MOSAIC THEATER COMPANY OF DC
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Mission Statement
Mosaic Theater Company’s mission is to produce bold, culturally diverse theater that illuminates critical issues, elevates fresh voices, and sparks connections among communities throughout our region and beyond. During our 2024-2025 season, we will celebrate Mosaic’s 10 year anniversary, and deepen our commitment to the three interconnected areas of our work. Founded in 2015, MOSAIC THEATER COMPANY OF DC specializes in new play development; arts education; public programs featuring noted community leaders, scholars, and artists; community engagement initiatives; and local and national partnerships with other cultural institutions.
About This Cause
First, we will put on quality performances that are accessible to all members of the community. We will feature five productions by a diverse slate of writers, directors, and artists who have been honored with credits such as a Helen Hayes Award, a Princess Grace Award, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, and more. The productions will include: Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill September 5 – October 13, 2024 By Lanie Robertson, Directed by Reginald L. Douglas Journey back to 1959 for an unforgettable rendezvous with Lady Day herself—the incomparable Billie Holiday performed by DC legend Roz White, in the role she was born to play. The Helen Hayes Award-winning White just completed the national tour of TINA: The Tina Turner Musical. Featuring classics such as “God Bless the Child” and “Strange Fruit,” this acclaimed play with music transports you to a small bar in Philadelphia for one of the icon’s final concerts, transforming the theater into an immersive nightclub complete with a live band and cocktails. Building on the success of Mosaic’s past productions Twisted Melodies and The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith, this fresh production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill explores the triumphs and traumas of Holiday’s life and career while celebrating the resilience of Black women throughout history. The Art of Care October 31–November 24, 2024 Conceived and Directed by Derek Goldman One of the most profound experiences we all share is how we care for, and are cared for by, others. The Art of Care is an innovative world premiere theatrical event exploring this common thread of our humanity at a time in our world when care often feels in short supply. Featuring an ensemble of all-star DC performers sharing from their own deeply personal experiences, this uplifting and interactive genre-breaking devised play combines movement, music, and multimedia with the insights of caregivers, medical professionals, policymakers, and everyday people, and courageously invites us all into the performers’ own vulnerable personal worlds while deepening our understanding of our own. This is produced in partnership with The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University and developed in collaboration with The Global Health Institute, School of Health, School of Nursing, Medstar Health, and Medical Humanities Initiative at Georgetown University. Out of Character January 8–26, 2025 Written and performed by Ari’el Stachel, Directed by Tony Taccone Tony Award-winner Ari’el Stachel’s one-man show brings to life a full ensemble of characters from his past, availing uproarious laughter, insight, and transformative performance to illuminate what it means to pursue – and accept – our complex identity. From hilarious sweat-gland cures to earnest investigations, Out of Character weaves an expansive autobiographical tale of his Yemeni Jewish mixed ethnicity, mental health, and success – all to the tune of relentless humor and extraordinary talent. Few artists can embody such a wide repertoire of true stories, from childhood to fame, with such compassion and specificity. As a child, Ari’el transfers schools and changes wardrobes and tastes in music to mixed results, naming the pain and confusion of belonging to many ethnic groups all at once. As an adult, he battles chronic anxiety in front of audiences of thousands, managing the panic in order to achieve his dreams. In a world that defines who we are as check-boxes for middle-eastern, white, Jewish, and Other, Ari’el pursues a life where all his identities can breathe as one. This is a Berkeley Rep production co-presented by Theater J and Mosaic Theater Company. cullud wattah April 3 - April 27, 2025 By Erika Dickerson-Despenza, Directed by Danielle Drakes It is 2016 and it has been 936 days and counting since Flint, Michigan, has had clean water. Third-generation General Motors employee Marion finds herself on the cusp of a promotion until her sister begins participating in protests accusing the company of poisoning the water. Forced to confront their past and weigh their limited options for the future, the family finds their tight-knit unit threatened by more than just the toxicity of the water. This powerful new play by Princess Grace Award winner Erika Dickerson-Despenza deconstructs the linear passage of time to ponder the choices we make for the sake of our survival. cullud wattah’s “lively and warmhearted characters” honor the people behind the headlines (New York Times). The play won the 2021 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Andy