In a statement, Mandy Greenfield, MTC's Artistic Producer said, "Launching The Studio at Stage II affords MTC the opportunity to present thrilling new work in a way which invites audiences into the artistic process. MTC's producing history in Stage II includes early works from many playwrights who, over time and with many productions across MTC's campus of venues, became part of the fabric of MTC. The Studio at Stage II will be a place for artists to work and for audiences with an appetite for risk, adventure, and bold theatricality to meet that work."

CHOIR BOY

A Play with Music by Tarell Alvin McCraney
Directed by Trip Cullman

With Nicholas L. Ashe, Kyle Beltran, Grantham Coleman, Chuck Cooper, Austin Pendleton, Jeremy Pope and Wallace Smith

CHOIR BOY was commissioned by MTC with support from Time Warner Inc.

CHOIR BOY is a co-production with Alliance Theatre.

Previews Begin Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Opening Night Tuesday, July 2, 2013

The Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys is dedicated to the creation of strong, ethical black men. Pharus wants nothing more than to take his rightful place as leader of the school's legendary gospel choir. Can he find his way inside the hallowed halls of this institution if he sings in his own key?

Tarell Alvin McCraney is author of The Brother/Sister Plays: The Brothers Size, In the Red and Brown Water, & Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet. His other works include Wig Out! set in New York's drag clubs and The Breach which deals with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He was the first recipient of the New York Times' Outstanding Playwright Award, the 2009 Steinberg Playwrights Award, and the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award. Trip Cullman (Murder Ballad) directs.

CHOIR BOY will open July 2, 2013.

BIOGRAPHIES FOR CHOIR BOY

TARELL ALVIN McCRANEY (Playwright) is best known for his acclaimed trilogy, The Brother/Sister Plays: The Brothers Size, In The Red and Brown Water, and Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet.They have been performed at McCarter Theatre in Princeton, The Public Theatre in New York, Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, at a trio of theaters in the Bay Area: Marin Theatre Company, ACT, and Magic Theatre, as well as the Young Vic in London (Olivier Award nomination) and around the world. Other plays include The Breach (Southern Rep, Seattle Rep), Wig Out! (Sundance Theatre Institute, Royal Court, and Vineyard Theatre - GLAAD Award for Outstanding Play), and American Trade (Royal Shakespeare Company/Hampstead Theatre). Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where he is an ensemble member, will produce the world premiere of his commissioned play, Head of Passes in the spring of 2013.

McCraney was the Royal Shakespeare Company’s International Playwright in Residence in 2008-2010, where he co-edited and directed the Young People's Shakespeare production ofHamlet which toured throughout the UK and was presented at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. He is the recipient of the prestigious Whiting Award and Steinberg Playwrights Award, as well as London's Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright, the inaugural New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award, and the inaugural Paula Vogel Playwriting Award.

He is a graduate from the New World School of the Arts High School, the Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago, and the Yale School of Drama. He is a resident playwright at New Dramatists and a member of Teo Castellanos/D-Projects in Miami.

TRIP CULLMAN (Director). Select NYC: Paul Weitz's Lonely, I'm Not (Second Stage); Leslye Headland’s Assistance (Playwrights Horizons); Adam Bock’s A Small Fire (Playwrights Horizons, Drama Desk nomination); Adam Rapp’s The Hallway Trilogy: Nursing (Rattlestick); Headland’s Bachelorette (Second Stage); Terrence McNally's Some Men (Second Stage); Bert V. Royal’s Dog Sees God (The Century Center); Bock’s The Drunken City (Playwrights Horizons); Weitz's Roulette (EST); Jonathan Tolins’s The Last Sunday In June (Rattlestick and Century Center); Bock's Swimming In The Shallows (Second Stage); Gina Gionfriddo’s US Drag (stageFARM); and several productions with The Play Company including Robert Farquhar’s Bad Jazz, Lloyd Suh’s American Hwangap, and Brooke Berman’s Smashing. Select regional: John Guare’s Six Degrees of Separation (Old Globe), Richard Greenberg’s The Injured Party (South Coast Rep), McNally’s Unusual Acts of Devotion (La Jolla Playhouse), Christopher Durang’s Betty’s Summer Vacation (Bay Street Theater), Bess Wohl’s Touched (Williamstown Theater Festival).

