DR2 Play: Eurydice

Sarah Ruhl reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of its heroine. With contemporary characters, ingenious plot twists, and breathtaking visual effects, the play is a fresh look at a timeless love story.

Directed by Alexandra Haddad
Stage Managed by Lyss Wortman
Featuring The Waterwell Drama Program Class of 2026

Performance Information:
Professional Performing Arts School Blackbox (328 West 48th Street)
Feb 7-Feb 10 @ 7pm
Feb 9 @ 4pm and 7pm

Tickets:
$20 for General Admission
$15 for Students/Seniors
$5 for PPAS Students

Purchase tickets now!

DR3 Play: Mad Forest

Mad Forest

By Caryl Churchill 
Directed by Ashley Malafronte 
Stage Managed by Fiona Grand

Show Dates: Nov 1-4 @7pm; Nov 3 @ 4pm & 7pm
PPAS Black Box

Synopsis: This timely drama resulted from a trip to Romania. Developed with students from London’s Central School of Drama, this is an incisive portrait of a society in turmoil that focuses on two families to reveal what life is like under a totalitarian regime and what results when the regime collapses. The play’s brief scenes are almost cinematic in their presentation of events as seen by ordinary people trying to live in peace.

Click this link for tix! – https://donorbox.org/events/505575

Drama Parent Mixer and Raffle

We’re thrilled to invite you to a special Parent Mixer event – an evening of camaraderie, connections, and a touch of excitement, all while supporting Waterwell’s Back to School kickoff! 

Here are the details:

When: Tuesday, September 26th, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Where: Tito Murphy’s (346 W 46th St, between 8th and 9th Ave.)

How to RSVP: Please fill out this short form so we know how much food to order

Join us for a relaxed and enjoyable get-together as we get to know each other better and celebrate the start of the school year! It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow parents and caregivers, meet the Waterwell team, share stories, and make new friends. The ambiance will be vibrant, snacks will be provided, and you’ll have the chance to enjoy a cash bar with your favorite drinks, and a portion of all proceeds from the evening will be donated directly to Waterwell. Your participation will contribute to the wonderful work we do.

But wait, there’s more! We’ve prepared an INCREDIBLE raffle that you won’t want to miss out on. Raffle tickets are available for purchase now or in person at the event, and every penny raised will go towards supporting Waterwell’s back-to-school initiative.  

Raffle Prizes Include:

2 tickets to A Beautiful Noise 
2 tickets to Here Lies Love
2 tickets to Sweeney Todd
2 tickets to Hamilton, plus an exclusive backstage tour
2 season subscriptions to Atlantic Theater Company

(Note: you do NOT need to attend the event in order to participate in the raffle)

Of course, the more tickets you get, the greater your chances of winning these fantastic prizes. So, we’re offering some bundle deals:

  • $10 for 1 raffle ticket
  • $50 for 6 raffle tickets
  • $100 for 12 raffle tickets 

Mark your calendar for this not-to-be-missed evening of community and connection. We can’t wait to see you there!

Please RSVP HERE. And feel free to invite other parents and caregivers to join in on the fun as well.

DR3 Play Auditions

Drama 3 (11th grade) auditions for “Mad Forest” by Caryl Churchill are scheduled for this week: 

Tuesday, September 12 and Wednesday, September 13
1:45-5 pm

Please email Mr. Palmer and let him know which audition day is best and then you will receive a 15-minute audition slot.

The deadline to email him was Saturday,
but if you changed your mind or forgot please contact him ASAP.

Call backs:
Thursday, September 14 1:45-5 pm

Please hold Thursday, September 14 in your calendar for callbacks. You need to be available the whole time.

Come See DR4 Show

Waterwell’s New Works Lab

Kill The Messenger is a biting apocalyptic satire, raising critical questions about whose lives are protected in modern society. “I hope people walk away from this play thinking — not so much about what is right or wrong in regards to any of the topics brought up — but rather, I hope people reflect more deeply on how difficult it is to make decisions and policies that are just and acknowledge all of the different needs of our collective community.” 

– Playwright, Liz MorganDrama 4: New Works Lab ’23

Kill the Messenger
A New Play by
LIZ MORGAN
Directed by Michael Raine
Commissioned by Waterwell

March 29th-April 1st at 7pm with an additional 4pm show on 3/31.

Get tickets now!

New Play: Kill the Messenger

Cast of Kill the Messenger

Announcing…
Waterwell’s 12th Annual New Works Lab!

