Los Angeles, CA - Four stories of family, gender, female empowerment and migration comprise the projects supported by Sundance Institute's Theatre Program at its two-week Lab at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), taking place December 4-18. Dedicated to the creation and development of new musical theatre work, the Lab's projects are cast individually, rehearsed daily and benefit from concentrated, uninterrupted time and resources.
Theater makers representing a range of cultures come together to nurture and develop their projects, which draw inspiration from culturally specific storytelling techniques (Club Diamond) and modern geopolitics (36 Abbas Street, Haifa) as well as from films (Teeth, based on the 2007 independent horror film; Ma Vie En Rose, from the creators of Spring Awakening and based on the 1997 film). Work supported at Theatre Lab at MASS MoCA can be a springboard to the global stage: Hatuey, an opera in half-Spanish, half-Yiddish, developed at the Lab last year and is set to premiere in Cuba in March 2017, and last season's Bella, An American Tall Tale, by Kirsten Childs opens at Playwright Horizons this spring, following its recent world premiere at Dallas Theater Center.
The projects that come through our Labs represent rare visions and share a risk-taking sensibility, said Philip Himberg, Artistic Director of Sundance Institute's Theatre Program. These bold, timely works deal with some of the most provocative topics in today's cultural discourse, and the lab provides a space to intensely interrogate, refine and heighten storytelling and impact.
The projects selected for the Theatre Lab at MASS MoCA are:
Club Diamond
Created and written by Saori Tsukada and Nikki Appino
Composed/Music Direction by Tim Fain
A young woman travels alone from Tokyo to New York City to be a star. This narrative unfolds using old-fashioned storytelling techniques from the East and the West including a silent film, Benshi (live narration) and Kami-shibai (paper-play). Club Diamond is a solo work created by Japanese theater artist Saori Tsukada, and American theatre artist and filmmaker Nikki Appino, in collaboration with composer/violinist Tim Fain.
Saori Tsukada is described as a charismatic mover with astounding precision, harnessing her ability in theater, dance, in between and beyond. Born in America and raised in Japan, she has collaborated with numerous artists including John Moran, Yoshiko Chuma and Aya Ogawa. Tsukada has been nominated twice for Best Actress at Dublin Fringe Festival.
Nikki Appino is a theatre and filmmaker who trained at NYU's Experimental Theatre Wing. She founded a nonprofit arts company in Seattle in the 90's, is a regional theater director, and generates original works for stage and screen. Awards include the NEA/TCG Directing Fellowship. She runs Appino Productions and TheGlassFactory.
Teeth
Book by Michael R. Jackson and Anna K. Jacobs
Music by Anna K. Jacobs
Words by Michael R. Jackson
Directed by Marlo Hunter
Based on the film Teeth by Mitchell Lichtenstein
Adapted from the 2007 Sundance Film Festival Award-winning indie horror film by Mitchell Lichtenstein, Teeth tells the story of Dawn O'Keefe, an evangelical Christian teen with a secret: she has teeth in her vagina. When the men in Dawn's life try to exploit her, she must confront the teeth and decide which part of herself to save, and which to sacrifice.
Marlo Hunter's credits as a director/choreographer include Unlock'd (The Duke - Prospect; Callaway Award), My Life Is a Musical (Bay Street), and Date of a Lifetime (NJ Rep). Choreographer: Lips Together (Second Stage). Director, Co-Conceiver (w/Sasha Eden): Theatrical Culinary Project with Chef Carla Hall, playwrights Jeff Augustin, Elizabeth Irwin, Daniel Pearle & Julian Sheppard. Upcoming: Director, Costs of Living (Village).
Michael R. Jackson holds a BFA and MFA in playwriting and Musical Theatre Writing from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He wrote book and lyrics for the musical Only Children with composer Rachel Peters, book, music, and lyrics for the musical A Strange Loop, and book and lyrics for the musical adaptation of the 2007 horror film Teeth with co-bookwriter and composer Anna Jacobs.
Anna K. Jacobs is a Sydney-born composer and lyricist. Her shows include POP! (Yale Rep, Pittsburgh City Theatre, Studio Theatre, etc.), Harmony, Kansas (Diversionary Theatre), Stella and the Moon Man (STC/Theatre of Image), Teeth (Ars Nova Uncharted), Echo (Musical Theatre Factory), and the short musicals Cage Match and Magic 8 Ball (Prospect Theatre Company).
Artists-in-Residence
36 Abbas Street, Haifa
Written and performed by Raeda Taha
Directed by Junaid Sarieddeen
A story of two Palestinian families: the Rafis, Palestinians who stayed in Palestine as hostages to fate, becoming citizens of the Jewish state of Israel, and the Abu Ghaidas, forced to leave and wander all corners of the world in search of a country they can call their own.
Raeda Taha is currently the chairperson for the Sakakini Cultural Center in Ramallah/Palestine and on the Administrative Committee of Ghassan Kanafani Cultural Foundation Beirut/Lebanon; she was the Press Secretary of Chairman Yasser Arafat from 1987 to 1994. She has published short stories in Anthology of Women Writers and has written a book, Ali. She has been the lead in Petra Rocks, Return to Haifa and 80 Steps. In 2015, she wrote, produced and performed a one woman show Where Can I Find Someone Like You Ali?, directed by Lina Abyad. She has a B.A. in Speech Communication and Journalism from George Mason University in Virginia.
Junaid Sarieddeenis a theatre director, actor and dramaturg at the Zoukak Theatre Company in Beirut, Lebanon.
Ma Vie En Rose
Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater
Music by Duncan Sheik
What does it mea
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Los Angeles, CA - Four stories of family, gender, female empowerment and migration comprise the projects supported by Sundance Institute's Theatre Program at its two-week Lab at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), taking place December 4-18. Dedicated to the creation and development of new musical theatre work, the Lab's projects are cast individually, rehearsed daily and benefit from concentrated, uninterrupted time and resources.
