New Group Inc

AN ARTIST-DRIVEN COMPANY WITH A COMMITMENT TO DEVELOP AND PRODUCE POWERFUL, CONTEMPORARY THEATER.

IN FY23, THE NEW GROUP OFFERED THREE PRODUCTIONS, A SELECTION OF FREE READINGS AS PART OF FREEFEST, AND FREE EDUCATION PROGRAMS. ALL IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING TOOK PLACE AT THE PERSHING SQUARE SIGNATURE CENTER IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN.THE NEW GROUP BEGAN ITS 22-23 SEASON WITH THE NEW YORK PREMIERE OF EVANSTON SALT COSTS CLIMBING BY PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST WILL ARBERY, DIRECTED BY DAYNA TAYMOR. THE PRODUCTION FEATURED QUINCY TYLER BERNSTINE, JEB KREAGER, KEN LEUNG, AND RACHEL SACHNOFF AND RAN FROM OCTOBER 25 TO DECEMBER 18, 2022 TO OVER 5,000 AUDIENCE MEMBERS. A STORY ABOUT CLIMATE AND CHANGE, THE NEW GROUP WORKED ALONGSIDE THE NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL, AN INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY (CONTINUE ON SCHEDULE O)ORGANIZATION, TO CO-CURATE A FEATURE PUBLICATION, A CALL TO ACTION, AND A PANEL DISCUSSION. THE PRODUCTION EARNED CRITICAL PRAISE ACROSS PUBLICATIONS.IN FEBRUARY 2023, THE NEW GROUP PRODUCED THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE SEAGULL/WOODSTOCK, NY, ADAPTED FROM CHEKHOV BY THOMAS BRADSHAW AND DIRECTED BY THE NEW GROUP'S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR SCOTT ELLIOTT. THE PRODUCTION HAD AN EXTENDED RUN FROM FEBRUARY 7-APRIL 9, 2023 AND PLAYED TO OVER 10,000 AUDIENCE MEMBERS. THE PRODUCTION FEATURED PERFORMANCES BY DAVID CALE, ATO ESSANDOH, PATRICK FOLEY, HARI NEF, DANIEL ORESKES, PARKER POSEY, BILL SAGE, ALEYSE SHANNON, AMY STILLER, AND NAT WOLFF.THE NEW GROUP FINISHED THE SEASON WITH A CO-PRODUCTION WITH NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE, BERNARDA'S DAUGHTERS BY DIANE EXAVIER; IT WAS INITIALLY PRESENTED AS AN AUDIO PLAY IN FY22 AS PART OF THE NEW GROUP OFF STAGE. THE STAGE PRODUCTION, WHICH WAS DIANE EXAVIER'S OFF-BROADWAY DEBUT, WAS DIRECTED BY DOMINIQUE RIDER. EXAVIER'S WORK FOLLOWS THE SISTERS OF THE ABELLARD FAMILY IN FLATBUSH, BROOKLYN, AS THEY MOURN THEIR FATHER'S PASSING AND GRAPPLE WITH THE GENTRIFICATION OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. BERNARDA'S DAUGHTERS RAN FROM MAY 4 TO JUNE 4, 2023 TO OVER 3,600 PEOPLE AND FEATURED PASCALE ARMAND, ALANA RAQUEL BOWERS, KRISTIN DODSON, MALIKA SAMUEL, TAJI SENIOR, AND TAMARA TUNIE. THE NEW GROUP CONNECTED WITH MULTIPLE CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTING THE LOCAL HAITIAN AND AFRO-CARIBBEAN COMMUNITIES AND FOCUSED AN EXTENSIVE CANVASSING/STREET MARKETING STRATEGY IN AFRO-CARIBBEAN NEIGHBORHOODS IN BROOKLYN. AS A RESULT, SURVEYS SHOWED 53% OF AUDIENCE MEMBERS IDENTIFIED AS BIPOC.IN JUNE 2023, THE NEW GROUP PRODUCED ITS INAUGURAL FREEFEST, A READING FESTIVAL FEATURING NEW WORKS THAT EMBRACE RADICAL EXPRESSION. THE FESTIVAL FEATURED READINGS OF 3 NEW WORKS: CULTURE SHOCK BY GLORIA MAJULE; BOCKING BY PRESTON CROWDER, AND ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH WITH BOOK AND LYRICS BY KIA BETH KOFRON AND COOPER KOFRON AND MUSIC BY MARK HOLLMANN AND DREW GASPARINI.THE NEW GROUP OFFERED FREE THEATER EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO NYC PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH YTT COLLEGE ACCESS AT THE NEW GROUP (YTT) AND SCENE 1 PROGRAMS. IN TOTAL, IT OFFERED EIGHT COURSES OF MY STORY, THE COURSE WITHIN THE YTT PROGRAM, TO 87 STUDENTS, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS AND SENIORS. IN TOTAL, 152 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN YTT.IN EACH 6-WEEK MY STORY COURSE, STUDENTS STUDIED ICONIC MONOLOGUES AND PERSONAL ESSAYS, DID IMPROVISATION AND CREATIVE EXERCISES TO DEVELOP AND PERFORM THEIR OWN MONOLOGUES AND THEN TRANSFORM THEM INTO COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ESSAYS. THE NEW GROUP OFFERED A TOTAL OF 6 COURSES OF MY STORY: TRANSFORMING PERSONAL STORIES FOR COLLEGE APPLICATIONS, FOR A TOTAL OF 36 WEEKS OF FREE EDUCATION. 100% OF PARTICIPATING SENIORS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED TO COLLEGE.THE NEW GROUP RESTARTED ITS SCENE 1 PROGRAM AND BEGAN A COLLABORATION WITH WINGSPAN ARTS TO DEVELOP A SIX-WEEK, FULL-DAY SUMMER CONSERVATORY WITH SPECIALIZED THEATER CLASSES FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE NEW GROUP WORKED WITH WINGSPAN TO RECRUIT AND AUDITION STUDENTS AND TO SECURE EXCEPTIONAL TEACHING ARTISTS, DIRECTORS, DESIGNERS AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT FROM THE NEW GROUP'S COMMUNITY. THE NEW GROUP SELECTED A PLAY BY A NEW WRITER AND OVERSAW THE PRODUCTION USING ITS SPECIFIC MODEL OF ACTOR TRAINING FROM SCENE 1. THE NEW GROUP ALSO ENRICHED THE CURRICULUM, PROVIDING MASTER CLASSES BY NEW GROUP ARTISTS FOR ALL STUDENTS. IN FY23, 46 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN SCENE 1, THREE TIMES THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IN FY22.