What Is Urban Stages?
Urban Stages is an award-winning Off-Broadway Theatre Company founded in 1984 by current Artistic Director Frances Hill. Over the past 22 years, Urban Stages has produced over 68 productions, most of them world premieres. We have two Drama Desk nominations, an Outer Critic's Circle Award, an Obie nomination, and eight Audelco nominations. Two of our plays, Men on the Verge of an Hispanic Breakdown, by Guillermo Reyes, and Minor Demons, by Bruce Graham, were subsequently moved to commercial theatres. Chili Queen, a play by newscaster Jim Lehrer, was moved to the Kennedy Center in Washington.

Numerous projects developed at Urban Stages have been adapted into film and television projects, including Scar, by Murray Mednick, Conversations with the Goddesses, by Agapi Stassinopoulos, and Cotton Mary, by Alexandra Viets, and most have had further productions, commercially, regionally, and abroad. We have a history of commercial moves and of discovering and introducing new writers to the theatre community and having their plays become part of the theatrical repertory. Recent productions have been published in the Smith and Kraus anthologies Best Plays of 2003, Best Plays of 2004, and Best Plays of 2005.

What is the Mission Statement?
The mission of Urban Stages (uS) is to discover, nurture and produce exceptional new works by artists of diverse cultural backgrounds thereby ginving them a venue to address the multi-faceted issues facing our contemporary world. From our open submission policy to our open casting policies, Urban Stages is commited to finding and developing new professional theater artists that represent the whole of our society. This aritst nurturing process is accomplished in every facet of our four-tiered new works development programming.

History of Urban Stages Theatre
Founded in 1984 by our artistic director, Frances Hill, under the name of Playwrights Preview Productions with basically the same mission to develop new theatrical works. The theatre has emerged as a major force in New York's non-profit Off Broadway theatre scene, producing over 68 productions on many New York stages and our own 74 seat theatre at 259 West 30th Street.

Selected recent Urban Stages productions (all are world or New York City premieres) and accomplishments at a glance:

2006 Bulrusher by Eisa Davis
A world premiere, and the first professional production for this talented playwright. Will be published in the Smith and Kraus Best Plays of 2005 anthology.
"…tickles the ears of her listeners [and] the effect is haunting…moving scenes on the banks of the pebble-strewn river, well designed by Dustin O'Neill, feel utterly true."
The New York Times.

2006 The Snow Queen by Stanton Wood
Adapted from the story by Hans Christian Andersen, specially commissioned and developed by Urban Stages.
"This magical 'Snow Queen" manages to both undeniably New York and authentically Andersen."
- The New York Times.

2005 Marion Bridge by Daniel MacIvor
Extended run. Critics lauded the first Off-Broadway production for this talented Canadian writer.
"…a solid core of emotional honesty."
- The New York Times.

2005 Comfort Women by Chungmi Kim
Regional and world-wide productions. Published by Smith and Kraus in their Best Plays of 2004 anthology.

2004-05 Dear Andersen by Aleksey Burago
Remounted the subsequent season due to popular demand.
"Visually Stunning."
- The New York Times.

2004 Seven Rabbits on a Pole by John Picardi
Extended run. Published by Samuel French. Upcoming productions in regional theatres.
"An epic in the making."
The New York Times.

2003 Origins of Happiness by Felix Pire
"Felix A. Pire doesn't have a false moment."
- The New York Times

2002 Circumference of a Squirrel, by John Walch
Workshop development by Urban Stages and Mark Taper Forum, followed by a full production and World Premiere at Urban Stages. Produced regionally and published.
Roses in December, by Victor Kahn
Extended run. Published, and subsequently produced regionally.

