2024


On Saturday, January 27, 2024 it was announced that Breaking the Binary Theatre was recipient of a Theatre Grant as part of the 67th Annual Obie Awards. At only 18 months old, we were one of the youngest organizations to ever receive this honor. For a full list of winners, click here.

 

HEARD: A Community Cabaret

On Wednesday, January 31, 2024, we reunited the inaugural BTB Summer Intensive participants to present HEARD.: A Community Cabaret at The Green Room 42, raising over $500 for Trans Lifeline.

featuring Flower Estefana Rios (she/they), Grayson James (he/him), Luz Ballestér (they/he), Sam Hamashima (they/them), Spencer Petro (they/them), and Vi Dang (they/she)

Music Director: James Rushin (he/she)
Guitarist: Will Shishmanian (he/him)
Percussionist: Caroline Moore (they/she)
Artistic Consultant: L Morgan Lee (she/her)

Playwrights Horizons Residency

In February 2024, our friends at Playwrights Horizons hosted a BTB Mini Residency in their rehearsal space, allowing us to develop four pieces by BTB artists via our New Works Program!

🐦 I AM THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BIRD by Else Went
Directed by Emma Rosa Went
Dramaturgy by Harrison Densmore
featuring Esco Jouléy, Felix Teich, Juan Arturo, Layla Khoshnoudi, Liat Graf, and T Mitsock

💪🏼 BOIDS by reid tang
~A BTB commission~
Dramaturgy by Nazareth Hassan
featuring Futaba Shioda, Kyr Siegel, Marquise Vilson, Pauli Pontrelli, Sagan Chen, and Susannah Perkins

👩‍👧 MUTHA LOAD by ayla xuân chi sullivan
Dramaturgy by Dezi Tibbs
featuring L Morgan Lee and Sandra Caldwell

🐉 RACIAL BONUS by Dominique Rider
~A BTB commission~
Dramaturgy by Zach Ezer
featuring Dom Martello, Futaba Shioda, JJ Maley, Susannah Perkins, T Mitsock, Temídayo Amay, and Vann Dukes

BTB Spring JamborOBIE

On Monday, March 18, 2024, the Breaking the Binary community gathered to celebrate our recent recognition from the @obieawards for our 2024 Spring JamborOBIE party at The Spot.

We looked back at the past nineteen months since our launch in July 2022 and were treated to special performances from Justin David Sullivan (he/she/they), L Morgan Lee (she/her), Luz (they/he), Mariyea (she/they), and Nora Schell (they/them).

📸: @mcpphoto.png

BTB Across America Announcement

On Thursday, March 28, 2024, we announced our newest program: BTB Across America, supporting transgender, non-binary, and Two-Spirit+ (TNB2S+) theatermakers outside of New York City.

In this new program, we will travel to different areas within the United States, partner with a regional theatre company, and co-produce a one-week workshop of a new play written by a TNB2S+ artist local to that area that our regional partner has yet to work with.

Our in inaugural year, we will be partnering with DC’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in May and Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre in July.

BTB Across America is generously supported by Jody Falco and Jeffrey Steinman. To learn more about BTB Across America, click here.

2024 Cloud Nine Zine

On Sunday, March 31, 2024, as exclusively announced in Playbill and in celebration of International Transgender Day of Visibility, we launched our (free!) 2024 Cloud Nine Zine, amplifying the work of over 35 BTB artists.

CLOUD NINE is defined by Merriam-Webster as "a feeling of well-being or elation." Designed by BTB artist Vi Dang (they/she), BTB's 2024 Cloud Nine Zine includes:

+ Ten new commissioned works by BTB artists Anonymous, b (they/them), Dena Igusti (they/them), Diana Oh "Zaza D" (they/them), Else Went (she/herself), Ianne Fields Stewart (they/she), Jay Délise (they/them), Rad Pereira (they/them), Spencer James Weidie (they/them), and Will Shishmanian (he/him). 
+ Our inaugural Instagram commissions from BTB's 2023 Cloud Nine commission campaign.
+ BTB Spotlights, highlighting the existing work or upcoming engagements of over 15 BTB artists.
+ A special note from BTB’s Founding Artistic Director, George Strus (they/them).

To view the 2024 Cloud Nine Zine, for free, click here.

 

BTB REDEFINES THE CLASSICS

In partnership with Signature Theatre’s SigSpace program, we curated an event in honor of their production of Sarah Ruhl’s ORLANDO–directed by BTB Core Community member Will Davis and featuring BTB artists Esperanza Rosales Balcárcel, Kasson Marroquin, Kedian Keohan, Nat Kelley DiMario, Rad Pereira, and TL Thompson–on Sunday, April 14, 2024.