Warhol in Iran May 29–June 29, 2025 By Brent Askari, Directed by Serge Seiden It’s 1976, and less than 3 years before her exile, the Empress Farah beckons Andy Warhol to begin pop-art portraits of the royals in Tehran. When a fascinating University student takes Warhol hostage to publicize his group’s demands, a life or death struggle ensues over revolution, responsibility and the arts. Based on a true story, Andy Warhol in Iran hums with intelligence and humor. Award-winning playwright Brent Askari affirms the power of art to transcend boundaries and connect across cultures and time. Serge Seiden returns to direct after popular productions of Hooded and Eureka Day. Second, we will engage the community in dialogue, learning, and action through the following Education and Engagement Programs: Reflections Series: We will host year-round Reflections Series in conjunction with our season productions. This programming will include post-performance “talkback” conversations, and free readings, panels, and events throughout DC that provide community members with opportunities to engage deeply with the themes of the plays and connect with community members who have diverse backgrounds and perspectives. We will harness cross-disciplinary, citywide partnerships to develop and implement the Reflections Series and other programming throughout the year, which will ensure that we engage communities across DC through relevant, educational, and thought-provoking programming. Intergenerational Matinees: We will cultivate relationships with two distinct populations who face unique barriers to participation in theater - high school students and senior citizens. We will welcome them to special performances of our productions, and provide free tickets and transportation assistance. Performances will be followed by a post-show conversation conducted by Mosaic staff and featuring the actors working on the show. Participants can ask questions about the process and content of the play, deepen their theater experience through up-close engagement with professional artists, and engage in cross-generational dialogue. The High School Playwriting Contest: We will offer hands-on mentorship to young theater-makers as they write original plays, and will culminate in a public reading of winning play submissions at a branch of the DC Public Library. Third, our year-round Catalyst Series of New Play Development will include commissioning and supporting the development of at least two new plays and hosting developmental workshop presentations for at least two new plays. For example, in partnership with the Kennedy Center, we will support DC-based playwright Paige Hernandez to develop her latest theatrical piece, which blends music and movement together with original narrative to create a story about the power of language. We will also host a workshop of POSTMORTEM by Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Marilyn Ness, which introduces documentary filmmaking techniques to live theater and spotlights the experiences of sexual assault survivors. Furthermore, we will launch a Community-Engaged Theater Fund to help artists and community members collaborate to develop new work. Mosaic’s unique model and impact has been recognized by a wide range of artistic, philanthropic, and media outlets, and we are committed to sharing our lessons learned with the field. For example, Mosaic recently launched an exciting new collaboration with four other dynamic theaters across the country – Cleveland Public Theatr MOSAIC VALUES COLLABORATION - We embrace the collaborative nature of theater and cultivate creative relationships among artists. We seek partnerships with artistic, cultural and community-based groups to pursue shared goals. The spirit of inclusive decision-making underlies our work, our internal operations, and our partnerships. COMMUNITY - In our leadership, governance and programing we reflect the diverse mosaic of people and cultures that make up Washington and its surrounding communities. Understanding that we each belong to a mix of communities based in geography, demographics, interests, and experience, we foster exploration of commonalities and differences and our shared humanity. CURIOSITY- We approach our complex world with a spirit of open inquiry and exploration that is central to learning about and appreciating perspectives and experiences different from our own. We produce culturally eclectic theater experiences that provide varied avenues to understanding complex, socially relevant issues. We listen to and learn from each other. EQUITY AND ANTI-RACISM - We create an equitable, respectful, empathetic artistic home for ourselves, our audiences, artists, and theater-makers. We believe that anti-racism, promoting racial and gender equity, working against abuse, and reducing harm are imperative to the art we make and how we make it. INCLUSIVITY - On stage and within our organization, Mosaic promotes open dialogue and free speech and safeguards the dignity of each individual. We honor and appreciate the different cultural backgrounds and lived-experiences artists and audiences bring to the theater that deepen our work together. We foster an environment that respects and values historically marginalized groups, and welcome audiences of all ages, abilities, and social and economic situations.