"What a thrill it is to see a show that reaches out to Wilder's genius—and actually touches it. O, Theater, I thought. O, Show."
- Time Out New York Critic's Pick, 5 out of 5 Stars
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The Foundry Theatre presents
O, Earth written by Casey Llewellyn directed by Dustin Wills dramaturgy by Kate Atwell scenic design by Adam Rigg costume design by Montana Blanco lighting design by Barbara Samuels sound design by Janie Bullard properties design by Raphael Mishler choreography by Chris DeVita stage manager Nicole Marconi Featuring performances by Moe Angelos, Jess Barbagallo, Ato Blankson-Wood, Emily Davis, Cecelia Gentili, Tommy Heleringer, Mizz June, Donnetta Lavinia Grays, Martin Moran, and Kristen Sieh |
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Thornton Wilder is digging in search of a time capsule buried somewhere on the stage; Emily and George venture out into the unknown; Portia DeRossi stares into the soft light of her refrigerator and wonders if she'll ever be truly happy; and Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera are jettisoned back to the land of the living, curious to discover what's happened in their absence. In playful ways, O, EARTH unearths our shared history, bringing together those whom society has remembered well, alongside those who deserve to be never forgotten. An interrogation of the "universal," Llewellyn's epic play imagines the radical possibilities within everyone.
"O, Earth answers that fear with capacious sympathy and the certainty that sexuality — like race, like gender — should shut no one’s experience out of the stories we tell." - New York Times
Production Photos
Press
"Somehow, in just over 90 minutes, Llewellyn lets everyone have their say. No wonder Wilder called to her—she has his same talent for unhurried inclusion. And as much as Llewellyn wants to shine a bright light on things that are not inclusive (the narrowing of the queer agenda, for instance), the play keeps speaking its heart through Emily, who keeps insisting Wilder's classic dictate: Appreciate each moment. Thanks to the Foundry's impeccable production, you may also find yourself appreciating each performer: Angelos at her wicked best; Sieh as the bright, idealistic blade; Gentili providing wry commentary; Davis flickering between humor and pathos so quickly she seems to shimmer. Director Dustin Wills offers a basically flawless staging of the text: At one point, the audience actually applauded one of the jokes in Adam Rigg's set. What a thrill it is to see a show that reaches out to Wilder's genius—and actually touches it. O, Theater, I thought. O, Show."
-Helen Shaw, Time Out New York
-Helen Shaw, Time Out New York
"Director, Dustin Wills, has supplied O, Earth with plenty of silliness and surreality, making a sparkling, jagged mishmash of time and place that includes contemporary Greenwich Village and Los Angeles. [...] O, Earth answers that fear with capacious sympathy and the certainty that sexuality — like race, like gender — should shut no one’s experience out of the stories we tell." - Laura Collins-Hughes, New York Times
"Director Dustin Wills isn’t afraid to take a million disparate things and smash them together. He and his design team lead us through well-organized chaos. [...] I don’t think I was the only one refreshed and renewed by the words of Casey Llewellyn, so finely executed by director Dustin Wills, as we danced our way out onto the streets of Sixth Avenue, just mere blocks from Stonewall." - Keith Paul Medelis, Theatre is Easy
"Generous, ambitious, and fundamentally humane" - Jacob Gallagher-Ross, Village Voice
"The Foundry Theatre production directed by Dustin Wills is always surprising, always theatrical. [...] Wills’ production is continually taking us by surprise both by his casting and his choices." -Victor Gluck, Theatre Scene
"Director Dustin Wills isn’t afraid to take a million disparate things and smash them together. He and his design team lead us through well-organized chaos. [...] I don’t think I was the only one refreshed and renewed by the words of Casey Llewellyn, so finely executed by director Dustin Wills, as we danced our way out onto the streets of Sixth Avenue, just mere blocks from Stonewall." - Keith Paul Medelis, Theatre is Easy
"Generous, ambitious, and fundamentally humane" - Jacob Gallagher-Ross, Village Voice
"The Foundry Theatre production directed by Dustin Wills is always surprising, always theatrical. [...] Wills’ production is continually taking us by surprise both by his casting and his choices." -Victor Gluck, Theatre Scene
