Keen Company has revealed details for its previously announced site-specific Off-Broadway revival of Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking, starring Kathleen Chalfant and directed by Artistic Director Jonathan Silverstein, set to run October 19鈥揘ovember 20 with opening night November 2. As conceived by Silverstein, the production will be staged entirely in non-traditional theatre spaces, including living rooms, libraries, and other community spaces across NYC.
Adapted from Didion's memoir, the story recounts the author's journey of loss and grief and the resilience of the human heart.
"I am very excited about sharing Joan Didion鈥檚 story across New York City," says Chalfant in a statement. "I鈥檝e been wanting to speak these words ever since I first heard she was adapting her memoir for the stage. I鈥檝e always felt a deep connection to Didion鈥檚 work, especially the rhythm of it, maybe because we鈥檙e both native Californians and there鈥檚 a particular California way of thinking, a particular California rhythm that she captures. I鈥檓 also very eager to share this work in the intimate settings we are envisioning for it. Though the story is very specific to Ms. Didion鈥檚 life and world, what it talks about is, as she says, something that 'will happen to you.'"
"I am honored to be reuniting with Kathleen Chalfant, who was last seen on the Keen stage in A Walk in the Woods giving an enthralling Drama Desk-nominated performance," adds Silverstein. "Kathy and I have been dreaming of working on Joan Didion鈥檚 masterful play, The Year of Magical Thinking, for quite some time. I am thrilled to be exploring this story of surviving unimaginable events, presenting it intimately and non-traditionally in living rooms and community spaces throughout New York. I hope the audience鈥檚 close proximity to this powerful story, told by one of our most brilliant actresses, will be a one of a kind, unforgettable, and resonating theatrical experience."
The production will feature costume design by Jennifer Paar and lighting design by Anshuman Bhatia, with a creative team also including line producer Corinne Woods and stage manager Arthur Atkinson.
See a detailed schedule of performance locations below. Exact addresses will be provided to ticket buyers on the morning of their performance. Additional performances and locations will be announced in the coming weeks.
Previews
October 19 and 20 at 7 PM 鈥� living room, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
October 21 and 22 at 7 PM 鈥� living room, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn
October 23 at 5 PM 鈥� living room, Kensington, Brooklyn
October 25 at 7 PM 鈥� South Oxford Space, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
October 26 at 7 PM 鈥� living room, Upper East Side, Manhattan
October 27 at 7 PM 鈥� living room, Upper East Side, Manhattan
October 28 at 7 PM 鈥� living room, Upper West Side, Manhattan
October 29 at 7 PM 鈥� living room, Upper East Side, Manhattan
Opening
November 2 at 7 PM - living room, Midtown East, Manhattan
Regular Performances
November 3 at 7 PM 鈥� living room, Upper East Side, Manhattan
November 4 at 7 PM 鈥� living room, Greenwich Village, Manhattan
November 5 at 7 PM 鈥� community space, Mott Haven, Bronx
November 5 at 7 PM 鈥� community space, Forest Hills, Queens
November 10 & 11 at 7 PM 鈥� St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
November 12 at 7 PM 鈥� community space, South Bronx, Bronx
November 16 at 7 PM 鈥� living room, Gramercy, Manhattan
November 18 & 19 at 7 PM 鈥� Goddard Riverside, Upper West Side, Manhattan
November 20 at 5 PM 鈥� living room, Upper West Side, Manhattan
Visit for tickets.
