
SONGS: Michael Friedman, Rebecca Hart, Grace McLean, Matthew Dean Marsh, and Ada Westfall
CHOREOGRAPHER: Sam Pinkleton
SETS: Andromache Chalfant | COSTUMES: Paloma Young | LIGHTS: Eric Southern | SOUND: Daniel Kluger | MUSIC DIRECTOR: Matthew Dean Marsh
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
BAM in association with The Poetry Foundation, BAM Fisher Theatre – Brooklyn.
Supported by a residency with Sundance Theatre Lab.
PRESS:
New Yorker
New York Observer
Blogcritics
Production Photos by: Kyle Dean Reinford
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson
CREATIVE COLLABORATOR & PSYCHOPOMP: Jessica Mitrani | SETS: Marsha Ginsberg | COSTUMES: Marsha Ginsberg | LIGHTS: Thomas Dunn | SOUND: Mikhail Fiksel | PROJECTIONS: Tal Yarden
Developed in residence at the University of Maryland and the Orchard Project.
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
Théâtre de la Ville, Paris, France
Duke Performances at Duke University, Durham, NC
BAM Next Wave Festival
OnStage at Connecticut College
PRESS:
New York Times Critic's Pick
France Culture radio interview
Time Out New York
The New Yorker
Production Photos by: Zach Hyman
WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY: Dael Orlandersmith
DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson
SETS: Andrew Boyce | COSTUMES: Alixandra Gage Englund | LIGHTS: Amith Chandrashaker | SOUND: Eric Shimelonis
Weston Playhouse
Weston, VT
WRITTEN BY: Steve Cosson from interviews by the company*
MUSIC & LYRICS: Michael Friedman
DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson
*Andy Boroson, Daoud Heidami, Christina Kirk, Alix Lambert, Matthew Maher, Caitlin Miller, KJ Sanchez.
SETS: Andromache Chalfant | COSTUMES: Sarah Breers | LIGHTS: Marcus Doshi | ASSOC. LIGHTING DESIGNER: Lucrecia Briceño | SOUND: Shane Rettig | MUSIC DIRECTOR: Andy Boronson | CHOREOGRAPHER: Karinne Keithley
Developed in residencies at The Public Theater and the Sundance Theatre Lab.
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
PS 122 New York
59 East 59 Street Theatre New York
Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia
ART, Cambridge, MA.
Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Fringe*
Soho Theatre, London
AWARDS/NOMINATIONS:
*Fringe First Award
SCRIPT: Read HERE
PRESS:
New York Times Critic's Pick
Scotland on Sunday
The Guardian
More...
Production Photos by Lesley Lyons
WRITTEN BY: Anne Washburn
SETS: Brian Sydney Bembridge | COSTUMES: Lorraine Venberg | LIGHTS: Jeff Nellis | SOUND: Matt Hubbs | PROJECTION: Phillip Allgeier
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
Humana Festival, Actors Theater of Louisville, KY
PRESS:
WRITER: Steve Cosson
COMPOSER: Michael Friedman
CO-DIRECTOR: Steve Cosson and Trey Nelson
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Matthew Woolf | SETS: Andrew Boyce | COSTUMES: Emily Rebholtz
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Steve Cosson from interviews by the company
PROJECT DIRECTOR: Ian Daniel | ASSOC. DIRECTOR: Mia Rovegno | DRAMATURG: Micharne Cloughley | SETS: Mimi Lien | COSTUMES: Chloe Chapin | LIGHTS: Lucrecia Briceño| SOUND: Ken Travis | PROJECTIONS: Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Temple of Dendur
‘Be the Death of Me’ produced by The Civilians at the Irondale Center, Brooklyn
PRESS:
Mildly Bitter
Essay by an interviewee in a journal of suicide attempt survivors
American Theatre Magazine
Interview Magazine
WRITTEN BY: William Inge
SETS: Andromache Chalfant | COSTUMES: Sarah Beers | LIGHTS: David Weiner | SOUND: Joe Cerqua
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
Kansas City Rep, KS
PRESS:
The Pitch
Production Photos by Don Ipok
Music & Lyrics by: JILL SOBULE and ROBIN EATON
Book by: JIM LEWIS
Director: STEVE COSSON
Choreographer: Ani Taj
Music Direction: Ada Westfall
A new musical produced by The Civilians in residence at NYU/Tisch School of the Arts
And by Special Arrangement with Studiocanal. Inspired by the film directed by Allan Moyle, script & story by Jacob Brackman, Allan Moyle, and Leanne Ungar.
