Atlanta’s nationally acclaimed Alliance Theatre, Jennings Hertz Artistic Directors Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and Christopher Moses, and Managing Director Mike Schleifer, are pleased to announce the productions of the Alliance’s 56th season. The new season will feature award-winning plays, world premieres, and works developed for youth and families.
“As Atlanta continues to build on its reputation as a creative capital, we’re proud to deepen our commitment to new work with the six world premiere productions included in our 24/25 season,” said Jennings Hertz Artistic Directors Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and Christopher Moses. “What binds each of these seemingly disparate stories together is the palpable sense of hope pulsing through each & every one – not platitudes masquerading as hope, but the kind of hope that won’t let you down – the kind forged from the truth of our human condition. This season both celebrates our city and our connection to the national theatre field. But most of all, it celebrates the majesty of the human spirit.”
Memberships for the Alliance’s 56th season are on sale now. For more information, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/memberships. Tickets for individual productions will go on sale in July 2024.
THE COCA-COLA STAGE
THE MOUNTAINTOP
August 30 – September 22, 2024
The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
By Katori Hall
Directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden
A play that “pulses with a new sense of urgency” (Entertainment Weekly), THE MOUNTAINTOPis a gripping reimagining of events the night before the assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Taking place on April 3, 1968, an exhausted Dr. King retires to his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis after delivering one of his most memorable speeches. When a mysterious young woman named Camae delivers room service, the two engage in humorous conversation that progresses into a soul-searching discussion about their mutual hopes and fears. When Camae reveals a secret, King is forced to confront his destiny and his legacy to his people. “Audacious [and] inventive” (Associated Press), the Olivier Award-winning play offers an intimate and empathetic portrait of one of history’s most consequential figures told by one of today’s most important writers, Pulitzer Prize winner Katori Hall (The Hot Wing King). Alliance Theatre’s Jennings Hertz Artistic Director Tinashe Kajese-Bolden (The Preacher’s Wife) directs. For tickets and info, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/mountaintop.
BUST (world premiere)
February 13 – March 16, 2025
The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
By Zora Howard
Directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz
A Co-Production with Goodman Theatre
BUST is produced in association with Sonia Friedman Productions, Khaliah Neal and Thomas Swayne
Retta and Reggie are enjoying their usual evening on the porch when a longtime neighbor is pulled over by the police just before turning into his driveway. Everything goes as expected—until the unexpected happens. Humor, spectacle, and surrealism converge in this gripping interrogation of what it costs to be Black and free. Lileana Blain-Cruz, a “master of curating chaos” (The New York Times), directs. For tickets and info, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/bust.
MILLIONS (World premiere; Musical)
May 10 – June 15, 2025
The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
Book by Bob Martin
Music & Lyrics by Adam Guettel
Based on the novel and film by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Directed by Bartlett Sher
Produced by arrangement with Sonia Friedman Productions and Franco Productions
A million dollars is a windfall. A family is a fortune.
Inspired by Frank Cottrell Boyce’s beloved novel and film, MILLIONS is a hilarious and heartwarming new musical about two brothers, their newly-widowed father, a train robber, and (possibly) a miracle.
Damien and Anthony are dealing with the loss of their mother in very different ways. So, when a duffel bag of cash falls out of the sky, Damien thinks it’s a miracle from his mom, sent to test their goodness. But Anthony knows the truth.
Created by a team of Tony Award winners, MILLIONS is an imaginative and unpredictable adventure with a book by Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone, The Prom) and an extraordinary score by Adam Guettel (Floyd Collins, The Light in the Piazza, Days of Wine and Roses), with direction by Bartlett Sher (South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof, To Kill a Mockingbird).
With soaring music and a story full of surprises, MILLIONS is a modern-day fable that will enchant and entertain the entire family. For tickets and info, visitwww.alliancetheatre.org/millions.
