Playwrights Horizons has set the dates for its previously announced world premiere of Ryan J. Haddad's solo show, Hold Me in the Water.
Directed by Danny Sharron, performances are scheduled for April 10鈥揗ay 4 in The Judy. Opening night Off-Broadway is April 23.
Following his Obie-winning play Dark Disabled Stories at the Public Theater, Haddad comes to Playwrights Horizons with his latest work, which is about falling in love for the first time.
In Hold Me in the Water, Ryan finds himself ready for the romance of his dreams鈥攚ith someone he鈥檚 only just met. As their connection grows, he learns that new heights of joy can bring deep insecurities to the surface.
READ: In Dark Disabled Stories, Actor Ryan J. Haddad Does Not Want Your Pity
About the new play, which unfolds over the course of a year, Haddad says in a statement, 鈥淚t鈥檚 the first time I ever allowed my walls to come down with someone and let myself be open to the possibility of a real romance, as opposed to the fantasy of one鈥t felt once-in-a-lifetime because this had never happened to me before, and I felt like I waited a really long time, or at least longer than society tells us it should take for romance to occur in our lives.鈥�
Director Sharron adds, 鈥淲hen we begin working on a new piece, Ryan the character versus Ryan the person are pretty close to each other. But as time progresses, the two versions of Ryan separate, inch by inch, and we start being able to talk about 鈥楻yan鈥� in the abstract. That's when we can really begin shaping the play, once there鈥檚 enough distance.鈥�
The production will also have scenic design by dots, costume design by Beth Goldenberg, lighting design by Cha See, and sound design by Tosin Olufolabi. Alison Kopit is the access dramaturg.
At Hold Me in the Water, components of relaxed performance and integrated access will be present at every show. Open captioning will be available at every performance, and there will be select mask-required performances.
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