ROM T E ARTISTIC DIR CTOR

Dear Friends –

LIVE FROM THE EDGE is here!

It gives me immense joy to welcome you to what promises to be a thrilling theatrical experience. When we talk about Long Wharf Theatre being an artistic home for boundary-breaking artists, look no further than UNIVERSES—a performance troupe founded by the visionary artists Mildred Ruiz-Sapp and Steven Sapp.

Over the years, UNIVERSES has created an extraordinary body of work, rooted in a commitment to using storytelling as a catalyst for justice and understanding. Their work is always in conversation with the state of the world, and they use their musical gifts to amplify both the joy and experiences of communities of color. Though their work has a specific focus, there’s a universality to the conversation they invite all of us into. Theirs is a theatre of connection.

I first met Mildred and Steven when I was just starting out as a young producer at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. They were commissioned to write a new musical about the legacy of the Black Panthers and the Young Lords. The result was the thrilling piece called PARTY PEOPLE, which has gone on to have life in theaters across the country. When I began my tenure at Long Wharf Theatre, I asked Mildred and Steven if they would be interested in joining me in New Haven as our playwrights-in-residence. Thanks to the visionary support of the Mellon Foundation, Mils and Steve have been on staff for the last three years. Of course, the pandemic kept most of their residency virtual, but their impact was immense, and this production is such a powerful culmination of their time with us.

This production is also a homecoming. In UNIVERSES’ early years, one of their first stops out of New York City was right here in New Haven, thanks to Rafael Ramos who invited Mildred and Steven to share their gifts with our neighbors. They performed in the adjacent room of what is now Bar Pizza and the rest, as they say, is history. Given UNIVERSES’ commitment to creating theatre that reaches all people, LIVE FROM THE EDGE is the right offering for our first show, in our new model.

With their fellow performers—Asia Mark, Nate John Mark, Nsangou Njikam, and Sophia Ramos—this LIVE FROM THE EDGE promises to be like nothing you’ve seen before. Tell your family, return with your friends, and let us celebrate this new chapter in Long Wharf Theatre’s illustrious history. With all of you by our side, we are ushering in a new era and we’re just getting started.

With gratitude,

Jacob G. Padrón