MCC Theater: 2017-2018 Season announced

MCC Theater has announced five productions for its upcoming 31st season, which includes four world premieres and a New York premiere, all to be staged at off-Broadway's Lucille Lortel Theatre.

The productions will be presented in the following season order:

The season kicks off with the New York premiere of Charm, written by Philip Dawkins and directed by Will Davis. Previews begin on August 31, 2017, before an official opening on September 18 and a limited run through to October 8, 2017.
Synopsis: "When Mama Darleena Andrews-- a 67-year-old, black, transgender woman -- takes it upon herself to teach an etiquette class at Chicago's LGBTQ community center, the idealistic teachings of Emily Post clash with the very real life challenges of identity, poverty and prejudice faced by her students. Inspired by the true story of Miss Gloria Allen and her work at Chicago's Center on Halsted, Charm asks - how do we lift each other up when the world wants to tear us down?"

Next comes a world premiere comedy by Jocelyn Bioh entitled School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, directed by Rebecca Taichman. Previews begin on November 2, 2017, before an official opening on November 19 and a limited run through to December 10, 2017.
Synopsis: "Paulina, the reigning Queen Bee at Ghana's most exclusive boarding school, has her sights set on the Miss Universe pageant. But the mid-year arrival of Ericka, a new student with undeniable talent and beauty, captures the attention of the pageant recruiter - and Paulina's hive-minded friends. This buoyant and biting comedy explores the universal similarities (and glaring differences) facing teenage girls across the globe."

Following this MCC Theater will stage the world premiere of Relevance, written by JC Lee and directed by Tony nominee Liesl Tommy. Previews begin on February 1, 2018, before an official opening on February 21 and a limited run through to March 11, 2018.
Synopsis: "Theresa Hanneck is a celebrated author and veteran feminist warrior; Msemaji Ukweli is a promising young writer who is quickly becoming the leading cultural critic on race, class, and gender for a new generation. When a heated exchange between the two women goes viral, Theresa finds herself ill-equipped to manage her message in the era of 140 character tweets-especially against a rival whose time may have come. A collision of ideals within the feminist movement propels this riveting drama from breathless start to surprising finish."

The fourth production of the season will be the world premiere of Lucy Thurber's Transfers, directed by Jackson Gay, beginning previews on April 5, 2018, before an official opening on April 23 and a limited engagement through to May 13, 2018.
Synopsis: "Cristofer and Clarence are two gifted students from the South Bronx. After two years at a local community college being coached by faculty members, the young men are competing for a life-changing scholarship at an elite northeast university. During a campus visit, the young men are unexpectedly confronted with their shared past while trying to break through a system that seems designed to keep them on the outside."

The final production of the MCC Theater season will be the world premiere of MCC Playwright-in-Residence Neil LaBute's Reasons to be Pretty Happy - the final play of his 'reasons' trilogy - directed by Leigh Silverman. Previews begin on August 16, 2018, before an official opening on September 9 and a limited engagement through to September 23, 2018.
Synopsis: "After five years in New York, Greg and Steph return to their blue-collar hometown for their 20th high school reunion and to a dramatic encounter with Kent and Carly, the friends they left behind. Old secrets and new lies become increasingly difficult to hide as the evening (and the drinking) goes on. With Reasons To Be Pretty Happy, Neil LaBute revisits the characters first introduced in Reasons To Be Pretty and Reasons To Be Happy as they grapple with that eternal question: Have I become the person I wanted to be?"

Casting and further creative team information for all productions will be announced in the coming months.

That concludes the line-up for the 31st MCC Theater season. The final production of the 2016-2017 season - the U.S. Premiere of End of Longing, written by and starring "Friends" star Matthew Perry, is set to begin previews on May 18, 2017, before an official opening on June 5 and a limited engagement through to June 24, 2017.