4615 ANNOUNCES SUMMER PROGRAMMING 

A PARTNERSHIP WITH U-STREET NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION’S TEMPERANCE ALLEY WILL PRESENT THREE STAGED READINGS, WORKSHOPS, AND A SALON FOR RISING DIRECTORS

 

Washington, DC - 4615 Theatre Company is proud to announce its partnership with the U-Street Neighborhood Association’s project, Temperance Alley. Temperance Alley is a community garden and activity space that is beloved by its neighbors for its robust offerings and vibrant horticulture. Created by Aaron Lewis, Josh Morin, and BI Haynes, Temperance Alley is envisioned as an outdoor classroom, a time machine, and a site to host regular workshops and gatherings. The garden is on a limited lease, and after that lease expires in September 2023, it will become the site of new townhouses. 

 

4615 is proud to activate their space with theatrical events through the final months of Temperance Alley’s lifespan. This summer, 4615 will bring three staged readings to the garden. The offerings are: You Should Be So Lucky by Alyssa Haddad-Chin, coon by Henery Wyand, and Black Rock by Gregory Keng Strasser. Cast and creative teams for the readings will be announced at a later date. 

 

In addition to the staged readings, 4615 will also present artistic workshops for community members to take part in. The focus will be on performance and acting, and the teaching artists will be announced at a later date. 

 

All programs hosted by 4615 Theatre at Temperance Alley are free of charge. Donations will go to the U-Street Neighborhood Association.

 

Says Paige Washington, 4615’s Director of Patron Services and Managing Director, “This partnership with Temperance Alley is an exciting opportunity to fill summer evenings with new plays in a beautiful setting. The garden space is conducive to reflection, ideation, and growth – all due to the thoughtful construction of its spaces and values by Josh, Aaron, BI, and the rest of the Temperance Alley team. Artists need spaces where they can be inspired and feel empowered to take risks, and I can’t think of a better place than Temperance Alley to give them that.”

 

“I’ve been stewarding this partnership for over two years now, and I am so happy to finally bring theatre performance into the garden, even if it’s happening at the end of TA’s life span.” Says Gregory Keng Strasser, Producing Director of 4615 Theatre. “Just like the garden, theatre is an ephemeral art form that thrives on in our memories - soaked in nostalgia and wonder. I can’t wait for the artists to gather in the space and breathe the air for the first time, taste the ripe tomatoes, listen to the sounds of insects (and city life!) as we set forth to make work again.”

 

About the Plays

 

You Must Be So Lucky

by Alyssa Haddad-Chin

Directed by Paige Washington

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Poh Poh invites her granddaughter, Jenny, to her apartment to make dumplings for the Lunar New Year. As they prepare, the two begin to discover that changes within Chinatown aren’t leaving space for them.

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coon

written and directed by Henery Wyand

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coon is an experimental exploration of black femininity and ritual. Set in the middle of the woods, a gang of raccoons create a community of love with the pressure of raccoon hunters. How do these rituals of love create a space of serenity and peace?  

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Black Rock

by Gregory Keng Strasser

Directed by Aria Velz

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A five hundred day long strike has left a family of coal miners restless. The prodigal son returns and patriarch Philip Braxton hopes he will join their cause -- but Bobby has set his sights on a career in renewable energy.

 

For more information please contact paige@4615theatre.com 

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4615 THEATRE Presents

Summer in the Garden

 

TICKETS/LOCATION

Performances and workshops can be found at Temperance Alley in the alley between U & T St  and 12th & 13th St NW. All Events are free, so there are no tickets to be purchased. You can RSVP, however, at  www.4615theatre.com/tickets

 

VENUE INFO

Parking/Transport: Temperance Alley is accessible from the U Street/Cardozo Metro (Green and Yellow lines), the 90, 92, 96 bus lines (at the intersection of U Street & 13th Street). There is a parking garage at 1928 12th St, and some street parking available in the surrounding area, but there is no parking at Temperance Alley. 

 

Food: Being situated at the heart of the U-Street Neighborhood, there is no shortage of food. Across the street is Ben’s Chili Bowl. There are numerous bars, coffee shops, restaurants all within one block. 

 

ACCESSIBILITY 

Temperance Alley is on the ground level, but the flooring is grass and dirt. 

 

EVENT SCHEDULE

• (Gathering) DMV Rising Director’s Salon will be held on May 21st from 6 to 7:30 PM

• (Staged Reading) You Must Be So Lucky by Alyssa Haddad-Chin on June 10th at 7:00 PM

• (Staged Reading) coon by Henery Wyand on July 15th at 7:00 PM

• (Staged Reading) Black Rock by Gregory Keng Strasser on August 19th at 7:00 PM

• Workshops to be announced

 

ABOUT THE COMPANY

4615 Theatre began when a group of emerging artists staged a Jacobean tragedy in multiple rooms of a suburban home. In just a few years since, the company has rapidly expanded from backyards and basements into a thriving professional theatre; a hub for both reinvigorated classics and ferociously bold new works. 4615 creates “inverted epics”: large, narrative-driven stories brought to new life in an up-close setting. In 2020, the company won the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre