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"The performances by Messrs. O’Brien and López are nothing short of brilliant."
- The Jewish Voice |
"Difficult, upsetting, and timely."
- New England Theater Geek |
THE RACE
BY MARK BINDER
DIRECTED BY BRIEN LANG
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY NIKITA ZABINSKI
DIRECTED BY BRIEN LANG
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY NIKITA ZABINSKI
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
PERFORMANCES MARCH 13 - 28
PERFORMANCES MARCH 13 - 28
Two job-seekers from vastly different backgrounds vie for the same position in a large, faceless corporation. Each reveals uncomfortable truths from their past while dodging landmines from their competition, and dealing with an increasingly demanding disembodied interviewer. Neither candidate’s future is certain, as the audience becomes an integral part of the selection process.
Directed by Brien Lang with original music by Nikita Zabinski, and featuring performances by Jim O'Brien, Rodney Eric López, and Jennifer Mischley, audiences are invited to participate in the evolution of this play that is, at times, tense, funny and off-putting. The Race is back for a limited run March 13 - 28.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
WITH CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Saturday, March 13 – Rodney Eric López as Joseph Black, Jim O’Brien as Joseph White
Sunday, March 14 – Jim O’Brien as Joseph Black, Rodney Eric López as Joseph White
Saturday, March 20 – Jim O’Brien as Joseph Black, Rodney Eric López as Joseph White
Sunday, March 21 – Rodney Eric López as Joseph Black, Jim O’Brien as Joseph White
Saturday, March 27 – Rodney Eric López as Joseph Black, Jim O’Brien as Joseph White
Sunday, March 28 – Jim O’Brien as Joseph Black, Rodney Eric López as Joseph White
Jennifer Mischley plays the same character for each performance.
PLEASE NOTE: Performances for THE RACE are done live and held entirely via Zoom. Patrons will receive a Zoom link to access performances immediately before their selected performance.
Directed by Brien Lang with original music by Nikita Zabinski, and featuring performances by Jim O'Brien, Rodney Eric López, and Jennifer Mischley, audiences are invited to participate in the evolution of this play that is, at times, tense, funny and off-putting. The Race is back for a limited run March 13 - 28.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
WITH CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Saturday, March 13 – Rodney Eric López as Joseph Black, Jim O’Brien as Joseph White
Sunday, March 14 – Jim O’Brien as Joseph Black, Rodney Eric López as Joseph White
Saturday, March 20 – Jim O’Brien as Joseph Black, Rodney Eric López as Joseph White
Sunday, March 21 – Rodney Eric López as Joseph Black, Jim O’Brien as Joseph White
Saturday, March 27 – Rodney Eric López as Joseph Black, Jim O’Brien as Joseph White
Sunday, March 28 – Jim O’Brien as Joseph Black, Rodney Eric López as Joseph White
Jennifer Mischley plays the same character for each performance.
PLEASE NOTE: Performances for THE RACE are done live and held entirely via Zoom. Patrons will receive a Zoom link to access performances immediately before their selected performance.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Playwright Mark Binder studied playwriting at the Trinity Rep Theater Conservatory and Columbia University's Hammerstein Center for the Arts. He the former artistic director of The Real Fun Theater Company and The American Story Theater. Mark is best known as the politician dared to challenge (and nearly defeat) Gordon Fox, the author of more than two dozen books and audio books for adults, children and families, and as a professional performance storyteller. He has toured the world sharing tales for listeners and readers of all ages. His debut novel, THE GROSTON RULES was released this fall. THE RACE is his first produced play in more than 20 years.
Jim O'Brien is a graduate of Trinity Rep Conservatory and an artistic associate at The Gamm Theatre. Previous productions with The Wilbury Group include You Got Older (Dad), How I Learned to Drive (Uncle Peck), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (George) Other theaters (select): A Human Being Died That Night, Black Bird, and Lonesome West (The Gamm Theatre); Lonely Planet (Counter-Productions Theatre Company); The Glass Menagerie (Gentleman Caller at Portland Stage).
Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Rodney Eric López is a seasoned and sought-after educator, artist, and non-profit leader. His diverse professional background includes successful tenures in teaching artistry in public schools in New York City and beyond, training, coaching and facilitation, corporate communications and public relations, and executive non-profit leadership. He was prominently featured in the Paramount Classics hit documentary Mad Hot Ballroom and has made numerous appearances on television, including as a dance coach for Paul and Mira Sorvino, 'Dancing with the Moms' on Good Morning America, and MTV’s TRL. He is thrilled to be in his first production with The Wilbury Theatre Group!
A Resident Artist with The Wilbury Theatre Group since 2019, Jennifer Mischley earned her B.A. in Theatre from Rhode Island College and M.S. from Boston University. Previous roles at the Wilbury Group include Dance Nation (The Moms), Fun Home (Helen Bechdel) The Pirates of Penzance (Major General/Pirate), Mr. Burns, a post electric play (Maria/Lisa Simpson), and The Revel. Jennifer's work with other theatres includes; Gloria, "Gloria/Nan" (GAMM Theatre); She Loves Me (Greater Boston Stage Company); Far From Heaven (Speakeasy Stage Company); Ocean State Theatre Company: Gypsy, The Addams Family, The Miracle Worker, Avenue Q.
An actor, director, playwright, and musician, Brien Lang has been Resident Artist with The Wilbury Group since 2016. Brien's directing credits include The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, Futurity, Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, Passing Strange, A Public Reading of…Walt Disney We Won't Pay, We Won't Pay! Acting with Wilbury –Stupid F@#$ing Bird (Trig), 10,000 Things(Priest) Cabaret (Ernst Ludwig), Threepenny Opera (Tiger Brown), Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson (John Calhoun), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Donny). Also with Wilbury – Sound & Music Design for Ill Seen, Ill Said and Not I, Co-Music Director of This Beautiful City (with Milly Romanzi) and Music Director for DeStefano on the Air and The Teller. He also composed original music for Caucasian Chalk Circle at URI. Other directing projects (select) Medea, Waiting for Godot and Polish Joke – NewGate Theatre, The Gays of Our Lives – Boston and Providence Pride Festivals, The Frogs – adapted and directed for a City of Providence sponsored tour. His original musical Road House: The Return of the Concert of the Musical received its premiere as part of Wilbury New Works and his musical The My Way Murders debuted in the PVD Fringe 2016.
ABOUT
An award-winning*, not-for-profit professional theatre company, The Wilbury Theatre Group engages our community in thought-provoking conversation through new works, reimagined classics and adventurous playmaking. We are idealistic, ambitious, and stubborn in our resolve to create theatre that entertains, enlightens, and inspires.
*WINNER of the 2018 National Theatre Company Grant from the American Theatre Wing (The Tony Awards).
*WINNER of the 2018 National Theatre Company Grant from the American Theatre Wing (The Tony Awards).