NICHOLAS L. ASHE (Junior Davis). is thrilled to be performing at the Manhattan Theatre Club as Junior in Choir Boy. As a just graduated senior, Ashe has starred in numerous productions at Freeport High School as well as community theatre. His professional credits include: National Tour of The Lion King (Young Simba). Television: “Philly Lawyer” (AMC Pilot), “Are We There Yet” (TBS). He has also appeared in numerous commercials and voiceovers. Ashe would like to thank his family, friends, and educators for their unwavering support.

KYLE BELTRAN (David Heard). made his Broadway debut as Usnavi in the Tony award-winning musical In The Heights, after originating the role on the first national tour. He appeared Off-Broadway in 10 Things To Do Before I Die (Second Stage.) His regional credits include Head of Passes (Steppenwolf), Good Goods (Yale Rep), Kingdom (Old Globe,) and Aida (WVPT.) He has performed in numerous workshops including Fortress of Solitude (The Public), Clueless (The New Group), and Tupac Shakur's Holler If Ya Hear Me (The Gold Company). His television appearances include “The Big C” and a recurring role as Henry on CBS' “Unforgettable.” Beltran received a BFA from the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama.

GRANTHAM COLEMAN (Austin Justin 'AJ' James). was most recently seen in Soho Rep's We Are Proud to Present by Jackie Sibblies Drury and directed by Eric Ting. He performed in Shakespeare in the Park's production of As You Like It directed by Daniel Sullivan, and played Romeo in the Actors Theatre of Louisville's Romeo and Juliet directed by Tony Speciale. He is a graduate of the Juilliard School.

CHUCK COOPER (Headmaster Marrow). won the 1996 Tony Award for best featured actor in a musical, for his performance in Cy Coleman’s The Life, The Audelco Best Actor Award for Caroline, or Change and The San Diego Critics Circle Award for August Wilson’s Two Trains Running. He has 10 Broadway shows on his resume, numerous Off-Broadway and regional theatre credits. His many Film and Television appearances along with detailed biographical information can be found at www.chuckcooper.net or at www.chuckcooper.nowcasting.com. Facebook users can look up his “Get The Scoop On Coop” page. Favorite role: Eddie, Alex, and Lilli's father. He recently in The Piano Lesson at Signature Theatre, directed by Ruben Santiago Hudson.

AUSTIN PENDLETON (Mr. Pendleton). last appeared in New York as Lebedev, at CSC, in Ivanov, with Ethan Hawke, and as Dr. Sugar, at Mississippi Mud, in Suddenly Last Summer. Other recent New York appearances include Rosmersholm, at the Pearl Theatre, Another Vermeer (by Bruce Robinson) and Love Drunk (by Romulus Linney), both at the Abingdon Theatre, both performances recipients of the Abby Award for Best Actor. He has appeared many times on, off, and off-off Broadway, beginning his New York career in the original Jerome Robbins productions of Fiddler on the Roof and Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Momma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad. He is a member of the Ensemble at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, where he has appeared in Cormac McCarthy's The Sunset Limited (which moved to 59 E. 59th St., in New York), Educating Rita, opposite Laurie Metcalf (this also moved to New York), Uncle Vanya (in the title role), Valparaiso, by Don de Lillo, and The Crucible, as Danforth (replacing Francis Guinan during the run). He has appeared in about 150 movies, and as a regular on such TV series as “Homicide” and “Oz.” He is also a director and a playwright, and teaches acting at HB Studio, in New York. He apprenticed (and has acted and directed many times) at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, under the guidance of Nikos Psacharopoulos.

JEREMY POPE (Pharus Jonathan Young). is grateful to be making his New York debut in Choir Boy. He is recent graduate from The American Musical & Dramatic Academy. Theatre credits include Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors and SkippyJon in Theatre Works USA’s SkippyJon Jones. Originally from Orlando, FL, Jeremy has been writing, recording, and producing music since he was 13 years old. He thanks his family for all their love and support, & his angels at Judy Boals, Inc for never giving up on him.

WALLACE SMITH (Bobby Marrow). is thrilled to be one of the boys! Smith was recently seen in Broadway's Revival of Godspell as 'Judas.' Other Broadway credits include Green Day's American Idiot as the ‘Favorite Son,’ Disney's The Lion King as ‘Simba,’ the Tony Award-winning revival of Hair as ‘Hud’ and the revival of Ragtime (Coalhouse understudy). National Tours/Regional: The Lion King first and second national tours and Las Vegas Company as ‘Simba;’ Whoopi Goldberg's White Noise as ‘Dion;’ Miss Saigon as John; Bare A Pop Opera (L.A. company) as ‘Matt;’ Alex Timbers' NYC Lab, The Last Goodbye (role of Prince); and The Leading Player in KC Rep's Pippin. Television: CBS’s “Blue Bloods,” NBC’s “American Dreams,” Fox Family’s “State of Grace,” The Onion News Network, as well as “Soul Food” on Showtime.