Inspired by ORLANDO’S fantastical trip through space, time, and gender, BTB REDEFINES THE CLASSICS showcases TNB2S+ artists singing and performing their dream roles from the classic theater canon.

Featuring Alex Lugo (they/them), Garnet Williams (she/they), Heath Saunders (they/them), James Rose (they/she), Sis Thee Doll, Tomás Matos (they/she) with music direction by James Rushin (he/she).

THE GREAT IMPRESARIO BORIS LERMONTOV WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO DINNER by Tristan B Willis (they/them)

From Monday, May 6 - Friday, May 10, we set up shop at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington DC to launch our new BTB Across America program.

THE GREAT IMPRESARIO BORIS LERMONTOV WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO DINNER by Tristan B. Willis’ (they/them) 🍽️

Directed by Lyam B Gabel (they/he)

Featuring Deema Turkomani (they/them) and Ezra Tozian (they/them)

Movement Consultant: Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi (she/her)
Stage Manager: Jazzy Davis (they/she)
Dramaturg: Ynika Yuag (they/them)
Stage Directions Reader: Daniel Brody (he/him)

On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, it was announced that Breaking the Binary Theatre will be partnering with Playwrights Horizons in the fall of 2024 to produce the world premiere of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winning play IN THE AMAZON WAREHOUSE PARKING LOT, by BTB artist Sarah Mantell and directed by BTB artist Sivan Battat on their Mainstage.

As the oceans rise, a band of queer warehouse workers travel from job to job, running from the encroaching coastline. An unlikely love story, and a startling new work of speculative fiction, IN THE AMAZON WAREHOUSE PARKING LOT is a quietly revolutionary tale of queer aging, chosen family, and the search for home in a volatile world.

On Saturday, May 18, 2024, we took several members of the BTB community on a field trip to Connecticut to see Goodspeed Musicals’ world premiere production of A COMPLICATED WOMAN, with a book by BTB artist Ianne Fields Stewart and featuring BTB artists Arewà Basit and L Morgan Lee alongside TNB2S+ artists Nora Brigid Monahan, Siena Rafter, and Zachary A. Myers.

SOLDIERGIRLS by Emil Weinstein and Emily Johnson-Erday

In June, we launched our BTB New Musicals Program with a one-night presentation of Emil Weinstein and Emily Johnson-Erday’s SOLDIERGIRLS on Thursday, June 6, 2024.

SOLDIERGIRLS
A new musical with book & lyrics by Emil Weinstein and music by Emily Johnson-Erday
Directed by Miranda Haymon

starring Murphy Taylor Smith (she/her) and Rad Pereira (they/them)

Musicians: Nina Ross (they/them) and Storm Thomas (he/him)
Stage Directions Reader: Carmen LoBue (they/them)
Music Director, Arranger, and Orchestrator: George Luton (they/he)
Stage Manager: Rachel A. Zucker (they/them)
Dramaturg: Ryan Adelsheim (they/them)
Copyist: Sophia Huf (they/them)
A1: Stephanie Carlin (she/they)
Lighting and Projection Designer: Zack Lobel (he/him)

In June and July, Breaking the Binary Theatre hosted our second-annual Summer Intensive for emerging TNB2S+ musical theater performers led once again by L Morgan Lee (she/her).

Supported by accompanist James Rushin (he/she), our dazzling participants (chosen out of numerous TNB2S+ performers who submitted via an open call) were:

Avery Nusbaum (she/her)
Blanca Del Loco (she/they)
Deema Turkomani (they/them)
Ezra Noel (they/them)
Liam Collins (they/them)
Max Raymond (he/him)
Micki Hardenberg (they/them)
Nolan Quintanilla (they/she/he)

The group gathered for four sessions to develop a more personal connection to their repertoire, helping gain confidence in audition materials, forge new industry connections, and hone in on their craft and artistry.

The program was free for the eight participants, who also received travel reimbursements to ensure they got home safely after the sessions ended at 9pm.

On June 29, 2024, BLISS: A COLLECTION OF COMMISSIONED SCENES AND MONOLOGUES BY TNB2S+ ARTISTS FOR TNB2S+ ARTISTS, the culminating project of the second annual Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival in 2023, became available to purchase and license via Broadway Licensing.

