MCC Theater will host the New York premiere of Jonathan Spector’s Birthright at the Newman Mills Theater beginning June 16. The play centers on a group reuniting nearly 20 years after a shared Birthright trip to Israel. The production officially opens on June 29 and is scheduled to run through July 26.
What is the story behind Birthright?
The play follows a group of individuals who reunite almost two decades after participating in a collective Birthright trip to Israel. While this production marks the work’s New York debut, it was originally commissioned and premiered by Miami New Drama.
Who is in the cast?
The production features a cast including:
- Hale Appleman (The Magicians)
- Molly Bernard (Younger)
- Eli Gelb (Stereophonic)
- Liz Larsen (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical)
- Nate Mann (Masters of the Air)
- Molly Ranson (Prayer for the French Republic)
- Zoë Winters (Succession)
The Telsey Office handled the casting for the production.
Who is the creative team?
Teddy Bergman serves as the director. According to the production credits, the creative team includes scenic designer Scott Pask, costume designer Clint Ramos, lighting designer Natasha Katz, and sound designer Lee Kinney. Additional contributors include projection designer David Bengali, intimacy coordinator Alicia Rodis, and DEI consultant Nicole Johnson of Harriet Tubman Effect. Charles M. Turner III is the production stage manager.
Why is this production significant?
The New York run is produced by special arrangement with Jenny Gersten, Fourth Wall Theatricals, and Sonia Friedman Productions. In a joint statement, Friedman and Gersten described the play as “ambitious, intimate, and deeply personal.” They stated that the work “courageously grapples with identity, responsibility, and belief” in ways they characterized as “provocative, piercing, and deeply illuminating.”
What is the performance schedule?
The production begins its run at the Newman Mills Theater on June 16, with the official opening night set for June 29. The run is scheduled to continue through July 26. As the production moves through these dates, it may foster the community conversations that the producers and MCC Theater suggest the work is intended to provoke.
