Reading
Series
LOUANNA O. CARLIN & JOHN MCDONALD READING SERIES
Each season, The Acting Company hosts a series of professional staged readings, named in memory of remarkable supporters Louanna O. Carlin and John McDonald. A mixture of new texts, classics of the canon, and forgotten favorites, these performances are a showcase of our alumni exploring works by artists featured in our National Tours.
Our 2025-2026 plays evoke the theme Deep Cuts and New Perspectives and give intimate audiences of patrons and practitioners a chance to gather as a creative community for engaging one-night-only events.
TIMON OF ATHENS
Written by William Shakespeare
Translated by Kenneth Cavander
Produced in partnership with Play On Shakespeare
January 26, 2026
7:30 pm
Symphony Space’s Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre
2537 Broadway (at 95th St), New York
A BOLD STROKE FOR A HUSBAND
By Hannah Cowley
Directed by Emily Lyon
Produced in association with Expand the Canon
February 9, 2026
7:30 pm
The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place), New York
R.U.R (Rossum’s Universal Robots)
Written by Karel Čapek
Directed by Ann C. James
March 23, 2026
7:30 pm
The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place), New York
FAUSTUS
Written by Christopher Marlowe
Adapted and Directed by Devin Brain
Produced in association with Red Bull Theater
Video on Demand November 4 through 9.
Christopher Marlowe’s infamous cautionary tale of a literal deal with the Devil is brought to new life as an incendiary punk cabaret where the Devil invites an audience to witness the temptation and destruction of a soul as both entertainment and catharsis.
Featuring alumni Kelley Curran and Joshua David Robinson with Jordan Bellow, Lennox T. Duong, Paul Ambrose Lieber, Jake Ryan Lozano, and Kristen Sieh.
THIS EVENT IS NOW AVAILABLE VIA VIDEO ON DEMAND. A recording of this event will be available at 7:30 PM ET on Tuesday, November 4 until 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, November 9. Open Captions will be available at 7:30 PM ET on Wednesday, November 5 until 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, November 9.
STOKELY
Written by Nambi E. Kelley
Directed by Kent Gash
October 27, 2025
7:30 pm
The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place), New York
Nambi E. Kelley returns to The Acting Company after her acclaimed 2019 Off-Broadway production of Native Son with a bold new play exploring the life and rise of civil rights icon Kwame Ture, born Stokely Carmichael. Fusing the personal and historic, Stokely paints a moving portrait of the man, the movement and the people who supported both.
Featuring Company Alum Jason Bowen with Jelani Pitcher, Portia, Stacey Sargeant, and Heather Alicia Simms
The World Premiere Production of Stokely: The Unfinished Revolution was produced by Court Theatre at the University of Chicago; Charles Newell, Artistic Director; Angel Ysaguirre, Executive Director. Stokely was developed with the support of New York Stage and Film, Ian Belknap, Artistic Director, Gabrielle Clark, General Manager.