Who: PlayMakers Repertory Company
What: “Yoga Play,” by Dipika Guha. Directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh.
When: February 23 to March 13, 2022. Opening Night & Press Opening Saturday, February 26, 2022, 7:30 p.m.
Where: PlayMakers Repertory Company, 120 Country Club Road, Chapel Hill, NC
Tickets: Start at $20; Students tickets start at $10; Streaming access $25
(Chapel Hill, NC, February 17, 2022) PlayMakers Repertory Company proudly presents the regional premiere of “Yoga Play,” a comedy by Dipika Guha that asks the question, what is the personal cost of enlightenment and identity, in a world that commodifies both? The production runs from February 23 to March 13, 2022 and is directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh in her Paul Green Theatre stage directorial debut.
“I’ve been a fan of Dipika’s for several years, both as a writer for the stage and for television shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and have been waiting for the right moment to produce one of her smart, timely plays,” said Vivienne Benesch, PlayMakers Producing Artistic Director. “Working in the space of live, in-person theatre right now is still a big challenge. I am so grateful for director Pirronne Yousefzadeh’s vision and our dedicated, hardworking company of artists and artisans who do this work because they know the arts can bring us back together and help us find common ground. ‘Yoga Play’ is my favorite kind of comedy. It delights while it provokes a bit of introspection—and a lot of conversation—on your way out of the theatre.”
“Yoga Play” invites us behind the scenes at Jojomon, an apparel giant whose reputation these days isn’t as sterling at the fit of their bestselling yoga pants. CEO Joan has a plan to save the company – and her career – but it’s super risky and requires her team to sell more than a bit of spandex. This biting, bubbly comedy explores the search for enlightenment in a world that is determined to sell it.
“I was excited to direct at Playmakers because Vivienne expressed such enthusiasm and support for my anti-racist vision for theatre,” said Yousefzadeh. “A long-time friend and collaborator of Dipika’s, I’ve been eager to direct ‘Yoga Play’ for some time, and find its interrogation of cultural appropriation particularly timely, hilarious, and incisive. It is imperative to me that we normalize centering Global Majority narratives as an essential part of the theatrical canon and the fabric of the American story, and it’s exciting to see Playmakers take steps in that direction.”
“Yoga Play” is on stage at PlayMakers February 23 to March 13, 2022. A streamed recording of this production is currently planned for March 2022.
Health & Safety Guidelines:
Since March 2020, PlayMakers’ priorities have been the health and safety of patrons, artists, and staff, and giving its Company the chance to return to work safely, following all state, industry, and University safety guidelines.
“Yoga Play” marks the PlayMakers debut of Naren Weiss (“Letters of Suresh” at Second Stage Off-Broadway), and the return of Mia Pinero (“My Fair Lady” and “West Side Story” on Broadway). The production also features Sergio Mauritz Ang (“The Skin of Our Teeth,” “Julius Caesar”), Jeffrey Blair Cornell (“The Skin of Our Teeth,” “Julius Caesar”), and Julia Gibson (“The Cake,” “Ragtime”).
The Creative Team of “Yoga Play” includes: Pirronne Yousefzadeh (Director; PlayMakers debut; Producing Artistic Director, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Jan Chambers (Scenic Designer; “The Cake,” “Julius Caesar”), Lux Haac (Costume Designer; “Ragtime”), Cecilia R. Durbin (Lighting Designer; “Sense and Sensibility,” “Love Alone”), Christopher Darbassie (Sound Designer/Composer; PlayMakers debut); Hana Kim (Projection Designer; PlayMakers debut); Erin Teachman (Video Supervisor; Mark Perry (Dramaturg; “The Crucible,” “Metamorphoses”), and Charles K. Bayang (Stage Manager; “The Christians,” “Into the Woods”).
This play is rated PG-13; we encourage patrons to use their own discretion in determining the age appropriateness of the material. Please contact our Box Office for more details.
For information and to purchase tickets, call 919.962.7529 or visit www.playmakersrep.org. Individual ticket prices start at $20.
Performance and Special Event Schedule:
About PlayMakers Repertory Company:
PlayMakers Repertory Company is North Carolina’s premier professional theatre company. For more than 45 years, we have produced relevant and courageous work that tells stories from and for a multiplicity of perspectives and creates transformational impact in our immediate and extended communities. We are proud to be part of a 100-year tradition of playmaking at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. PlayMakers has been named one of the “best regional theatres in America.”
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