The Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College is proud to announce it is co-presenting Reconstructing, a new professional play arriving on campus as part of the Under the Radar Festival. The production will offer one of New York’s most diverse—and often culturally underserved—student bodies, as well as the surrounding community, access to high-quality theater they rarely have the opportunity to experience. Co-written by 21 Black-, POC-, and white-identifying artists ranging in age from 29 to 99, Reconstructing is a bold theatrical work from the internationally acclaimed theater collective The TEAM. The piece examines how, in the long aftermath of slavery, we might navigate American history together and how we move toward a more equitable future. The production is directed by two of contemporary theater’s most visionary talents: Rachel Chavkin (founding artistic director of The TEAM and Tony Award winner for Hadestown) and Zhailon Levingston (Obie Award winner for the Broadway-bound Cats: The Jellicle Ball at the Perelman Performing Arts Center). Performance dates: January 9 at 7:30 p.m. January 10 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. January 11 at 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. BUY TICKETS HERE Following its recent run at BAM’s Next Wave Festival, the engagement at Brooklyn College will launch Reconstructing’s national tour to major university presenters. Onstage, the two-story house at the center of the piece is simultaneously a post-flood ruin, a new development wrapped in Tyvek, and a historic Southern mansion—echoing Gone With the Wind’s Tara—being transformed into an Airbnb rental. This engagement at the Don Buchwald Theater also marks an important new chapter for the Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts. Since opening in 2018, the Tow Center has become a cultural anchor for both campus and community, reshaping what it means to make art in Brooklyn. The Don Buchwald Theater offers a more intimate experience. With just over 200 seats and a flexible black box design, it’s a playground for imagination. One night it’s a Harlem jazz club, the next a dystopian courtroom. Its acoustics and versatility have made it a favorite among emerging artists and seasoned performers alike. At the heart of the Tow Center is a powerful ethos: art as a catalyst. Its programming amplifies underrepresented voices and tackles urgent social issues, drawing audiences from across New York City and beyond. The center’s inclusive vision has made it a beacon for connection, creativity, and change. These performances will highlight the growing movement to bring professional-grade theater to students and the surrounding community members who might never otherwise have access—even in the theater capital of the world. They also serve as a blueprint for other public universities seeking to expand cultural opportunity for their students. About the Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts The Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College is a world-class facility dedicated to fostering creativity, innovation, and excellence. Serving as a hub for performance, education, and collaboration, the Tow Center supports a wide range of artistic endeavors with state-of-the-art spaces for theater, dance, music, and multidisciplinary work. Its commitment to artistic diversity, creativity, and access continues to shape the future of the performing arts landscape. About The Under the Radar Festival The Under the Radar Festival showcases bold, boundary-pushing theater that immerses audiences in daring new works. Held annually, the festival features groundbreaking artists whose work challenges traditional notions of performance and engages with urgent contemporary issues, bringing together some of the most exciting voices in global theater. About The TEAM Founded in 2004, The TEAM is a Brooklyn-based experimental theater collective described by The Guardian as “theatrical excavators of American culture, American dreams, and the American psyche.” The group collaboratively creates new works that examine life in the United States to spark dialogue about the nation’s past, present, and future. The TEAM’s 12 productions—including Mission Drift, RoosevElvis, and Primer for a Failed Superpower—have been presented at major venues nationally and internationally, including the Public Theater, PS122, Roulette, The Bushwick Starr, A.R.T., Walker Art Center, London’s National Theatre and Almeida Theatre, Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre, the Salzburg Festival, the Perth International Arts Festival, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. CREDITS Created by: The TEAM Directed by: Rachel Chavkin & Zhailon Levingston Resident Director: Josiah Davis Written by: Brenda Abbandandolo, Denée Benton, Eric Berryman, Vinie Burrows, Rachel Chavkin, nicHi douglas, Eisa Davis, Josiah Davis, André De Shields, JJJJJerome Ellis, Katherine Freer, Jill Frutkin, Amber Gray, Jeremy O. Harris, Modesto Flako Jimenez, Libby King, Ian Lassiter, Zhailon Levingston, Jake Margolin, James Harrison Monaco, Nick Vaughan, and Jillian Walker Developed with: Marika Kent and Matt Hubbs Composed by: James Harrison Monaco, Maya Sharpe, and Jillian Walker with Eric Berryman Choreographed by: nicHi douglas Featuring: Eric Berryman*, Ato Blankson-Wood*, Rachel Chavkin, Modesto Flako Jimenez, James Harrison Monaco, Maya Sharpe*, Jillian Walker* Scenic Design by: Lawrence E. Moten III Adapted from Original Scenic Design by: Nick Vaughan Costume & Quilt Design by: Marla (Brenda Abbandandolo, Marika Kent, and Kristen Sieh) Lighting Design by: Alan C. Edwards Sound Design by: Mikhail Fiksel Video & Projection Design by: Katherine Freer Associate Choreography by: Nile Harris Props Design by: Patricia Marjorie *Appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
