Irish Arts Center (IAC), based in New York City and renowned for presenting dynamic, inspiring, collaborative experiences of the evolving arts and culture of Ireland and Irish America in an environment of warm Irish hospitality, presents Dead Centre’s Chekhov’s First Play, devised and directed by by Dead Centre artistic directors Bush Moukarzel and Ben Kidd. The production, an “iconoclastic and joyful” work that “returns to the essence of theater” (Le Monde), reteams the daring contemporary Irish company with IAC following their Obie award-winning Lippy (a 2014 IAC co-presentation at Abrons Arts Center) and Hamnet (presented by BAM in association with IAC in 2019). With Chekhov’s First Play’s U.S. premiere, IAC now proudly hosts Dead Centre’s boundless, wild theatricality in their own brand-new, state-of-the-art, flexible theatre, October 19-November 6, 2022. The production officially opens on October 23.

During the turmoil of the Russian Revolution in 1917, Maria Chekhov placed many of her late brother Anton’s manuscripts in a safety deposit box. In 1921, Soviet scholars opened the box and discovered a play. The title page was missing. The play they found has too many characters, too many themes, too much action. Unstageable. Like life.

Chekhov’s First Play features performers Alexandra ConlonTara Egan-LangleyDaniel ReardonPaul ReidDylan Tighe, and Ali White. The original creative team includes Natalie Hans (producer), Andrew Clancy (set design), Saileóg O’Halloran (costume design), Stephen Dodd (Lighting Design), Grace O’Hara (effects and onstage design), Jimmy Eadie and Kevin Gleeson (sound design), and Liv O’Donoghue (choreography). 

The production runs October 19–November 6, with showtimes Wednesdays at 7:30pm, Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm (8:30pm Thursday, Oct 20), Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm (5pm Sunday, Oct 23). Tickets are available here.