Off-Broadway's New York Theatre Workshop has set dates for its first two productions of 2020: Celine Song's new play about Korean female sea divers, Endlings, and Sanctuary City, a new play by Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok. Endlings will begin February 19 ahead of a March 9 opening at NYTW, and Sanctuary City will begin March 4 ahead of a March 24 opening at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
Endlings, directed by Sammi Cannold (Evita at City Center), has also found its cast. Returning to the play from the original American Repertory Theater production (directed by Cannold) will be Wai Ching Ho (Daredevil), Emily Kuroda (Gilmore Girls), Jiehae Park (Sleep), and Jo Yang (Comfort Women). They will be joined by Matt DaSilva (Ragtime on Ellis Island) as White Stage Manager, Miles G. Jackson (The Last O.G.) as White Husband, Mark Mauriello (OSCAR at The Crown) as White Stage Manager/Turtle, Keith Pinault (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) as White Stage Manager, and Andy Talen (Sleep No More) as White Stage Manager.
In Endlings, three elderly haenyeos—sea women—spend their dying days diving into the ocean to harvest seafood on the Korean island of Man-Jae. Across the globe on the island of Manhattan, a Korean-Canadian playwright, twice an immigrant, spends her days wrestling with the expectation that she write “authentic” stories about her identity.
The Off-Broadway premiere will feature scenic design by Emmy Award winner Jason Sherwood (Sojourners/Her Portmanteau), costume design by Tony Award winner Linda Cho (The Great Society), lighting design by Tony Award winner Bradley King (Hadestown), and sound design by Elisheba Ittoop (An Ordinary Muslim) and Ien DeNio (Rinse, Repeat). Alfredo Macias (The Play That Goes Wrong) will serve as stage manager.
In Sanctuary City, directed by Rebecca Frecknall, DREAMers, friends, and lovers negotiate the promise of safety and the weight of responsibility in America. NYTW bills the new piece as a play that asks what we’re willing to sacrifice for someone we love. Casting will be announced at a later date.
