THE AMATEURS
By Jordan Harrison
Directed by Oliver Butler
With Kyle Beltran, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Michael Cyril Creighton, Greg Keller, Jennifer Kim, Thomas Jay Ryan
When the world is in crisis, it’s time to improvise.
In THE AMATEURS, an intrepid troupe of pageant players races across medieval Europe, struggling to outrun the Black Death. The arrival of a mysterious outsider sends Hollis, the leading lady, in search of answers that can only be found off-script… and soon the 14th century plague begins to look like another, more recent one. This wildly inventive and funny new work examines the evolution of human creativity in a dark age: when does a crisis destroy us, and when does it open new frontiers?
An epic new play by Pulitzer Prize-finalist Jordan Harrison (MARJORIE PRIME, “Orange is the New Black”), THE AMATEURS is directed by Obie Award-winning director Oliver Butler (THE OPEN HOUSE.)
THE AMATEURS is the recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.
Reviews
“CRITICS PICK! ‘THE AMATEURS’ IS HILARIOUS AND MOVING!
Thrilling, expansive, world-changing. The cast is a collection of Off Broadway treasures.
A terrific, gutsy new comedy!”
– Jesse Green, The New York Times
“AN INSPIRING THING! PLAYFUL, MAGICAL AND VERY HUMAN.
A beautiful piece of writing!”
– Sara Holdren, New York Magazine
“PRODIGIOUS AND FUNNY!
‘The Amateurs’ is anything but. Kudos to the dazzling design team.”
– Dan Stahl, TheaterMania
“AN AUDACIOUS NEW COMEDY!
It’s downright exhilarating to watch.”
– Robert Hofler, The Wrap
“STRIKING AND HIGHLY THEATRICAL!
Refreshing in its structure and narrative creativity, and brought to life by an outstanding ensemble cast, ‘The Amateurs’ is the smartest socially conscious play I’ve seen yet in the Trump era.”
– Robert Russo, Stage Left
“PROFOUND AND WITTY WITH RAZOR-SHARP WRITING AND IMAGINATIVE STAGING!
A stellar cast directed with keen humor and intellectual acuity by Oliver Butler. ‘The Amateurs’ does it all.
Be sure that you make the time to see this extremely intelligent, funny, and relevant work.”
– Deb Miller, DC Metro Theater Arts
“AN EXTRAORDINARY NEW PLAY!
Brilliantly nuanced. Visually stunning and delightfully satisfying to watch.”
– Michelle Ramoni, The Broadway Blog