2003 The Sweepers by John Picardi
Extended, then remounted and moved to Capital Rep (2003) in a co-production for first regional premiere; subsequently produced in regionally. Published by Samuel French, and in the Smith and Kraus anthology Best Plays of 2003. "…gripping drama that for all the specificity of its time and place nevertheless resonates across the ensuing decades of sociological change, conflicts and casualties."
- The New York Times

2000 Mother Lolita, by Guilermo Reyes
Extended, published, and subsequently produced regionally.

2000 The Queen Bee's Last Stand by Rob Santana
Extended, published.

1998-2004 Coyote on A Fence by Bruce Graham
Two Drama Desk nominations for Best Actor and Best Sound when produced by Urban Stages in New York premiere. The play is now published, was produced throughout the United States, and subsequently ran ran on the West End in London.

1998 Cotton Mary by Alexandra Viets
Developed by Urban Stages and made into a major film by Merchant and Ivory.

1997 Confirming the Search That The Girl is Still In There Somewhere written and performed by Nadine Mozon
Earned 9 Audelco nominations and performed in theatres in California.

1997 Men on the Verge of a Hispanic Breakdown by Guilermo Reyes. Moved to an Off Broadway commercial production, giving Felix Pire an Outer Critics award for Best Solo Performer. Produced in regional theatres and published.

1995 Minor Demons by Bruce Graham.
Moved to a commercial production by Urban Stages and Blake Edwards opening the new Century Center Theatre. Published.

An Overview of the Urban Stages' Organization
In 21 years Urban Stages has developed into a bigger and more diverse organization. From just developing and producing new plays, we have initiated our outreach program in the schools and libraries with various types of programming to meet both the needs of the ages of constituents, and the community. We have acquired a charming theatre at 259 West 30th Street with 75 seats, two rehearsal rooms, workshop and storage. In addition Urban Stages also initiated a new program this past season of a Summer Theatre Camp Program for 11 to 14 year olds. The following is an outline of our play development and production work:

1. Play development and productions.
A. Play development at the Mercantile Library - Staged readings of new plays by professional actors are scheduled in a series of 8 Monday evenings at the Mercantile Library (oldest private library in New York), one series in October and November, the other in March and April. Plays are rehearsed with the best of New York actors and directors, read with a discussion afterwards with the author. Evenings open to the public

2. Developmental workshops. Workshops of new plays continue to be held in the theatre with actors and directors

3. Plays go into Outreach Program. Many of these plays go into our outreach program and are performed with professional actors in our libraries for the adult literacy programs with large audiences.

4. Urban Stages productions. Urban Stages produces 3 Off Broadway plays a season under and Actors Equity mini-contract The New York Times theatre critics always review our productions, as do other reviewers. We are the recipient of an Outer Critics Award, and several Drama Desk and Audelco Nominations.

Who Are Our Audiences?
Our writers, and our audiences, come from a wide range of backgrounds. In addition to a general theatre-going audience attracted to our critically acclaimed productions, we strive to reach out to particular audience groups associated with our productions; for instance, with John Picardi's plays, which reflect the Italian American experience, we marketed our productions to the Son's of Italy, The Italian American Foundation, The John D. Calandra Institute, FIERA, Italian American Writers and others. Chungmi Kim's Comfort Women brought the Korean community to our theatre in droves. Our publicist, Brett Singer, works tirelessly to promote our work, with the result that all the major papers cover our productions.

 

Frances Hill (Founding Artistic Director) began her theatrical career in California as an actress. Since 1983, Ms. Hill has overseen more than 600 staged readings/workshops and 75 productions of new work for the stage. She has directed over 30 workshops and productions. Her favorite directing credits include Roma Greth's Our Summer Days, Jim Lehrer's Chili Queen, (directed at Urban Stages and Kennedy Center), John Picardi's Seven Rabbits on a Pole and The Sweepers (directed at Urban Stages and Capital Rep); and Comfort Women by Chugmi Kim (Urban Stages 2004). Two of her plays have been produced, Our Bench and Life Lines. Under the guidance of Ms. Hill, Playwrights' Preview Productions/URBAN STAGES has moved two plays into commercial Off-Broadway successes. Minor Demons opened the new Century Center Theater and Men on the Verge of His-Panic Breakdown won an Outer Critic's Circle Award while playing to capacity audiences at the 47th Street Theater. Urban Stages' African American Poets as Playwrights won eight Audelco Nominations and Coyote On a Fence received two Drama Desk nominations and a Pilgrim's Project Award.

