NYC Premiere
2025. In the silence of a Quaker meeting house.
Benjamin Lay – shepherd, sailor, revolutionary – returns from the grave almost 300 years after his death, as feisty and unpredictable as ever.
The 4ft “David” confronts the “Goliath” of slavery as he demands once again to be readmitted into the Quaker community that disowned him for ideas considered dangerous and disruptive.
How far will he go, knowing the cost of protest?
Sweeping across the centuries, The Return of Benjamin Lay is a hallucinatory exploration of the life of a radical who became one of America’s earliest revolutionary abolitionists.
The award-winning London production, “an important groundbreaking play” (Closeup Culture), by decorated playwright Naomi Wallace and historian Marcus Rediker, features “a riveting performance by Mark Povinelli” (Broadway World), direction by Royal Shakespeare Company Honorary Associate Ron Daniels, and set design by the acclaimed Riccardo Hernandez. The play crosses the Atlantic in a bold exploration of an utterly impossible man.
The Return of Benjamin Lay was first performed at the Finborough Theatre, London (Neil McPherson, Artistic Director), produced by Arsalan Sattari Productions.
MARCH 14 – APRIL 6
Produced by Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company
in association with Quintessence Theatre Group
Written by Naomi Wallace and Marcus Rediker
Directed by Ron Daniels
Mark Povinelli as Benjamin Lay
Full creative team TBA.
Presented at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture
March 14 – April 6, 2024
MORE INFORMATION
About the Playwrights
Naomi Wallace
Marcus Rediker
Writer and historian Marcus Rediker is Distinguished Professor of Atlantic History at the University of Pittsburgh. His “histories from below,” including The Slave Ship: A Human History, have won numerous awards, including the George Washington Book Prize, and have been translated into eighteen languages worldwide. He is the author of The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist, co-author (with David Lester and Paul Buhle) of Prophet against Slavery: Benjamin Lay, A Graphic Novel, and producer of a prize-winning documentary film, Ghosts of Amistad, directed by Tony Buba. He worked with Naomi Wallace on her play The Liquid Plain. He is currently writing a book about escaping slavery by sea in antebellum America.
About the Cast
Mark Povinelli | Benjamin Lay
Mark is most known for his critically acclaimed performance as Torvald Helmer in the OBIE award winning production of Mabou Mines Dollhouse (St. Anne’s Warehouse and International Tour) as well as the premiere of Martha Clark’s Belle Epoque (Lincoln Center) in the lead role of Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. Other theatre includes performances at the Shakespeare Theater, Children’s Theatre Company, Radio City Music Hall, Oklahoma Lyric Theater, Will Geer Theatricum and UCLA Live.
Film includes Nightmare Alley, Water For Elephants, Mirror Mirror, The Hot Flashes and My Dinner With Herve.
Television includes Modern Family, Criminal Minds, Happyish, Boardwalk Empire, Charmed and Mad Dogs. Mark became the first little person cast as a series regular on a network sitcom in Are You There, Chelsea? As a noted social activist, in June 2017, Povinelli was elected President of the Little People of America which promotes awareness, advocacy and medical assistance for individuals with forms of dwarfism.
About the Creative Team
Ron Daniels | Director
Ron Daniels was named Honorary Associate Director after fifteen years directing many productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company including Hamlet (with Mark Rylance and another with Roger Rees), The Tempest (with Derek Jacobi and Mark Rylance) as well as new plays by Stephen Poliakoff, David Rudkin, Pam Gems and David Edgar, including Naomi Wallace’s Slaughter City and Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange.
Ron is a former Associate Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theatre where he directed productions including Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, Henry V, The Tempest, The Cherry Orchard, Hamlet, and The Seagull with Mark Rylance. Other theatres include Othello (Shakespeare Theatre, Washington DC), Richard II, Richard III and Macbeth (Theatre for a New Audience), Naomi Wallace’s One Flea Spare (Public Theater, New York City), Much Ado about Nothing and The Taming of the Shrew (Old Globe, San Diego).
Opera includes Madama Butterfly, La Bohème, Carmen, and Don Giovanni, the world premiere productions of Daniel Catan’s Il Postino with Placido Domingo, Ricky Ian Gordon’s Morning Star and Daniel Schnyder’s Charlie Parker’s Yardbird.
Film includes Naomi Wallace and Bruce McLeod’s Lawn Dogs (Executive Producer) and The War Boys.
He is a former head of the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University, where he taught acting and directing.
Riccardo Hernandez | Original Set Concept
Riccardo’s numerous productions include Jagged Little Pill (Tony Nomination for Best Scenic Design of a Musical), Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (Tony Nomination for Best Revival of a Play) starring Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon, Indecent (2017 Tony Award Best Play Nomination – Broadway and Menier Chocolate Factory, London), The Gin Game with James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson, Porgy and Bess (2012 Tony Award Best Musical Revival), The People in the Picture (Studio 54), Caroline, or Change (2007 Olivier Award for Best New Musical and London Evening Standard Award for Best Musical 2006), TopDog/UnderDog (2002 Pulitzer Award Best Play – Broadway and Royal Court Theatre, London) and Parade (Tony Award and Drama Desk Nominations).
Riccardo has designed over 250 productions at most leading Regional Theatres and Operas across the US and internationally, over twenty productions at the American Rep Theatre, and over thirty productions at New York Shakespeare Festival and Public Theater.
Awards and Nominations include Obie Award Sustained Excellence of Scenic Design, Henry Hewes Design Award Outstanding Scenic Design, Princess Grace Statue Award, Princess Grace Grant, Drama Desk Awards, Connecticut Critics Circle, Helen Hayes Award, Audelco, American Theater Wing and the Boston Elliot Norton Award.
He is the Associate Professor of Theater Design at Yale School of Drama.
PRODUCED BY PLAYHOUSE CREATURES THEATRE COMPANY
IN ASSOCIATION WITH QUINTESSENCE THEATRE GROUP
About Quintessence Theatre Group
Quintessence Theatre Group is dedicated to bringing epic works of classic drama and literature to the contemporary stage.
As Philadelphia’s text-based actor-focused repertory theatre, Quintessence re-envisions the classics to inspire our community to consider what is essential in theatre and in human nature.
Founded in 2010, the award-winning Quintessence Theatre is dedicated to bringing epic works of classic drama and literature to the contemporary stage.
As Philadelphia’s text-based, actor-focused repertory theatre, Quintessence re-envisions the classics to inspire our community to consider what is essential in theatre and in human nature.
Quintessence is in its 15th season at the Sedgwick Theater in Philadelphia’s Northwest neighborhood of Mt. Airy, and is led by Producing Artistic Director, Alex Burns and Executive Director, Erica Ezold.