COMPLETED PRODUCTIONS

MURDER BALLAD

Conceived by & with Book and Lyrics by Julia Jordan
Music and Lyrics by Juliana Nash

Directed by Trip Cullman

With John Ellison Conlee, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Karen Olivo and Will Swenson

November 15 - December 16, 2012

A love triangle gone wrong, MURDER BALLAD centers on Sara, an Upper West Sider, who seems to have it all, but whose downtown past lingers enticingly and dangerously in front of her. This sexy, explosive, new rock musical explores the complications of love, the compromises we make, and the betrayals that can ultimately undo us.

MURDER BALLAD is conceived by Jonathan Larson Award winner and two-time Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist Julia Jordan with book and lyrics by Jordan and music and lyrics by indie rock singer/songwriter Juliana Nash. Drama Desk Award nominee Trip Cullman (Paul Weitz’s Lonely, I’m Not; Adam Bock’s A Small Fire) directs.

BIOGRAPHIES FOR MURDER BALLAD

JULIA JORDAN (Concept, Book and Lyrics) plays include Boy, Tatjana in Color, St. Scarlet, Smoking Lesson, Dark Yellow, Astrological Quit Claim Deeds and Jones. Musical books include Sarah Plain and Tall and The Mice, both written with Larry O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin. Upcoming musicals: Storyville, Bernice Bobs Her Hair and Murder Ballad. Currently in development, the film Tell Me Something I Don’t Know with Glen Luchford directing. Kleban Award, Francesca Primus Prize, Lucille Lortel Playwriting Fellowship, Manhattan Theatre Club Fellowship, Jonathan Larson Award, Heideman Award and LeComte Nouy Award, AT&T Onstage Award, The American Spirit Award. She is one of the founders of The Lilly Awards and sits on the Council of the Dramatists Guild. Her work has been produced at Primary Stages, Actor’s Theater of Louisville, Soho Rep, The McCarter Theater, Dallas Theater Center, Prince Music Theater, the Ahmanson, Studio Dante, Wellfleet, Contemporary American Theater Festival, Salt Lake Acting Company and The American Theater among others. Her plays have been developed at Sundance, The O’Neill, Ojai Playwrights Conference, Playlabs at the Mpls. Playwrights Center and Cleveland Playhouse among others.

JULIANA NASH (Music and Lyrics) is new to theater. Her background is in pop music. She was the rhythm guitarist and singer-songwriter for the band Talking to Animals. Talking to Animals was signed to Columbia and Velvel Records. Her songs have been placed in films that include Rob Morrow’s Maze, Eric Schaeffer’s Fall and his television show “Starved.”She wrote songs for the play Leave by Courtney Baron. She is the composer and co-lyricist of the musical Murder Ballad (with Julia Jordan). Nash is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild and BMI. She is the recipient of the BMI’s 1989 Abe Olman Songwriter’s Award. Juliana is also the proud mother of Ruby and Zane.

TRIP CULLMAN (Director). Select NYC: Paul Weitz's Lonely, I'm Not (Second Stage); Leslye Headland’s Assistance (Playwrights Horizons); Adam Bock’s A Small Fire (Playwrights Horizons, Drama Desk nomination); Adam Rapp’s The Hallway Trilogy: Nursing (Rattlestick); Headland’s Bachelorette (Second Stage); Terrence McNally's Some Men (Second Stage); Bert V. Royal’s Dog Sees God (The Century Center); Bock’s The Drunken City (Playwrights Horizons); Weitz's Roulette (EST); Jonathan Tolins’s The Last Sunday In June (Rattlestick and Century Center); Bock's Swimming In The Shallows (Second Stage); Gina Gionfriddo’s US Drag (stageFARM); and several productions with The Play Company including Robert Farquhar’s Bad Jazz, Lloyd Suh’s American Hwangap, and Brooke Berman’s Smashing. Select regional: John Guare’s Six Degrees of Separation (Old Globe), Richard Greenberg’s The Injured Party (South Coast Rep), McNally’s Unusual Acts of Devotion (La Jolla Playhouse), Christopher Durang’s Betty’s Summer Vacation (Bay Street Theater), Bess Wohl’s Touched (Williamstown Theater Festival).