2024
On Saturday, January 27, 2024 it was announced that Breaking the Binary Theatre was recipient of a Theatre Grant as part of the 67th Annual Obie Awards. At only 18 months old, we were one of the youngest organizations to ever receive this honor. For a full list of winners, click here.
HEARD.: A Community Cabaret
On Wednesday, January 31, 2024, we reunited the inaugural BTB Summer Intensive participants to present HEARD.: A Community Cabaret at The Green Room 42, raising over $500 for Trans Lifeline.
featuring Flower Estefana Rios (she/they), Grayson James (he/him), Luz Ballestér (they/he), Sam Hamashima (they/them), Spencer Petro (they/them), and Vi Dang (they/she)
Music Director: James Rushin (he/she)
Guitarist: Will Shishmanian (he/him)
Percussionist: Caroline Moore (they/she)
Artistic Consultant: L Morgan Lee (she/her)
Playwrights Horizons Residency
In February 2024, our friends at Playwrights Horizons hosted a BTB Mini Residency in their rehearsal space, allowing us to develop four pieces by BTB artists via our New Works Program!
🐦 I AM THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BIRD by Else Went
Directed by Emma Rosa Went
Dramaturgy by Harrison Densmore
featuring Esco Jouléy, Felix Teich, Juan Arturo, Layla Khoshnoudi, Liat Graf, and T Mitsock
💪🏼 BOIDS by reid tang
~A BTB commission~
Dramaturgy by Nazareth Hassan
featuring Futaba Shioda, Kyr Siegel, Marquise Vilson, Pauli Pontrelli, Sagan Chen, and Susannah Perkins
👩👧 MUTHA LOAD by ayla xuân chi sullivan
Dramaturgy by Dezi Tibbs
featuring L Morgan Lee and Sandra Caldwell
🐉 RACIAL BONUS by Dominique Rider
~A BTB commission~
Dramaturgy by Zach Ezer
featuring Dom Martello, Futaba Shioda, JJ Maley, Susannah Perkins, T Mitsock, Temídayo Amay, and Vann Dukes
BTB Spring JamborOBIE
On Monday, March 18, 2024, the Breaking the Binary community gathered to celebrate our recent recognition from the @obieawards for our 2024 Spring JamborOBIE party at The Spot.
We looked back at the past nineteen months since our launch in July 2022 and were treated to special performances from Justin David Sullivan (he/she/they), L Morgan Lee (she/her), Luz (they/he), Mariyea (she/they), and Nora Schell (they/them).
📸: @mcpphoto.png
BTB Across America Announcement
On Thursday, March 28, 2024, we announced our newest program: BTB Across America, supporting transgender, non-binary, and Two-Spirit+ (TNB2S+) theatermakers outside of New York City.
In this new program, we will travel to different areas within the United States, partner with a regional theatre company, and co-produce a one-week workshop of a new play written by a TNB2S+ artist local to that area that our regional partner has yet to work with.
Our in inaugural year, we will be partnering with DC’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in May and Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre in July.
BTB Across America is generously supported by Jody Falco and Jeffrey Steinman. To learn more about BTB Across America, click here.
2024 Cloud Nine Zine
On Sunday, March 31, 2024, as exclusively announced in Playbill and in celebration of International Transgender Day of Visibility, we launched our (free!) 2024 Cloud Nine Zine, amplifying the work of over 35 BTB artists.
CLOUD NINE is defined by Merriam-Webster as "a feeling of well-being or elation." Designed by BTB artist Vi Dang (they/she), BTB's 2024 Cloud Nine Zine includes:
+ Ten new commissioned works by BTB artists Anonymous, b (they/them), Dena Igusti (they/them), Diana Oh "Zaza D" (they/them), Else Went (she/herself), Ianne Fields Stewart (they/she), Jay Délise (they/them), Rad Pereira (they/them), Spencer James Weidie (they/them), and Will Shishmanian (he/him).
+ Our inaugural Instagram commissions from BTB's 2023 Cloud Nine commission campaign.
+ BTB Spotlights, highlighting the existing work or upcoming engagements of over 15 BTB artists.
+ A special note from BTB’s Founding Artistic Director, George Strus (they/them).
To view the 2024 Cloud Nine Zine, for free, click here.