"Beauty Freak" is a provocative, potent and prescient new work, aiming to make audiences think critically about their own choices in our current moment, and the fragility of democracy across the world. Written by James Clements explores the meteoric rise of controversial filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl during the creation and promotion of her magnum opus “Olympia,” a film about the 1936 Berlin Olympics commissioned by the Nazi Regime. As the regime that supports her artistic vision escalates their campaign of terror and commits increasingly flagrant atrocities, Leni and her colleagues are forced to reckon with their own complicity and responsibilities as artists. This world premiere co-production with Nancy Manocherian's the cell is directed by Danilo Gambini and will feature Baize Buzan*, Sam Hood Adrain, James Clements, Peter Coleman*, Luca Fontaine, Slate Holmgren*, and Keith Rubin*.
*These Actors are appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association.
This season at Classic Stage Company, the Classic Perspectives Series will be curated and hosted by Co-Artistic Directors Sam Hood Adrain and James Clements. Classic Perspectives is a post-show discussion program at CSC offering audiences the chance to go beyond the performance and engage in meaningful conversation. Following select performances, the series brings together artists, scholars, and creative team members to unpack the themes of the production, explore its connections to both past and present experiences, and dive behind-the-scenes processes.
From the editor: For the past couple of years, I’ve been keeping an eye on DIVINE RIOT, a collective of actors dedicated to utilizing multimedia platforms for artistic empowerment, developmental programming, and crafting of original productions. In the past couple of years, I noticed that the company seemed to be avoiding the common trap that many NYC indie-theater companies fall into: the pressure of sticking to a standard commercial calendar, which is incredibly arduous regardless of status, given the more and more limited access to funding. So I decided to investigate! In the pre-pandemic times, I got to meet one of the co-founders of the company, Mahalet Dejene, an absolutely terrific actor, and after becoming frequent collaborators over the past years, I got to learn a little about the company. But not enough! So I reached out to hear more over coffee.
This new play by Andrew Watkins is a retelling of Sophocles’ Ajax, combining contemporary documentary theatre with the original text, at a soon-to-be-announced venue. Watkins, a respected writer and director working between New York and Berlin, has been developing the project since 2022 and will continue to shape it through an upcoming residency at Mercury Store in March 2026. We are thrilled to partner with Sanguine Theatre and Hamlet Isn't Dead to bring this production to life next Spring.
Established in 2017, “storytime” is a free night of storytelling and live music for the Neighborhood, held at various venues throughout New York. Each event features a specific theme (such as “Uplifting Black Stories,” “Not A Day Goes By” or “Waiting”) curated by the visiting musicians (including Eleri Ward, Kathryn Allison and Amyra León) and hosts (including Abby Feldman, Xavier Reyes and Ayla Sullivan). Any audience member who is willing to tell a story is welcome to, creating an authentic and powerful collective experience. This event has so far served over 3500 folks in the New York and online, and was recently recognized with a $15k NYC Department of Cultural Affairs CDF Grant. Most recently, “storytime” was part of the Six Foot Platform in DUMBO. Previous venues include: the cell theatre, Industry City Distillery and Starr Bar.
Returning as playwrights for a third year, this free youth education program creates a brave and welcoming space where young artists can share important ideas and generate exciting theatre that will be performed for their peers. Jane O’Leary, the Director of Education at Barrington Stage Company, noted, “[A]s playwright mentors in PMP, James and Sam are experts at knowing how to work with the teens to support them dramaturgically. Every year, we benefit from their craft and look forward to how they help the program grow artistically.”
Returning as playwrights for a third year, this free youth education program creates a brave and welcoming space where young artists can share important ideas and generate exciting theatre that will be performed for their peers. Jane O’Leary, the Director of Education at Barrington Stage Company, noted, “[A]s playwright mentors in PMP, James and Sam are experts at knowing how to work with the teens to support them dramaturgically. Every year, we benefit from their craft and look forward to how they help the program grow artistically.”
