Reading
Series
LOUANNA O. CARLIN & JOHN MCDONALD READING SERIES
Each season, The Acting Company hosts a series of professional staged readings, named in memory of remarkable supporters Louanna O. Carlin and John McDonald. A mixture of new texts, classics of the canon, and forgotten favorites, these performances are a showcase of our alumni exploring works by artists featured in our National Tours.
Our 2025-2026 plays evoke the theme Deep Cuts and New Perspectives and give intimate audiences of patrons and practitioners a chance to gather as a creative community for engaging one-night-only events.
TIMON OF ATHENS
Written by William Shakespeare
in a modern verse translation by Kenneth Cavander
Directed by Kate Pitt
An often-overlooked Shakespearean text, TIMON OF ATHENS is a darkly complex story of an Athenian nobleman who transforms from popular host and generous patron to a misanthropic recluse when his “fair weather friends” take his kindness for granted.
January 26, 2026
7:30 pm
Symphony Space’s Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre
2537 Broadway (at 95th St), New York
TIMON OF ATHENS is produced with additional support from the Hitz Foundation and Play On Shakespeare.
Play On Shakespeare is a non-profit company dedicated to promoting and creating contemporary modern English translations of Shakespeare’s plays. Through partnerships with artists and organizations worldwide, Play On Shakespeare delivers these translations via theatrical productions, workshops & trainings, podcasts, publications, and film. Play On Shakespeare is made possible through generous support of the Hitz Foundation. Learn more at playonshakespeare.org.
A BOLD STROKE FOR A HUSBAND
By Hannah Cowley
Directed by Emily Lyon
Produced in association with Expand the Canon
February 9, 2026
7:30 pm
The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place), New York
A BOLD STROKE FOR A HUSBAND is a delightful romp filled with the hilarious struggles of five women stiving to find their happy endings amidst the chaos and absurdity of the Age of Enlightenment. In partnership with Expand the Canon, The Acting Company is excited to introduce a wider audience to one of the most popular playwrights of the 1700s.
THE WHITE PLAGUE
Bílá nemoc
Written by Karel Čapek, translated by Peter Majer and Cathy Porter in 1999
Directed by Ann C. James
March 23, 2026
7:30 pm
The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place), New York
THE WHITE PLAGUE is a tense, prewar drama observing a barely fictionalized 1930’s Czechoslovakia suffering from a dictator’s rule and a rare form of leprosy killing the country’s rich elders. Join us for an evening of riveting political history with searing socio-economic relevance for today.
FAUSTUS
Written by Christopher Marlowe
Adapted and Directed by Devin Brain
Produced in association with Red Bull Theater
Video on Demand November 4 through 9.
Christopher Marlowe’s infamous cautionary tale of a literal deal with the Devil is brought to new life as an incendiary punk cabaret where the Devil invites an audience to witness the temptation and destruction of a soul as both entertainment and catharsis.
Featuring alumni Kelley Curran and Joshua David Robinson with Jordan Bellow, Lennox T. Duong, Paul Ambrose Lieber, Jake Ryan Lozano, and Kristen Sieh.
THIS EVENT IS NOW AVAILABLE VIA VIDEO ON DEMAND. A recording of this event will be available at 7:30 PM ET on Tuesday, November 4 until 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, November 9. Open Captions will be available at 7:30 PM ET on Wednesday, November 5 until 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, November 9.
STOKELY
Written by Nambi E. Kelley
Directed by Kent Gash
October 27, 2025
7:30 pm
The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place), New York
Nambi E. Kelley returns to The Acting Company after her acclaimed 2019 Off-Broadway production of Native Son with a bold new play exploring the life and rise of civil rights icon Kwame Ture, born Stokely Carmichael. Fusing the personal and historic, Stokely paints a moving portrait of the man, the movement and the people who supported both.
Featuring Company Alum Jason Bowen with Jelani Pitcher, Portia, Stacey Sargeant, and Heather Alicia Simms
The World Premiere Production of Stokely: The Unfinished Revolution was produced by Court Theatre at the University of Chicago; Charles Newell, Artistic Director; Angel Ysaguirre, Executive Director. Stokely was developed with the support of New York Stage and Film, Ian Belknap, Artistic Director, Gabrielle Clark, General Manager.