Tisch New Theatre will present the musical "The Cradle Will Rock," by Mark Blitzstein, for five performances beginning April 28 and running through May 1 at New York University’s Atlas Theatre.
Tisch New Theatre (TNT) will present the musical The Cradle Will Rock, by Mark Blitzstein, for five performances beginning April 28 and running through May 1 at New York University’s Atlas Theatre. The play, called a landmark music-theatre piece, is about corporate greed and corruption. TNT’s production, while maintaining the entirety of Blitzstein’s original 1937 script and score, will update the play to 2012 and change its setting from Steeltown, USA to Washington Square Park.
The Cradle Will Rock will run for four days (April 28-May 1) with five performances at the Atlas Theatre, 111 2nd Avenue, 3rd Floor. Curtain is 8 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 2p.m. on May 1. Tickets are $10 and $7 for students with valid ID. For reservations and more information, visit.
The Cradle Will Rock is directed by Zi Alikhan, a senior in NYU’s Department of Drama at the Tisch School of the Arts. It is also produced and performed entirely by NYU undergraduate students. TNT was founded last year at the Tisch School for non-drama majors at the University. Its mission is to allow NYU students in all schools to participate in drama on a professional level, with the focus on collaboration, cooperation, and high production values.
Set in 2012, a group of NYU undergrads are forced to withdraw from school and leave university housing for not being able to pay their tuition. When they discover they have nowhere else to go, they establish a communal camp in Washington Square Park. On a cold night in late fall, the students feel helpless, voiceless, and alone despite their numbers. Suddenly, one student remembers a piece of theatre that riled up American senses during the last depression and caused people to examine the way their lives and morals were affected by the financial crisis: The Cradle Will Rock. The students band together in the park and in their own way, fight back against the greed of institutions and make their voices heard by performing the show for themselves and anyone else who is brave enough to listen to their story.
The Cradle Will Rock is produced, directed, and performed by students. The production team comprises: Erich Rettstadt, executive producer; Amara Dieter and Katherine Garceau, producers; Zi Alikhan, director; Michael Bennett, musical direction; Maddy Apple, choreographer; Jessica Kris, assistant director; Matt Rossiter, stage manager; Jason Sherwood, set design; Marika Kent, lighting design; Kelsie Peletier, costume design; and Daniel Crowley, sound design.
Cast members are: Ryan Amador, Maddy Apple, Harrison Beck, Michael Brick, Rob Brinkman, Casey Cowan-Barnes, AJ Ditty, Su Hendrickson, Hannah Kiem, Christina King, Luke Marinkovich, Ashley Masula, Sarah Naughton, Erin Rice, Jacob Samuels, Amanda Savan, Will Seefried, Anika Seidman-Gati, Matt Stillo, Ryan VanDenBoom, Mathieu Whitman, and Ben Yahr.