Manhattan Theatre Club presents Poor Yella Rednecks and The New Englanders at New York City Center

The New York premiere of Qui Nguyen's Poor Yella Rednecks begins performances on May 12, 2020, whilst the world premiere of Jeff Augustin's The New Englanders begins performances on September 17, 2019.

In addition to the announcement of the Broadway premiere of Florian Zeller's The Height of the Storm, starring British stage legends Jonathan Pryce and Eileen Atkins, Manhattan Theatre Club has also announced two new off-Broadway productions to play New York City Center as part of the company's 2019-2020 season.

Firstly, MTC presents the world premiere of Jeff Augustin's The New Englanders, directed by Saheem Ali, which begins previews at New York City Center - Stage II on September 17, 2019, ahead of an official opening on October 2.

Synopsis: "Can you ever really live the life you envisioned? In a mixed race family, a teenaged daughter and her dads are all trying to find happiness. Eisa wants to be the next Lauryn Hill and is struggling to break free of her sleepy New England town where she feels hopelessly trapped. Her fathers are being pulled in different directions of their own, one trying to re-connect with an old love, the other clinging to the path he always believed would be their future."

The creative team behind The New Englanders features scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by Alan C. Edwards, and sound design by Palmer Heffernan.

Then, in the spring of 2020, MTC presents the New York premiere of Poor Yella Rednecks, written by Qui Nguyen and directed by May Adrales, scheduled to begin previews at New York City Center - Stage I on May 12, 2020, ahead of an official opening on June 2.

Synopsis: "The author of the acclaimed Vietgone returns to MTC with the second play of his autobiographical trilogy about an immigrant family's bumpy road to the American dream. Told from the mother's perspective, Poor Yella Rednecks is the story of a young family's attempt to put down roots in Arkansas, a place as different from Vietnam as it gets. The production, filled with infectious music and unexpected humor, will reunite Qui Nguyen with director May Adrales for the next chapter in this highly entertaining and moving tale."

The creative team behind Poor Yella Rednecks features scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Valérie Thérèse Bart, lighting design by Lap Chi Chu, original music & sound design by Shane Rettig, projection design by Jared Mezzocchi, puppet design & direction by Sean Cawelti, and arrangements by Kenny Seymour.

Poor Yella Rednecks is co-commissioned and co-produced by Manhattan Theatre Club with South Coast Repertory.

Casting for both productions will be announced at a later date.

^{(Photos courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club)}