Each year, Waterwell’s New Works Lab program commissions a professional playwright to write a complex, thematically rich new play for the senior class of Waterwell Drama Students as their culminating experience at PPAS.

Proud to Introduce…Playwright Liz Morgan & New Play Kill The Messenger!

Playwright Liz Morgan

Q: Where did you find the inspiration behind Kill The Messenger
A: Thinking about Covid, people’s response to crisis and the rules that we make, and then the history of our responses to crisis: how we decide what safety means, what are the rules around who even gets a say about policy, and the exhaustion of trying to figure it all out in a way that mitigates harm. All of the sudden, Noah’s Ark just started bubbling in my head. This was one idea that I wanted to bring to the students and see if they have similar interest in identity and policy and politics and how all of those things start to swirl together when people tell you ‘hey the world is in crisis’ or ‘hey the world is ending.’ How do different communities come together to devise and execute a plan that works for everybody?

Q: You had the opportunity to lead a series of devising workshops in the fall with the students. How did the devising workshops with the class of 2023 inform your writing?
A: So much of [the play] is inspired by what they did in the devising workshops. [There’s a certain scene] that was completely born out of the student’s invention. They showed me what kind of plots were exciting to them. Some individuals showed us what kinds of characters they excel at playing. One student in particular, after the workshops, I knew I had to write a villain for them to play because they were so talented at creating high status characters with a streak of evil. I found them very funny in the devising workshops which empowered me to write some biting satire- our first week was about discovering if we’re prepared to use comedy to talk about difficult topics. I’m still learning where my style and the aesthetics of the class intersect.

Q: Inspiration behind the piece (cont.)
A: I’ve always felt like the animal kingdom has been a great reminder for me that there are so many other ways to build family, to build community, to decide who’s the hunter and who’s the gatherer, and so that obsession for me definitely played out when I wrote. [The play is] putting on stage some of those connections so people can start to think a little bit more about what we’re doing in the human world by looking at the animals.

Kill The Messenger Synopsis: An apocalyptic flood of biblical proportions is on its way, and there is only one person who can save mankind: Noah Banks, a famous megachurch preacher with access to a swanky superyacht. As his community of family and friends struggle and scheme — each to secure a place on this modern-day ark — news spreads throughout the animal kingdom that their salvation is in the hands of Noah and his God as well. What ensues is a fight between the power of faith and the power of the masses to decide the fate of planet earth and its inhabitants of every kind. 

LIZ MORGAN is a multi-hyphenate theatre artist. Her plays have been developed with The Fire This Time Festival, The Lark, Fresh Ground Pepper, Liberation Theatre Company, Judson Arts, Rising Circle, Rites & Reason Theatre, and National Black Theatre where she was named a finalist for the I AM SOUL Playwrights’ Residency.

Liz’s plays include her solo show, Deep $h*t, as well as Deliver: Letters to the Motherland from a Foreign Body (2019 Kilroys List Honorable Mention), Breaking & EnteringA Matter of TasteOur Father and The Clark Doll which was nominated for a 2018 Drammy Award in the category of Best Original Script after its west coast premiere. www.LizMorganOnline.com

Drama 2 Plays

Below are the ticket links to purchase tickets to our Drama 2 shows! 

King John will be opening this Thursday, Feb. 2nd @7pm.

King John 
Directed by James Palmer
Stage Management by Angelie Rodriguez
Assistant Directed by Dianna Zorek
Stage Management Mentorship by Kaelin Fuld

Show Dates:
Thurs, Feb. 2nd @ 7pm
Fri, Feb. 3rd @ 2pm & 7pm
Sat, Feb. 4th @ 7pm

Purchase tickets for King John

Henry IV 
Directed by Amara Aja
Stage Management by Rebecca Berger
Assistant Director/Stage Managed by Fiona Grand
Sound Design by Johnny Hamilton-Janak

Show Dates:

Wed, Feb. 15th @ 7pm
Fri, Feb. 17th @ 4pm
Fri, Feb. 17th @ 7pm

Purchase tickets for Henry IV

Playwriting Fellowship Opportunity

LUCILLE LORTEL’S NYC PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL PLAYWRITING FELLOWSHIP

An exciting NYC ten-minute play festival partnership focused on sparking and showcasing youth creative voices. The contest culminates with an evening of staged readings with professional actors of these original student one-act plays.

Fellows will have:

  • access to NYC professional playwright mentors
  • their plays published in a Lortel Play anthology
  • access to tickets to a Broadway show, and a certificate of recognition. 

DEADLINE: January 2023

Get more info and register