Second Stage Theater will produce a one-night-only reading of the new musical Eighty-Sixed early next year, kicking off their Next Stage Festival January 16, 2024.

Featuring a book by Jeremy J. King, with music and lyrics by Sam Salmond, and direction by Kevin Newbury, the musical is based on David B. Feinberg's novel of the same name. Set in 1986 New York City, BJ Rosenthal fights against the dreadful impact of the AIDS crisis as his previously sunny world is plunged into darkness. 

Eighty-Sixed was initially developed with support from The Prince Fellowship. The musical was subsequently developed and produced by Diversionary Theatre of San Diego in May 2022.

The reading will feature Cynthia Meng as the music director and Steven Cuevas as the music supervisor. The Nancy Denovan Musical Reading is funded by a grant from Christopher and David R. Murray. Casting is to be announced.

The world premiere of Kate Douglas' The Apiary, directed by Kate Whoriskey, will follow, running January 31-February 25 with an official opening February 13. The Apiary, set 22 years in the future, follows two lab assistants who hatch a plan that could change the world.

The Judith Champion Reading Series will subsequently feature three new plays developed over a week of rehearsal. D.A. Mindell's On the Evolutionary Function of Shame, Sarah Mantell's The Good Guys, and Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin's Tiger Beat will each receive a one-night-only presentation.

Second Stage will continue the Lark Playwrights Workshop, in which five playwrights will be mentored by established theatre artists, including David Henry Hwang, Rajiv Joseph, and May Adrales. The mentoring sessions will take place between January 17 and March 26.

Casting for all events and directors for the Judith Champion Reading Series will be announced at a later date.

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