Sonia Kozlova (Managing Director) came to Urban Stages in 2000. She previously worked in development and finance at New York City Opera, marketing at New York Philharmonic and held various administrative positions at other performing arts organizations, including Schwalbe & Partners Artists Management and IMG Artists. She has produced the following independent showcases: An Absolutely Happy Village (Spring 2002), Ah, My Dear Andersen (Spring 2001) with Marina Levitskaya and Aleksey Burago, To Kill Charlotte and Cain with Steps Theatre (2000) and Chekhov NOW Festival 2000, and the independent Off-Broadway production of Midwestern Chum with T.L. Reilly and Brett Singer (Summer 2002). Education: Shared BA from Moscow State Institute of International Relations - MGIMO (Moscow, Russia) and Marymount Manhattan College (New York, U.S.).

T.L. Reilly, Producing Director of 15 years, recently moved to Mexico to start a new business venture. Good luck, T.L.!

Lori Laster (Director of Education) Originally from Philadelphia, Lori Ann Laster received her B.A in Drama Studies at S.U.N.Y. Purchase, where she concentrated on playwriting. After undergraduate school she taught in the Philadelphia School System, and was also a teaching artist for the Salvation Army and for the YMCA. She recently received her M.F.A. in Dramaturgy at Brooklyn College, where she studied with Charles McNulty. Lori served as dramaturge on numerous productions, including Brooklyn College's Three Penny Opera and Jonathan Summey's subUrbia, and has also worked in Film, such as Brin Hill's "Morning Breath," which won honorable mention at the Sundance Film festival in 2002.

K. C. Forcier, Development Associate

Brett Singer & Associates, LLC (Publicist) Recent credits include Pirates Of Penzance at the South Street Seaport, and Syndrome at the Greenwich Street Theater. Current clients include The Women's Shakespeare Company, Urban Stages (Coyote On A Fence, two Drama Desk Award Nominations), Inverse Theater, singer/songwriter Chris Barron (lead singer of The Spin Doctors), and director Clare Davidson. Other credits include: Broadway: The Sound Of Music, Paul McKenna's Hypnotic World. Off-Broadway: Tallulah's Party starring Tovah Feldshuh, Small Potatoes, Michigan Impossible, Tap Dogs (National Tour).

Michelle Brandon (Marketing Consultant) is currently a freelance marketing consultant for theatre companies. She was the Director of Marketing at Signature Theatre Company and at The Pearl Theatre Company. She has also been employed in the Marketing Departments of New York City Opera, the Hangar Theatre, and Porthouse Theatre. As a consultant, she has worked with numerous companies and organizations in New York, including Urban Stages, Gotham Chamber Opera, Theater by the Blind and Propinquity Productions, among others.

Stephanie Klapper (Casting Director) is pleased to be continue her work with Urban Stages. Klapper Casting's work has been seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally, internationally, on television, film and heard on radio. Selected current projects include: The Corner (Public Radio); Treason (Off-Broadway); The Blowin' of Baile Gall (Irish Rep); Breaking Up is Hard to Do (Capital Rep, Florida, NYC); Scapan (New York Classical Theatre); DogMusic (AMAS); Dedication (with Nathan Lane and Marian Seldes for Primary Stages); Camille (Round House Theatre); The Girl In the Frame (Adirondack Theatre Festival); The Bread-Winner (Keen Company, NY and Merrimack Rep); and several independent feature films including The Feast of the Goat (with Isabella Rossellini), 4-8-94: The Day Kurt Cobain Died; Sundance nominee Eric Mandlebaum's new film Uncertain Terms; and Scaring the Fish (with Max Casella). Ms. Klapper is a member of the Casting Society of America. Casting Assistants: Jim Napoleon, Meghan May Hart

Sondra Graff, Pentacle (Art Direction/Graphic Design) specializes in design for the performing arts. She works collaboratively with media artist Venantius J Pinto. They have worked together on a broad range of arts promotion and identity systems. These have included projects for Urban Stages, Pentacle, Rena Shagan Associates, Inc., Doug Varone and Dancers, the Limón Dance Company, Meredith Monk/The HouseFoundation for the Arts, and numerous others. Sondra is also on the faculty of the Communication Design Department at FIT. When she is not designing or teaching she can be found in the Gunks hanging from a cliff.