HERTZ STAGE
PEARL CLEAGE’S SOMETHING MOVING: A MEDITATION ON MAYNARD
Limited Engagement: August 2 – 11, 2024
The Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
By Pearl Cleage
Directed by David Kote
Award-winning author and playwright Pearl Cleage explores the election of Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first African American mayor, from the vantage point of an artist and an insider – Cleage served as Jackson’s press secretary during his campaign and followed him into City Hall for two years as Director of Communications. In choosing to tell the story of this 1973 landmark election, Cleage creates a cast of characters drawn from her own participation in this transformative moment in our city’s history. By looking back, Cleage invites us to reflect on the meaning of leadership and the kind of future we want to build. For tickets and info, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/maynard.
THE CHINESE LADY
September 18 – October 13, 2024
Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
By Lloyd Suh
Inspired by the true story of the first Chinese woman to step foot in America, Lloyd Suh’s critically-acclaimed play, THE CHINESE LADY, is a unique portrait of the United States as seen through the eyes of an idealistic Chinese migrant. In 1834, 14-year-old Afong Moy sailed into New York Harbor and was immediately put on display for a paying public who gawked as she brewed tea, ate with chopsticks, and walked around the room on her tiny bound feet. As audiences follow Moy’s travels through America as a living exhibit for decades, THE CHINESE LADY shares her impressions of a young country struggling with its identity and role in the world. “Moving and often sharply funny” (The New York Times), THE CHINESE LADY serves as an examination of the ongoing struggle for empathy and understanding across cultural divides. For tickets and info, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/chineselady.
BUSINESS IDEAS (World Premiere, Winner of the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition)
November 16 – December 15, 2024
Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
By Milo Cramer
Directed by Matt Torney
Winner of the 21st annual Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, BUSINESS IDEAS is a comedy about getting rich. In a too-cute café, a desperate mother and daughter brainstorm get-rich-quick schemes to pay for college (or maybe to make ends meet?), while their hapless server tries to network with a revolving cast of customers (hilariously played by one actor). Inspired by playwright Milo Cramer’s own experiences with his enterprising mom, BUSINESS IDEAS is a cross-generational look at wealth – who has it and why? – and the value we place on it. Theatrical Outfit’s Artistic Director Matt Torney directs. For tickets and info, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/businessideas.
THE RESERVOIR (World Premiere, 2023/24 Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition Finalist)
March 29 – May 4, 2025
Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
By Jake Brasch
Directed by Shelley Butler
In Partnership with Denver Center for the Performing Arts & Geffen Playhouse
Following an acclaimed presentation as a finalist for the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, THE RESERVOIR will have its fully staged world premiere in a three-theater co-production. Josh’s life is a mess. He’s come home to Denver from NYU to get his life together but can’t manage to stay sober. Desperate for camaraderie, he decides to bring his four loveable grandparents on his road to recovery. He drags them to Jazzercise class. He pressures them into playing memory games. He forces them to eat spinach by the handful. And eventually, when he can no longer help his grandparents, they begin to help him. Served up with outrageous humor and truth, THE RESERVOIR reminds us that sometimes the path forward isn’t the one we expect. For tickets and info, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/reservoir.
THEATRE FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES
BABBLE LAB (World Premiere)
June 22 – July 28, 2024
Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street NE
By Autumn Ness
Directed by Sarah Agnew
A Children’s Theatre Company and Alliance Theatre World Premiere Co-production
Strap on your safety goggles and clean out your ears! When an experiment unexpectedly goes awry, a concoction of sneaky, sprightly L E T T E R S takes over a weird and wondrous science lab. Watch them jump into jars, spring from drawers, bounce around the room, and even play hide-and-seek as our scientist makes her surprising findings: Bluku terullala blaulala loooo! Rakete bee bee? Rekate bee zee! Enjoy the blubbering and blibbering exploration of spoken blurbbles as they spring forth in this one-of-a-kind, gee-gaw-filled laboratory. Created with early learners in mind. For tickets and info, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/babblelab.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
November 9 – December 24, 2024
The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by David H. Bell
Directed by Caitlin Hargraves
Original Direction by Leora Morris
The Alliance Theatre’s beloved production A CHRISTMAS CAROL returns to The Coca-Cola Stage with its stunning adaptation, featuring a magical set design and striking costumes. Described as “high art of the season…a nostalgic feast for the eyes,” by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, audiences will be transported to the streets of London for the timeless redemption story of Ebenezer Scrooge, told with beautiful live music and an all-star cast. Join the Alliance Theatre for one of Atlanta’s most treasured holiday traditions. For tickets and info, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/carol.
