The Refuge Plays tickets

By: Nathan Alan Davis
Director: Patricia McGregor
Producer: Roundabout Theatre Company and New York Theatre Workshop
Cast list: Ngozi Jane Anyanwu (as Joy), Jerome Preston Bates (as Reginald), Jessica Frances Dukes (as Gail), Jon Michael Hill (as Walking Man), Mallori Taylor Johnson (as Symphony), Lizan Mitchell (as Clydette), Nicole Ari Parker (as Early), Daniel J. Watts (as Crazy Eddie), Lance Coadie Williams (as Dax), JJ Wynder (as Ha-Ha)
Design: Arnulfo Maldonado
Costumes: Emilio Sosa
Lighting: Stacey Derosier
Sound: Marc Anthony Thompson
Other info: Original music and vocal soundscapes by Imani Uzuri, movement coordination by Paloma McGregor

The Refuge Plays is a co-production between Roundabout Theatre Company and New York Theatre Workshop, Playwright Nathan Alan Davis previously collaborated with NYTW with his acclaimed play Nat Turner in Jerusalem. Of that show, The Village Voice said, “The sparse, persuasive two-hander examines America's racial history, but feels disturbingly close to the present day.”

Working in similar thematic territory, Alan now makes his Roundabout Theatre Company debut with The Refuge Plays. Both New York Theatre Workshop and Roundabout are homes for adventurous new plays, and further support for the work comes from the Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater, which has helped produce countless premieres.

In this bold reimagining of “the family play,” Davis subverts and recreates a classic fixture of the American drama. Alan’s play continues themes of belonging and love that pulse through the veins of his other vital works.

What to Watch For

• New York Theatre Workshop and Roundabout Theatre Company are two of the largest and most influential non-profit theatre companies in new York City. NYTW was the original Off-Broadway home of Rent and Roundabout of The Humans.
• Today, it is rare to see new plays with bigger casts. The Refuge Plays's cast of 10 comprises Broadway and Off-Broadway veterans.
• Patricia McGregor directs a multidisciplinary piece. The recently-appointed New York Theatre Workshop artistic director helms a large team that oversees original music, movement, and a full design that brings Alan’s script to vivacious life.
• Nathan Alan Davis is an established voice and a multi-award winner. Davis has received a Windham-Campbell Prize (2021), a Steinberg Playwright Award (2020), and other prizes.
• As a screenwriter, Davis worked on projects for HBO Max, Netflix, AMC, BET, and Paramount. He is also an alumnus of the University of Illinois, Indiana University, and the Juilliard School, and he currently serves as director of MFA Playwriting at Boston University.