Tlab Shares; Olivia Facini presents:
Donald Barthelme Humors You
Devised and directed by Olivia Facini
Based on Stories by Donald Barthelme
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In Donald Barthelme Humors You, the Genius contemplates his genius, a schoolteacher reflects on his class pets’ untimely demise, and Balloon Man schemes to make a balloon so strong that Pin Lady will never be able to pop it, even if she hugs him for a hundred years.
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Welcome to the world of Donald Barthelme’s subversive, hilarious, and absurdist short stories, which we’ve adapted for the stage and which we will perform for you—before your eyes! Allow us to show you impossible circus acts, children with the wisdom of adults, adults with the petulance of children, and even a little tulip craze!
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Humor us for just an hour, and let us humor you.Â
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PLEASE NOTE: Our elevator will be under repair at this time. Patrons will need to access the space via two flights of stairs. We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions or concerns, please call (212) 929-2545 or email theaterlab36@gmail.com.
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Performed by Zachary Desmond and Lucas Iverson*Â
Original music composed by Conner Duke
Production Stage Manager: Guadalupe Chavezmalagon
Lighting Designer: Xuewei “Eva” Hu
Graphic Designer: June Buck
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MEET THE ARTISTS
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Olivia Facini is a director, producer, and playwright based in New York. She has worked with large theater institutions, smaller ensembles, and freelance artists, including 600 HIGHWAYMEN, Atlantic Theater Company, Clubbed Thumb, Mercury Store, Moxie Arts, New Georges, Talking Band, The 24 Hour Plays, The Associates Theater Ensemble, and Williamstown Theatre Festival. With Julia Greer, Olivia co-runs The Hearth, a theater company dedicated to supporting the work of emerging artists of underrepresented genders. She is very proud to have received a New York State Assembly Citation for her contributions to arts activism.
Lucas Iverson is a recent graduate from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. Regional: Yale Repertory Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Texas Shakespeare Festival, and more. TV: The Gilded Age. Gratitude and love to his friends, team, classmates, collaborators.
Zachary Desmond is an actor, writer and director from Washington State whose work has been produced from New York City to Sitka, Alaska. Later this month, he will appear in the New American Ensemble’s revival of Brothers Karamazov as Ivan. He is a member of the acting ensemble at the Mercury Store in Gowanus, the 2023-2025 Artist Fellow at Playhouse Creatures Theater Company in NYC, and a resident playwright with No.11 Productions. MFA Juilliard.
Xuewei “Eva” Hu is a New York City-based lighting designer. Originally from China, Xuewei brings a global perspective to her artistry. Inspired by the boundless possibilities of light, she enjoys weaving the poetic nature of light into authentic narratives, enriching the human experience with storytelling, and sparking curiosity to explore the world that impacts us all. Selected credits include: Birthday Candles (City Theatre Company), The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley (City Theatre Company), The Glass Menagerie (Ocala Civic Theatre), South Side Stories Revisited (City Theatre Company). She received her M.F.A. in Lighting Design from Carnegie Mellon University (2024).
Conner Duke is a bassist, guitarist and composer based in Brooklyn, NY. Starting his musical career at a very early age, Duke’s influences span everything from jazz and classical music to rock, funk and blues. In addition to work under his own name, Duke is a founding member of NYC bands Choo Choo and 32moons. More than anything else, Duke loves to perform in small room settings where the feedback loop between performing artists and the audience is most palpable.
Guadalupe Chavezmalagon is a stage manager and illustrator born and raised in NYC. Her stage management experience includes notable venues such as Lincoln Center, Theatre Row, LaMaMa, and Atlantic Theatre Company. An alum of Roundabout Theater Company’s RYE, she now works as a teaching artist with them. As an illustrator, she has partnered with indie artists on projects ranging from album covers to children’s novels. Guadalupe received her BFA in Theatre and Graphic Design from SUNY Potsdam.
COVID-19 policy: In guidance with the city and state COVID-19 policies, we will no longer be requiring masks, but strongly recommend them.