DOCTOR DE SOTO (World Premiere)
January 18 – March 2, 2025
Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
By Idris Goodwin
Based on the book by William Steig
Produced in partnership with Seattle Children’s Theatre
A world premiere stage adaptation of the beloved, Newberry Award-winning picture bookDOCTOR DE SOTO.
Award-winning playwright Idris Goodwin brings William Steig’s tale of wit, wisdom, and whimsy to the stage with an eye-popping blend of live-action, puppetry, music, and rhyme. Despite the sign outside stating that they do not treat predators, Doctor De Soto and Mrs. De Soto take pity on a suffering fox with a rotten tooth. But once he opens his jaws and they must step inside, they begin to rethink their decision. Full of excitement and laughter, this modern-day fable proves that even the smallest creatures can make a big difference with kindness and a little quick thinking. For tickets and info, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/desoto.
BERNHARDT THEATRE FOR THE VERY YOUNG
THE CURIOUS CARDIINAL
September 21 – October 27, 2024
Sifly Piazza
1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
Created by Olivia Aston Bosworth in partnership with Fly on a Wall
Based on the animated short and book The Curious Cardinal by Mark Valdez and illustrated by Nicole Kang Ahn, with music composed by Eugene H. Russell, IV
As the seasons come and go in this Georgia forest, so too do all the varied wildlife. Except, of course, for the curious cardinal, “CC”, who stays put the entire year, curiously exploring all the changes that the seasons bring. Join CC on their adventure beyond the city and soar to new heights in the spring, bid a fond farewell to the friendly otters in the summer, bicker and befriend squirrels in the fall, and explore the crisp, cool air in the winter. This show celebrates the majesty of the natural habitats of GA and the daily adventures of an ever-changing world. For tickets and information, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/curiouscardinal.
KNOCK, KNOCK
November 15 – December 22, 2024
Selig Family Black Box at Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
Created by Olivia Aston Bosworth & Samantha Provenzano
Come in from out of the cold and celebrate community, family, and warmth this holiday season! Welcome to The Apartment Building. Below us, above us, and beside us, the residents are preparing for the holidays and trying to stay warm. Join us on a floor-to-floor adventure, meeting and celebrating with a variety of friends who all call The Apartment Building home. Surprises hide behind each door — all you need to do is (Knock, Knock). For tickets and information, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/knock.
GIMME PLEASE!
January 16 – February 16, 2025
Selig Family Black Box at Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
Created and Original Direction by Megan Alrutz & Samantha Provenzano
Remount Directed by Samantha Provenzano
Conceived & Commissioned in partnership with The PaperBoats
A play about the evolving nature of friendship, GIMME PLEASE follows the journey of two friends—from initial meeting to lasting connection. Audiences are invited to watch and explore as the two friends pretend, provoke, and persist in getting what they want and need from the world and each other. Through the use of live music, light, and magic, this story draws audiences in with its deep sense of play and honest exploration of growing up and finding your path. For tickets and information, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/gimmeplease.
DINOSAUR
March 19 – May 4, 2025
Selig Family Black Box at Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
Created by Olivia Aston Bosworth & Samantha Provenzano
When you love dinosaurs, they pop up everywhere— at the grocery store, at preschool, and even when your grown-ups are hosting a fancy dinner party! But how can you focus on folding your napkin and chewing with your mouth closed when there’s an apatosaurus munching on your salad and pterodactyls swarming your soup? You can’t! Get ready to find out how even the simplest day-to-day task can turn into an epic dino-tastic adventure that will leave little ones laughing and roaring for more. For tickets and information, visitwww.alliancetheatre.org/dinosaur.