From Tuesday, July 16 - Sunday, July 21, BTB artists Adrian Einspanier (they/them), Dominique Rider, Garrett Allen (they/them), and reid tang (they/them) participated in a BTB writers’ retreat at New York Stage and Film to develop their various projects and collaborations.

THE HOUSE OF AUDACITY by Ariel Zetina (she/her)

From Monday, July 22 - Friday, July 26, we set up shop at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago for the second workshop via our BTB Across America program.

THE HOUSE OF AUDACITY by Ariel Zetina (she/her)
Directed by Catherine Miller (they/them)
Stage Managed by Lauren Peters (she/her)

Performed by Alex Grelle (he/him), Angelíca Grace (she/her), Cae Monāe Vagina, Dutchesz Gemini (she/her), Jojo Brown (she/her), Mariela De La Rua (she/her), Mia Arevalo (she/her), Másha Potato (they/she), & Xitlali Celesté (she/her)

Cecilia Gentili’s RED INK

From July 30 - August 18, 2024, Breaking the Binary Theatre produced a three-week run of the late Cecilia Gentili’s RED INK.

100% of profits made on this run of RED INK were donated to causes close to Gentili’s heart. Over $35,000 was donated to G.L.I.T.S., Destination Tomorrow, and Trans Power in Diversity.

CECILIA GENTILI’S RED INK
at Rattlestick Theater

featuring
Jes Tom (they/he) (Tuesday, July 30 - Sunday, Aug. 4) 

Angelica Ross (she/her) (Tuesday, Aug. 6 - Sunday, Aug. 11)
Peppermint (she/her) (Tuesday, Aug. 13 - Sunday, Aug. 18)

Directed by Nic Cory
Costume Design by Gogo Graham
Lighting Design by Adam Honoré
Projection Design by Sasha Velour
Original Score by Andrew Yee

Presented by Nic Cory, Breaking the Binary Theatre, Sara Ramirez, Ianne Fields Stewart, Rattlestick Theater, and Killer Films
Associate Producer: Flower Rios
Associate Director/Producer: Joseph Frederick Allen
Creative Director, Original Production: Oscar Diaz

SHAPE SHIFTER by Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi

On Monday, September 16, 2024, Breaking the Binary Theatre presented a one-day reading of Long Wharf Theatre’s SHAPE SHIFTER.

SHAPE SHIFTER by Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi
Directed by Paige Hernandez
featuring Dillon Yruegas, Garnet Williams, L Morgan Lee, Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, Marquise Vilsón, and Zachary Myers
Stage Managed by Joseph Distl

IN THE AMAZON WAREHOUSE PARKING LOT by Sarah Mantell

From October 10 - November 17, 2024, Breaking the Binary Theatre co-produced the world premiere of BTB artist Sarah Mantell’s IN THE AMAZON WAREHOUSE PARKING LOT, directed by BTB artist Sivan Battat, with Playwrights Horizons.

The production featured BTB artists Ianne Fields Stewart, Pooya Mohseni, and Sandra Caldwell.

“Startling in its perceptiveness, disheartening in its accuracy and, against all odds, rousingly optimistic in its final moments.” – Juan A. Ramirez, Theatrely

“Affirms the power of love to sustain people in even the worst times imaginable.” –Michael Sommers, New York Stage Review

“A compelling dystopian and highly theatricalized world inhabited by complex and vivid characters who rarely have stage time. The political critique and elements of the play deftly intertwine to ignite and propel the action and the imagination.” — Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, 2023

2024 Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival

From Monday, October 21 - Sunday, October 27, 2024, Breaking the Binary Theatre produced the third annual Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival.

Over 900 audience members attended eight sold-out performances.

Over $85,000 was paid out to over 90 TNB2S+ artists.

All creative decisions were made by TNB2S+ artists.

For a full line-up and more information on the 2024 Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival, click here:

On November 18, 2024, Breaking the Binary Theatre co-produced Long Wharf Theatre’s fifth annual Virtual New Play Festival Black Trans Women at the Center with additional co-producer The Theater Offensive and partner theaters About Face, National Queer Theater, and Portland Center Stage.

For further details, and the full line-up, please click here.

T Mitsock’s PLAY WITH DOLLS

From Thursday, December 12 - Saturday, December 14, Breaking the Binary Theatre ended ended the year with a three-day workshop of T Mitsock’s PLAY WITH DOLLS, directed by Ash Lloyd Ehrenberg and featuring Justin David Sullivan, Murphy Taylor Smith, and Sagan Chen.