Manhattan Theatre Club announces casts of India Pale Ale & The Niceties

Alok Tewari, Lisa Banes & more to star in the off-Broadway premieres at New York City Center from October 2018.

Manhattan Theatre Club has now announced complete casting for two upcoming productions at New York City Center.

The world premiere of Jaclyn Backhaus' India Pale Ale, directed by Lucille Lortel Award nominee Will Davis, begins previews at New York City Center's Stage I on October, 2018, ahead of an official opening on October 23 and a limited engagement through to November 25, 2018. The cast includes Purva Bedi (as Deepa Batra), Angel Desai (as Simran Rayat), Sophia Mahmud (as Dadi Parminder), Nate Miller (as Tim), Shazi Raja (as Basminder "Boz" Batra), Nik Sadhnani (as Vishal Singh), Lipica Shah (as Lovi), Sathya Sridharan (as Iggy Batra) and Alok Tewari (as Sunny Batra).

Synopsis: "In a small Wisconsin town, a tight-knit Punjabi community gathers to celebrate the wedding of a traditional family's only son, just as their strong-willed daughter announces her plans to move away and open a bar. As they come together for feasts filled with singing and dancing, one generation's cherished customs clash with another's modern-day aspirations, and ghosts and pirates from the family's past linger in everyone's thoughts - until one sudden event changes everything."

The creative team behind India Pale Ale has also been announced and features choreography by Will Davis, scenic design by Neil Patel, costume design by Arnulfo Maldonado, lighting design by Ben Stanton, sound design by Elisheba Ittoop, hair & make-up design by Dave Bova.

Ms. Backhaus and Mr. Davis previously collaborated on her play Men on Boats.

At New York City Center's Studio at Stage II, MTC presents the New York premiere of Eleanor Burgess' The Niceties, directed by Kimberly Senior, running from October 12 through to November 18, 2018, with an official opening set for October 25. The two-hander cast includes Lisa Banes (as Janine) and Jordan Boatman (as Zoe).

Synopsis: "At an elite East Coast university, an ambitious young black student and her esteemed white professor meet to discuss a paper the college junior is writing about the American Revolution. They're both liberal. They're both women. They're both brilliant. But very quickly, discussions of grammar and Google turn to race and reputation, and before they know it, they're in dangerous territory neither of them had foreseen - and facing stunning implications that can't be undone."

The creative team behind The Niceties features scenic design by Cameron Anderson, costume design by Kara Harmon, lighting design by D.M. Wood, sound design by and Elisheba Ittoop.

The Niceties was originally presented as part of MTC's Ted Snowdon Reading Series in 2017 and is now presented in asssociation with Huntington Theatre Company and McCarter Theatre Center. The production is set to debut at the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, MA from August 31 through to September 30, 2018, and following the New York premiere it is scheduled to go on to play the McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ from January 11 through to February 10, 2019.

^{(Photos courtesy of Boneau/Bryan-Brown)}