SALT PEPPER KETCHUP
A World Premiere by local playwright Josh Wilder
Co-production with Passage Theatre
Directed by Jerrell L. Henderson
October 26 - November 18, 2018
A layer of bulletproof glass won’t protect Superstar Chinese Take-Out owners from the gentrification consuming the Point Breeze neighborhood in South Philly. When a trendy food co-op opens nearby, the Wu’s and their customers initially see it as a hipster annoyance, but as tensions mount they begin to recognize the intrusion as an act of war. Tinged with genuine humor and pathos, Wilder’s play examines the very human consequences of neighborhood redevelopment -- who benefits and who gets chewed up and spit out? 

HYPE MAN: A BREAK BEAT PLAY
by Idris Goodwin
Directed by Ozzie Jones
January 25 - February 17, 2019
Hype man Verb has been backing up front-man rapper Pinnacle since they were kids. Adding beatmaker Peep One to their group sparked a flame and now the interracial trio is flexing serious Hip-Hop muscle. But when an unarmed black teenager is shot by police, it forces the group to navigate issues of friendship and race. The latest from break beat poet and playwright Idris Goodwin (HOW WE GOT ON), HYPE MAN asks: what does it mean to be an ally, and who has the responsibility to speak up in the face of social injustice?

HEARTLAND
An InterAct Commission & NNPN Rolling World Premiere by Gabriel Jason Dean
Directed by Evren Odcikin
March 29 - April 21, 2019
Dr. Harold Banks, an aging professor of Afghan studies in Nebraska, is reeling after his adopted daughter Getee is killed by the Taliban while delivering foreign aid. When Afghan refugee Nazrullah arrives at his door with an incredible story and carrying Getee's prized books, the two men form an unlikely bond. Each is searching for his own brand of forgiveness, but as their friendship develops, Naz accidentally exposes an unexpected source of Dr. Banks’ guilt. How might a CIA propaganda operation over 30 years ago have contributed to Getee’s death? Inspired by true events, HEARTLAND is a story of healing, connection, and the devastating unintentional consequences of our actions.  

THE GREAT LEAP
By Lauren Yee
Directed by Seth Rozin
May 31 - June 23, 2019
It's 1989 and Manford Lum, renowned for his basketball hustle in Chinatown, tries to talk his way on to a college team destined for a "friendship" game in China. Coach Saul blocks him hard, but Manford rebounds and launches himself on a journey to a homeland he's never known.  Bouncing between Beijing and San Francisco, between 1989 and 1971, this clever and theatrical play looks at America’s arms-length relationship with Communist China and the post-Cultural Revolution through a story about two generations of basketball players.  Smart, funny and heart-pumping, Lauren Yee's THE GREAT LEAP will have you on your feet for the final buzzer.