Theaterlab Presents in a Co-Production with The Social Club Thtr
On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco and Other Substances
Written by Anton Chekhov
Adapted and directed by Lita Lofton
Performances Dates/Times:
Fri, Feb 21 at 7:00 pm
Sat, Feb 22 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Sun, Feb 23 at 3:00 pm – followed by a talkback with PrinceAnthony Hall
Thu, Feb 27 at 7:00 pm
Fri, Feb 28 (a Blackout Night) at 7:00 pm – followed by a talkback with Synead Cidney Nichols
Sat, March 1 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Sun, March 2 at 3:00 pm (Closing performance)
Tickets:
Opening night: $60
A reception will follow. Please join TheaterLab and The Social Club Thtr for drinks and celebration as we open On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco and Other Substances. Please dress to impress!
All other performances: $45
We believe that theatre should be accessible to all and we’re so thankful that you would like to attend our show. For those for whom the general admission price is prohibitive, we are happy to offer 10 tickets to each show at a discounted price ($25). We kindly ask that those who can afford a full ticket price respect your community and fellow theatre goers and avoid using or abusing this option unfairly.
Student & seniors with a valid ID can purchase their tickets for $25.
BLACK OUT night:
BLACK OUT felt like being transported to some new place in the future, where this was a standard, not a possibility. – Jeremy O. Harris, playwright and creator of the BLACK OUT
In honor of Black History Month and the rich, diverse, and fraught history of Black work and culture in theatrical spaces, Friday February 28th’s performance is a BLACK OUT night! We invite all Black-identifying audience members to join us for a special performance of On The Harmful Effects of Tobacco and Other Substances free from a white gaze. Talkback and vibes to follow! We ask with kindness that all non-Black audience members follow our intentions to set aside this performance for a purposeful night of community connection and healing. We very much look forward to welcoming you all on a different evening! Please email us at thesocialclubofficial@gmail.
Talkback moderators:
PrinceAnthony Hall (he/him/his) is an actor with a diverse range, bringing his talents to both stage and screen. His recent credits include a guest appearance on Blue Bloods and a role in the short film Since Last We Talked, which is currently featured at the Touchstone Independent Film Festival. On stage, he’s performed as Julius Baptiste in Julius Harlem Caesar and as Zeus in The One With Flowers in Her Lap at The Flea Theater. PrinceAnthony is excited to join Lita and her talented ensemble for their fresh take on Chekhov’s lesser-known works.
Synead Cidney Nichols (she/her/hers) is a poly-disciplinary performance artist whose work is rooted in her quest for collective healing, self-awareness, and the liberation and advancement of queer, black and indigenous people of color. She uses her interdisciplinary practices and studies in black radical feminism, experimental theater-making, & movements to dismantle fear-based thinking around the power of possibilities. In the last years, she has performed in a series of works including HBO’s Random Acts of Flyness, The Hang (Taylor Mac/HERE Arts), Blackbirding (Queen Esther/WP Theater), Priestess of Twerk (Nia O. Witherspoon/HERE Arts), Ten Transcendental Etudes (Nick Brooke/MASS MOCA), and more. She was most recently awarded the New York City Trust Van Lier Fellowship as an apprentice in Urban Bush Women and is currently in the process of generating a new series of performance works to be premiered later this year along with new studio recorded music. Remember, artistry is not bound by medium, but bound to the varied expressions of living a full and ever-present life.
MEET THE ARTISTS
Lita Lofton (Director, Adaptation) is a director, producer, and performance artist specializing in movement-driven storytelling, immersive theatrical experiences, and glamour on purpose. Lofton is the co-founder of The Social Club Thtr and her work has been seen at Theaterlab, Access Theater, The Slipper Room, The Sultan Room, Ideal Glass Studios, Open Jar Studios, The Sultan Room, and Alchemical Studios. Her archival research can be seen in Season 2 of Random Acts of Flyness (HBO). Of Russian and African American heritage, Lofton seeks to tell stories of love, resilience, and joy as an act of rebellion. She is most inspired by fairy tales and folklore – and the final girl in horror films.
Justin P. Armstrong (Performer, SASHA; he/him/his) is is an actor and fitness professional born and raised in New York City, more specifically in Harlem. Past credits include Coriolanus (The Public Theater), Even If It Gets Us Nowhere (The Social Club Thtr), The Prisoners of Quai Dong (Prism Stage Company), Hamlet (The Fools and Kings Project). Justin received a BFA degree in Acting from Adelphi University, also trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Coda Leana Boyce (Performer, ELENA; she/her/hers) is a Detroit native living in Brooklyn. She is very excited to continue her journey with The Social Club. During her short time in New York – only a year – she has performed with numerous theater companies around the city, and will be published in her originating role as Minerva in A Midnight Castle later this year. Coda is grateful to be a part of a new work that provides a space for black artists to connect in ways the theatrical world doesn’t always have time for. She looks forward to establishing more roles for actors like her.
