Atlantic Theater Company's 2017-2018 Season

The Atlantic Theater Company has announced its upcoming 2017-2018 off-Broadway season, including two world premiere, 1 U.S. premiere and 2 New York premiere plays and a world premiere musical. The productions will be performed in the following season order:

Atlantic kicks off the season with the New York premiere of Simon Stephens' On the Shore of the Wide World, directed by Neil Pepe, which will begin previews at the Linda Gross Theater on August 23, 2017, before an official opening on September 12 and a limited engagement through to October 1, 2017.

Synopsis: "In Simon Stephens' Olivier Award-winning play, something is about to happen that will change one family forever. Set over the course of nine months, On the Shore of the Wide World is a play about love, family, Roy Keane and the size of the galaxy."

Following this will be the world premiere of Rajiv Joseph's Describe The Night, directed by Giovanna Sardelli, which begins previews at the Linda Gross Theater on November 1, 2017, before an official opening on November 20 and a limited engagement through to December 17, 2017. This is a co-production with Alley Theatre.

Synopsis: "In 1920, the Russian writer Isaac Babel wanders the countryside with the Red Cavalry. Seventy years later, a mysterious KGB agent spies on a woman in Dresden and falls in love. In 2010, an aircraft carrying most of the Polish government crashes in the Russian city of Smolensk. Set in Russia over the course of 80 years, this epic new play traces the stories of seven men and women connected by history, myth and conspiracy theories."

At Atlantic Stage 2, the world premiere of Ngozi Anyanwu's The Homecoming Queen will begin previews on January 10, 2018, before an official opening on January 22 and a limited run through to February 11, 2018. The production will mark Ms. Anyanwu's Off-Broadway debut.

Synopsis: "A bestselling novelist returns to Nigeria to care for her ailing father, but before she can bury him, she must relearn the traditions she's long forgotten. Having been absent for over a decade, she must collide with her culture, traumatic past, painful regrets, and the deep, deep love she thought she could never have."

Next up, Atlantic will stage the U.S. premiere of the Royal Court Theatre production of Hangmen, written by Martin McDonagh and directed by Matthew Dunster. Previews will begin at the Linda Gross Theater on January 18, 2018, before an official opening on February 5 and a limited engagement through to March 4, 2018.

Synopsis: "In his small pub in the northern English town of Oldham, Harry is something of a local celebrity. But what's the second-best hangman in England to do on the day they've abolished hanging? Amongst the cub reporters and pub regulars dying to hear Harry's reaction to the news, his old assistant Syd and the peculiar Mooney lurk with very different motives for their visit."

The only musical of Atlantic's 2017-2018 season will be the world premiere of This Ain't No Disco, featuring music & lyrics by Stephen Trask & Peter Yanowitz and a book by Rick Elice. The production will be directed by Trip Cullman. Previews begin at the Linda Gross Theater on May 11, 2018, before an official opening on June 12 and a limited run through to July 1, 2018.

Synopsis: "Set against the grit, the garbage strikes, the graffiti of 1979 New York City, This Ain't No Disco tells the story of drifters and dreamers searching for their place in the night world of Studio 54 and Mudd Club. In their uptown/downtown quest for revelry and kinship, every decision is fateful in a city where one's fate can turn on a dime bag."

The final production of the season at Atlantic Stage 2 will be the New York premiere of The Great Leap, written by Lauren Yee, which will begin previews on May 23, 2018, before an official opening on June 4 and a limited engagement through to June 17, 2018.

Synopsis: "San Francisco, spring 1989. Manford Lum, locally renowned on the sidewalk basketball courts of Chinatown, talks his way onto a college team, just before they travel to Beijing for a 'friendship' game. When they arrive, China is in the throes of the post-Cultural Revolution era, and Manford must juggle international politics and his own personal history. Inspired by events from her father's life and (short-lived) basketball career, playwright Lauren Yee makes her Atlantic debut with this tender and sharp-paced play."

In addition - as part of the Atlantic For Kids season - the New York premiere of Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical will play the Linda Gross Theater from September 16 to October 8, 2017. The musical is an original concept by Douglas Lyons and features a book by Melvin Tunstall III, music by Greg Borowsky & Douglas Lyons, and lyrics by Douglas Lyons.

Synopsis: "Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical follows 8-year-old Lily Polkadot who just moved to the 'Squares Only' small town of Rockaway. As the first Polkadot in an all Square school, Lily faces an almost impossible task of gaining acceptance from her peers. From daily bullying, to segregated drinking fountains, Lily's quest seems hopeless until she meets Sky, a shy Square boy whose curiosity for her unique polka dot skin blooms into an unexpected pal-ship. Inspired by the events of The Little Rock 9, Polkadots serves as a colorful history lesson for children, reminding them that our individual differences make us awesome, not outcasts."

Casting and additional creative team information for all productions will be announced at a later date.