Theater News

Apple Family Scribe Richard Nelson Will Present New Election Play Cycle

”The Gabriels” will premiere at the Public Theater during the 2015-16 season.

A scene from Regular Singing, the fourth work in Richard Nelson's Apple Family Plays cycle at the Public Theater.
A scene from Regular Singing, the fourth work in Richard Nelson's Apple Family Plays cycle at the Public Theater.
(© Joan Marcus)

The Public Theater will premiere a new three-play cycle from Richard Nelson as part of its 2015-16 season. The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family will commence with Hungry, beginning previews February 27, 2016, and running through March 20. Opening night is set for March 4.

A sequel of sorts to Nelson's acclaimed Apple Family Plays cycle, The Gabriels will feature a core acting company, with each drama opening on the day the play is set and unfolding in real time. The second play in the cycle will open in September 2016, with the final work opening on Election Night, November 8, 2016.

Set in Rhinebeck, New York, the Gabriel family lives just around the corner from the Apples. To the rhythm of peeling, chopping, and mixing, Hungry places us in the center of the Gabriels’ kitchen. The family discusses their lives and disappointments, and the world at large and nearby, as they struggle against the fear of being left behind and the challenge to find resilience in the face of loss.

Nelson's previous play cycle, The Apple Family Plays, is made up of That Hopey Changey Thing, set on the night of the 2010 mid-term election; Sweet and Sad, set on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks; Sorry, set on Election Day 2012; and Regular Singing, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination in 2013.

Complete casting and creative information about The Gabriels will be announced.