Aidan Cazeau (Performer, ANDREI; he/him/his/they/them/theirs) is an actor in NYC who was born in LA and raised in Seattle. In 2024, he graduated The Juilliard School with a BFA in drama. There, Aidan performed in shows including As You Like It, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, and The Cherry Orchard. Aidan was also featured
in an advert for Campbell’s raising awareness about autistic children. They are excited to join The Social Club family
Bryce Foley (Performer, IVAN; he/him/his) Bryce Foley is an Ypsilanti, Michigan-born actor and a recent graduate of the Terry Knickerbocker Studio. Along with bringing this incredible work to life, Bryce has also appeared recently in Pass Over at the 14th St Y and is currently touring a one-man production of The Great Gatsby.
Marshall Evan McGuire (Performer, ANDREI; he/him/his/they/them/theirs) i is a queer, multiethnic artist and creative. Past acting credits: Emilio Mars (Blue Bloods), Lvov (Ivanov), Emmett (Legally Blonde), Rick (Six Degrees of Separation), Hanschen (Spring Awakening), Macduff (Macbeth). Playwriting credit: War Dance!, New York Theater Festival 2022. BFA NYU Tisch.
Nancy Umba (Performer, NASTASYA; she/her/hers) is a South Sudanese actor and model based in New York City. She is thrilled to make her debut with The Social Club. Nancy’s recent credits include Marianne Angelle in The Revolutionists, Jen Barnett in John Deserves to Die, and part of the ensemble in The Leading Lady Club. Nancy is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusivity in the arts. She has collaborated with the nonprofit production house Kashif Incubator on projects uplifting BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled artists, including the Reading Dope Shorts showcase and The Brownsville Initiative.
Ashley Riboul (Performer, DASHENKA; she/her/hers) is a New York based actor and dancer hailing from Newburgh, NY. She is a graduate of Hofstra University, and received her BFA in Drama Performance. Whether on or off stage, Ashley is very passionate about telling stories, being a part of new works, devising and collaborating with fellow artists, and overall playing pretend. Recent credits include: Coriolanus (Hudson Classical Theatre Company), Annie Brown’s 5th Grade Science Presentation (SoHo Playhouse), Revolution 10 (The Chain Theatre), Cymbeline, The Revolutionists, and Barbecue (all three at Hofstra University). She would like to thank her family and friends for the constant love and support!
Seth Hill (Performer, ALEXEI; he/him/his)is an actor and artist born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He fell in love with acting early on and has been pursuing the stage ever since. He believes in the importance of storytelling at its core and the power it has to connect us as humans. Most important, he wants to empower people that look like him to share in stories that allow them to feel seen, heard, and recognized.
Logan Slater (Performer, LUKA; he/him/his)was born in Los Angeles, California, where he began his pursuits in the arts. He studied both around the country and abroad, some highlights include training with Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, Massachusetts, and completing courses at Magdalen College, Oxford University with the British American Dramatic Academy (BADA). Some of his recent credits include Golden Leaf Ragtime Blues at Shakespeare & Company, which he was nominated for outstanding actor in a supporting role at the 2022 Berkshire Critics Association, Cold Wallet, a feature that premiered at SXSW 2024 Film Festival, The Seagull at Columbia University, and Do You Feel Anger at Court Square Theater.
was born in Los Angeles, California, where he began his pursuits in the arts. He
studied both around the country and abroad, some highlights include training with Shakespeare
and Company in Lenox, Massachusetts and completing courses at Magdalen College, Oxford
University with the British American Dramatic Academy (BADA). Some of his recent credits
include Golden Leaf Ragtime Blues at Shakespeare & Company, which he was nominated for
outstanding actor in a supporting role at the 2022 Berkshire Critics Association, Cold Wallet, a
feature that premiered at SXSW 2024 Film Festival, The Seagull at Columbia University and Do
You Feel Anger at Court Square
Theater.
was born in Los Angeles, California, where he began his pursuits in the arts. He
studied both around the country and abroad, some highlights include training with Shakespeare
and Company in Lenox, Massachusetts and completing courses at Magdalen College, Oxford
University with the British American Dramatic Academy (BADA). Some of his recent credits
include Golden Leaf Ragtime Blues at Shakespeare & Company, which he was nominated for
outstanding actor in a supporting role at the 2022 Berkshire Critics Association, Cold Wallet, a
feature that premiered at SXSW 2024 Film Festival, The Seagull at Columbia University and Do
You Feel Anger at Court Square Theater.
COVID-19 policy: In guidance with the city and state COVID-19 policies, we will no longer be requiring masks, but strongly recommend them.