Baryshnikov Arts To Celebrate 20th Season With New Works Starring Christopher Abbott, Jessica Hecht, Marisa Tomei And Others

Greg Evans

28 January 2025 at 10:00 am·3-min read

EXCLUSIVE: Baryshnikov Arts, the New York City multidisciplinary arts organization founded in 2005 by artistic director Mikhail Baryshnikov, will celebrate its 20th anniversary spring season with productions featuring Christopher Abbott (Wolf Man), Jessica Hecht (Broadway’s Eureka Day) and Marisa Tomei (Broadway’s The Rose Tattoo).

First up for the 20th Anniversary Spring Season will be A Mother, a new play written by Neena Beber and co-conceived by Beber and Jessica Hecht, at Baryshnikov Arts in Midtown Manhattan. Directed by Maria Mileaf with choreography by Shura Baryshnikov and musical direction by Mustapha Khan, A Mother will begin performances Saturday, March 29 and run through Sunday, April 13, with an official press opening on Monday, April 7. The cast features Hecht, Zane Pais, Portia Johnson, Delilah Napier, and others to be announced.

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The synopsis: A Mother pays homage to Bertolt Brecht’s powerful, seldom-performed play of the same name, but also breathes new life into it through a contemporary lens. Part documentary, part autobiography, part disco, this production is an evocative and personal journey conceived by long-time collaborators Hecht and Beber. Through a multilayered approach, combining heartfelt storytelling and a soaring blend of disco, gospel, reggae, and Jewish music, led by music director Mustapha Khan, the play creates a visceral experience of loss, resilience, and transformation.

A Mother is set against the vibrant backdrop of 1970s/80s Miami and places the protagonist Jess’ story of first love in the broader historical context of the race riots following Arthur Lee McDuffie’s murder by police officers.

In April, Baryshnikov Arts will present Sissy, a modern-day reimagining of Sisyphus written, choreographed, and directed by Celia Rowlson-Hall. For three performances only, Sissy will play April 24–26 at 7:00 PM.

The cast features Christopher Abbott, Ida Saki, Alia Shawkat and Marisa Tomei with dancers Jesse Kovarsky, Nando Morland, Aliza Russell, and Jacob Thoman.

A modern-day reimagining of Sisyphus, Sissy is expressed through dance and explores from a female perspective, taking place between the worlds of a theater and a miles-long rock quarry. But this isn’t just any woman, and this isn’t just any rock—it is a rock by day, the moon by night, and a disco ball for special occasions. And each day Sissy must push it up the giant quarry which becomes deeper and more vast every time we extract more of the earth away.

The final show of the spring Anniversary Season will be an evening-length immersive co-production celebrating two milestone anniversaries of Baryshnikov Arts and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s—20 and 50 years, respectively—on Thursday, May 8 at 7:00 PM. A co-production with Baryshnikov Arts and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons will be interspersed with recorded sounds of nature, Angélica Negrón’s Marejada, and Anna Clyne’s Woman Holding a Balance, with lighting design by Jennifer Tipton.

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