ABOUT ALCHEMY
Alchemy Theatre Company serves to confront isolation through theatrical storytelling
that probes the complexity of the human heart, and build community by allowing for a better understanding of our audience and ourselves.
Morgan Baker,
Associate Artist
Associate Artist
Jonathan Libman,
House Manager
House Manager
Trevor Oswalt,
Company Photographer
Company Photographer
Larry Pontius,
Associate Artist
Associate Artist
Robert Saxner,
Producing Artistic Director
Producing Artistic Director
Zayd Dohrn
Birgit Huppuch
Robert
Saxner
The Alchemy Theatre Company of Manhattan, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization, serves to confront isolation through theatrical storytelling that explores the complexity of the human heart, building community by allowing for a better understanding of our audience and ourselves.
For its inaugural production, David Mamet granted Alchemy Theatre the first official rights to the New York revival of his play, Speed-the-Plow. Alchemy's production featured regional theatre actor Michael Daly and Juilliard graduates Richard Kaplan, and Gretchen Egolf, who has gone on to become a successful television and Broadway actress. The crew for Speed-the-Plow was also noteworthy, employing master (and Broadway) fight-choreographer Rick Sordelet, lighting designer James Vermuelen, and Broadway and movie actor Dallas Roberts, who graciously provided our sound design before heading off to Hollywood to appear in such films as Walk the Line; he also starred in Adam Rapp's Nocturne at ART and NYTW.
Larry Kramer consulted with Alchemy on its next production of The Normal Heart. Again, Alchemy employed many highly successful actors and designers for this production, artists who have worked with such respected companies as Orlando Shakespeare Festival, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, and the Alley Theatre. Like Speed-the-Plow, The Normal Heart elicited many rave reviews, including a front page Arts review in The New York Times.
Next, Alchemy was proud to produce the New York Premiere of Haymarket by Zayd Dohrn, IRNE Award Winner for Permanent Whole Life (Boston Playwrights' Theatre). This production of Haymarket also began a fruitful collaboration with Theatre Row, where Alchemy has become a resident company and maintains its administrative Office.
Then, Alchemy proudly produced another New York Premiere by Zayd Dohrn, Permanent Whole Life in August 2006 at The New York International Fringe Festival, directed by Wesley Savick.
In 2007, Alchemy became an Off-Broadway company and our first production was the New York Premiere of Christopher Durang's The Vietnamization of New Jersey, starring Emmy-Award winner Blanche Baker. We received a glowing New York Times review along with being a Critic's Pick. We were also thrilled when Mr. Durang, who saw the production, accepted an invitation to join our Advisory Board.
Next, Alchemy Theatre presented the New York Premiere of David Wright Crawford's Harvest. This poignant story about a west Texas cotton farmer that spans 45 years was a terrific artistic success and stirred audience members to contact us with praise. We were also a Critic's Pick in Backstage. Our next play, Umbrella by L. Pontius continues Alchemy's commitment to plays that resonate for a diverse audience, bringing us closer with shared human experiences. In fact, Alchemy's promise to our audience is to create 50,000 shared human experiences. We work every day to reach that goal.
By working with some of the most distinguished and talented up-and-coming artists, carving a new niche at Theatre Row, building strong relationships with agencies such as the Eliran Murphy Group and Kevin P. McAnarney/KPM Associates, and reaching out to connect with a diverse New York community, Alchemy Theatre boldly and optimistically looks to the future.
And in that future, Alchemy will also continue its history of generosity. For, as mentioned, we place an emphasis on collaborating with and giving back to the community. Alchemy held fundraisers for a homeless shelter on Manhattan's Upper West Side, donated funds from benefit performances to AIDS research and Dr. David Ho at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, a world-renowned biomedical research institute based in New York City, and contributed to Farm Aid.
We hope you'll join us next as Alchemy Theatre continuously aims to create vivid productions that boldly explore diverse worlds, forms, and styles of theatre in search of deeper and more meaningful shared human experiences.