Joe Powell (Technical Director)

Lance A. Michel (Master Electrician)

URBAN STAGES BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2005-2006
Mary Churchill, Peter Connick, Pat Davis, Joanne V. Graham, Marjorie S. Federbush, Ellie Hartz,
Frances Hill, Pat McGovern Hehman, John Mueller, Peggy O'Brien,
Lynn San Andres, Elizabeth Santini, Martha Sproule, Stanley Zareff

Urban Stages Support:

Producers:
Ed Barlow, The Carnegie Corporation of New York, Mrs. Carroll M. Carpenter, Malcolm G. Chace, Sonny Everett, Ashley Gates, J.M. Kaplan Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, Peggy and John J. O'Brien,
Warren Schwerin, Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Trust,
Rob Steele, Suzanne Von Liebig, Kay Woods
Benefactors:
Robert Blank, Patricia S. Bradshaw, Mary Churchill, The John Golden Fund, Jeanne R. Jackson, Michael Leconey, Lucille Lortel Foundation, Inc., Eileen K. Murray, The New York State Council on the Arts, Adolph and Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation, The Shubert Foundation,
Martha Sproule, Michael Tuch Foundation
Contributors:
Ellen Barlow, Mary Blanchard, Garrison W. Brinton, Dale J. Burch, Susan P. Burke, Jennifer Chalsty, Camille Chwalek, Andrew J. Connick, Suzette De Marigny Smith, Alexander & Marjorie Federbush, Schuyler W. Field, Kevin Gilgan, Maritza A. Guillaume, John Guth, Elinore F. Hartz, LG Electronics, John Goddard, James Marcus, Jane H. Maynard, Pat McGovern, Melville Straus, Barbara Millhouse, James C. Morrison, Jr., New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Arvid Nelson, Vernon O. Ray, Jon Q. Reynolds, Jarvis Slade, John and Bunny Steel, Frederick Terry, Jr, Dorothea Wenckheim, May L Wyatt
Angels:
William R. Brunger, Gilbert & Ildiko Butler Foundation, Tina Chen, Patricia Davis, Dorothy M. Decker, Marjorie S. Federbush, Joanne V. Graham, William R. Grant, Fred Krimendahl, James C. Lehrer, Gregor Medinger, John Mueller, Ann and Jon Reynolds, Yves H. Robert, John Tingue, David Tobey, Alan Wanzenberg, Lisa Woods, Steve Zalin
Friends:
Ruth Altmann, Steven Anderson, Bee Betsill, Nicole Bigar, Ann Bowers, Colton Brown, Coleman Burke, Richard Field, Edward Gardner, Marcia Forman, Barbara Georgescu, Antoinette Guerrini-Maraldi, Esther Kartiganer, Anne Keating, Demetrios G. Melis, George Moore, Lynn San Andres, Elizabeth Santini, Jeffrey L. Sonking, Scott Towbin, Elizabeth Tozer, James Tozer, Stephen Wald, Robert A. Yellowlees
Donors:
Susan Allen, Chris Ayala, Laure C. Aubuchon, Marth Babcock, Alexandra Buckley, Alice Connick, Linda Gillies, Elizabeth Gilmor Wills, Richard Hiegel, Katherine Mara Gitelson, Alice Griffin, Hudson Guild, Jamie Hill, Philae M. Knight, Kathleen Lingo, Rebecca Parsons, Sheila Sonne Pulling, Guy Rutherfurd, Mary H. Schachne, Theresa Swink, Marvin & Nancy Weinberg, Ellen White, Patricia D. Whitman

URBAN STAGES thanks all of the participants in our Annual Benefit and Opening Night Parties.
If you are interested in volunteering or becoming involved, please call us at (212) 421-1380