Studio Theatre Announces D.C. Premiere of THE CHILDREN

The DC premiere of British playwright Lucy Kirkwood's urgent and unsettling eco-thriller The Children rounds out Studio Theatre's Main Series for its 40th Anniversary Season. Directed by Studio Artistic Director David Muse, The Children deepens his relationship with Kirkwood's work-he directed the DC premiere of her play Chimerica in 2015. Inspired in part by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear explosion in Japan, Kirkwood's disaster drama begins as an old love triangle flaring to life in the aftermath of a natural disaster and morphs into a disquieting look at the cataclysmic impact of human intervention in the natural world.

The Children begins May 1, 2019 and will be presented in Studio's Metheny Theatre. Tickets to this production are available at studiotheatre.org.

"The Children is full of Kirkwood signatures that made Chimerica so satisfying-good dialogue, provocative ideas about the modern world, a sense of humor-but it's much more controlled," said Studio Artistic Director David Muse. "The play's political and moral questions make it immediate to our current, precarious moment. The Children is a bit of an allegory, a play that on the surface is about a nuclear disaster, but is actually about what kind of responsibility we bear for future generations, and for giving them problems that aren't of their own making."

The Children joins the season-opening production of Steven Levenson's family drama If I Forget; the candid comedy about new parenthood Cry It Out by Molly Smith Metzler; Admissions, a no-holds-barred look at privilege, power, and the perils of whiteness by Joshua Harmon, author of Bad Jews, the best-selling show in Studio's history; and a bold and Spanish-infused take on Strindberg's Miss Julie in Queen of Basel by Hillary Bettis.

About The Children

In their remote cottage on the British coast, a long-married pair of retired nuclear physicists live a modest life in the aftermath of a natural disaster, giving scrupulous care to energy rationing, their garden, and their yoga practice. When former colleague Rose reappears after 38 years, her presence upends the couple's equilibrium and trust. As the fallout from long-ago decisions comes hurtling into view, Rose unveils a proposal that threatens more than their marriage. A hit in London and New York, Lucy Kirkwood's latest is a taut and disquieting thriller about responsibility and reparation-what one generation owes the next.

About Lucy Kirkwood

In 2009, Lucy Kirkwood's play, it felt empty when the heart went at first but it is alright now, was produced by Clean Break Theatre Co. at the Arcola Theatre, London. The play was nominated for an Evening Standard Award for Best Newcomer and made her joint winner of the John Whiting Award (2010). NSFW premiered at the Royal Court, starring Janie Dee and Julian Barrett, in 2012. Chimerica premiered at the Almeida Theatre in 2013 and subsequently transferred to the West End, earning the Best New Play at the 2014 Olivier and Evening Standard Awards, as well as the Critics Circle Award and the Susan Smith Blackburn Award. Recent work includes The Children, which premiered at the Royal Court in 2016 and on Broadway in 2017, and Mosquitoes, presented by special arrangement with Manhattan Theatre Club, which opened at the National Theatre in 2017. Lucy also writes for television. She has written for Skins (Company Pictures), created and wrote The Smoke (Kudos/Sky 1), and is currently writing a mini-series of her play Chimerica for Playground Productions. She also wrote and directed the short film The Briny and is developing projects with Clio Barnard and Lenny Abrahamson.

About David Muse

David Muse is in his ninth season as Artistic Director of Studio Theatre, where he has directed The Remains, The Effect, The Father, Constellations, Chimerica, Murder Ballad, Belleville, Cock, Tribes, The Real Thing, An Iliad, Dirt, Bachelorette, The Habit of Art, Venus in Fur, Circle Mirror Transformation, reasons to be pretty, Blackbird, Frozen, and The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow. Previously, he was Associate Artistic Director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company, where he directed seven productions, including Henry V, Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, and last season's King Charles III (a co-production with ACT and Seattle Rep). Other directing projects include Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (Arena Stage), The Bluest Eye (Theatre Alliance), and Patrick Page's Swansong (New York Summer Play Festival). He has helped develop new work at numerous theatres, including New York Theatre Workshop, Geva Theatre Center, Arena Stage, New Dramatists, and The Kennedy Center. Muse has taught acting and directing at Georgetown, Yale, and the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Academy of Classical Acting. An eight-time Helen Hayes Award nominee for Outstanding Direction, he is a recipient of the DC Mayor's Arts Award for Outstanding Emerging Artist and the National Theatre Conference Emerging Artist Award. Muse is a graduate of Yale University and the Yale School of Drama.

Studio Theatre

Now entering its 40th season, Studio Theatre is Washington's premier venue for contemporary theatre, "where local audiences will find today's edgiest playwrights" (Variety). One of the most respected midsized theatres in the country, Studio Theatre produces exceptional contemporary drama in deliberately intimate spaces. Drawing inspiration from great ensembles-where people work together with a spirit of generosity and professional rigor-Studio brings characteristic thoughtfulness and daring to its work onstage and off, through its new work incubator and engagement, education, and workforce training initiatives. Celebrating its 40th anniversary in the 2018-2019 Season, Studio looks to honor its history through encouraging a creative culture in which artistry and boldness stem from inclusion, training, stewardship, and the collaborative spirit of the rehearsal room. Every year, Studio serves nearly 75,000 people, including more than 1,000 youth and young adults through engagement and education initiatives. Throughout Studio's 40-year history, the quality of our work has been recognized by sustained community support, as well as 367 nominations and 70 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in professional theatre.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Location: 1501 14th Street NW (northeast corner of 14th and P Streets).

Parking: Studio has a parking partnership with Washington Plaza Hotel at 10 Thomas Circle NW, three blocks south of Studio; patrons who park at the hotel's parking garage can purchase a $13 voucher at concessions. Street parking is extremely limited; arrive early to increase your options.
Metro Stops: Red Line: Dupont Circle, Orange/Blue Lines: McPherson Square, and Green/ Yellow Lines: U Street/Cardozo.
Accessibility: Studio's theatres are all wheelchair accessible; seats are available by reservation. Assistive listening devices are available for all shows at concessions. Call the Box Office at 202.332.3300 for more information.

Contact Information
Tickets and Subscriptions: 202.332.3300
Administration: 202.232.7267
Website: studiotheatre.org
E-mail: info@studiotheatre.org