Get ahead of the curve with our August New Releases! Dive into this month’s fresh titles, each offering something unique and exciting. Whether you’re looking for your next great read or a captivating new addition to your collection, these August releases are a must-see.
New Plays
The Wolf at the End of the Block by
Photo by Anthony Aicardi, 2017 16th Street Theater production
Taut and fast-paced, The Wolf at the End of the Block tells the story of Abe, a resident of the Rightlynd neighborhood of Chicago, who seeks justice after a mysterious, late-night interaction at a boarded-up bar. The intrigue envelops Abe, his sister, his boss, and a morally complicated reporter in pursuit of the truth. But as the clock ticks down, the play discloses the hidden motives of each character, leading to a finale of unpredictable twists, turns, and reveals.
Junie B. Jones: Toothless Wonder by Allison Gregory
Junie B. Jones is having a rough day—no, scratch that, a rough week! First off, she is about to lose her first tooth, and what does the Tooth Fairy do with all those teeth anyway? Even worse, everyone in her class has been invited to her classmate Jim’s birthday…except for her. Will Junie land that surprisingly elusive invitation? And if her tooth comes out, what will she even look like? Visit Junie’s charming and witty world as we learn together what it means to grow up and fit in.
Forthcoming by Alan Haehnel
Five teenagers are visiting their favorite theme park, Forever Fun Amusement World, and are lucky enough to win lifetime passes in a raffle that only occurs every thirty years. When they gather in a strange building next to the Haunted Castle to collect their prize, it becomes clear that the passes come with life-changing consequences.
To the Bone by
Photo by Frank Ishman, 2023 Open Fist Theatre Company production
After twenty years, the tough but deeply caring Kelly has finally arranged to meet the daughter she gave up for adoption in high school. Geneva, who has grown up with a fair amount of privilege, has been ready to meet her mother for years. When she arrives at Kelly’s decidedly blue-collar Boston home with her roommate from Emerson, she’s a little unsure what to make of her birth mother, aunt, and brother. The getting-to-know-you is a little more oil and water than desired, and when Kelly reveals why she has asked Geneva to come, it is not clear if their newfound relationship will last beyond this evening. Overflowing with tough love and plenty of heartfelt laughs, To the Bone proves that kindness is more than a shared family trait.
New Signature Acting Editions
Sojourners by
Natalie Portman’s August Book Club Pick
Sojourners is Part One of the Ufot Cycle, Udofia’s sweeping, nine-part saga which chronicles the triumphs and losses of Abasiama Ufot, a Nigerian immigrant, and her family. Abasiama came to America with high hopes for her arranged marriage and her future, intent on earning a degree and returning to Nigeria. But when her husband is seduced by America, she must choose between the Nigerian or American Dream.
Brooklyn Laundry by
Fran is a pessimist who’s terrified of making decisions. Owen is a guy who sees life for what it is and finds ways to make the best of it. Both of them are lonely, and find in each other what could be a meaningful connection. But when Fran’s sisters need her more than ever, she is faced with the most difficult choice she’s ever had to make. Brooklyn Laundry is about romance, family, joy, and responsibility. Most of all, it’s a play about choosing to love and be loved.
Doubt, A Parable by
Recipient of the 2005 Tony Award® for Best Play and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
In this brilliant and powerful drama, Sister Aloysius, a Bronx school principal, takes matters into her own hands when she suspects the young Father Flynn of improper relations with one of the male students.
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea by
The setting is a rundown bar in the Bronx, where two of society’s rejects, Danny and Roberta, strike up a halting conversation over their beer. He is a brooding, self-loathing young man who resorts more to violence than reason; she is a divorced, guilt-ridden young woman whose troubled teenage son is now being cared for by her parents. Danny, whose fellow truck drivers call him “the animal,” seems incapable of tender emotion, while Roberta, who is still haunted by the memory of an ugly sexual incident involving her father, is distrustful of men in general. And yet, as their initial reserve begins to melt, and they decide to spend the night together, the possibility of a genuine and meaningful relationship begins to emerge—the first for both of them. In the end there are no facile, easy answers, but thanks to the playwright’s skill and compassion, both characters are able to probe within themselves to find an exorcism and forgiveness that, while painfully achieved, offers the hope of a future touched, at last, with more than the bitterness and loneliness that had been their lot before their fateful meeting.
