The Atelier @ Theaterlab:
The Social Club Thtr Presents:
The Smoking Section
A Fundraising Event – Written by Anton Chekhov, compiled by Lita Lofton
The Smoking Section is a party; a fundraiser; a gathering of friends, creatives, and collaborators; and a sneak peek performance of The Social Club Thtr’s upcoming production of On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco and Other Substances.
TSC is thrilled to return with their full length production of On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco and Other Substances after a workshop presentation in February 2024 and over a year of script development prior. A fragment, a dream, and a patchwork quilt On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco and Other Substances is a compilation of over 100 of Anton Chekhov’s lesser known short stories along with his personal letters and journal entries. Considered by many to be one of the greatest writers of all time and credited as one of the fathers of modernism in theater, Chekhov’s words weave stories of love, loss, struggle, and everyday life in a beautiful and complicated country. Set at a dinner party on a frozen winter’s night, On the Harmful Effects… tells an entirely new and yet somehow familiar story of love, loss, struggle, and everyday life in our own beautiful and complicated country. To tell a timeless story, you must bring your story along with the times. This piece is a love letter to one of the greatest playwrights of all time, to dinner parties as a vessel for peak comedy and high drama, and to the Black Eastern European experience.
Join us on Sunday, November 3rd for drinks, art, and a special sneak peek performance of our upcoming show followed by a talkback and Q&A with director Lita Lofton and our incredible cast!
November 3rd, 2024 6pm
MEET THE ARTISTS
The Social Club Thtr Founded in April of 2017 by friends and theater practitioners, The Social Club Thtr is a Brooklyn-based theater and performance art collective. Our mission is to curate tangible spaces for young NYC artists to create, perform, and share their voices and stories from a place of love, innovation, and exploration. The Social Club focuses on the creation of new works and collaborations alongside readings, workshops, classes, and parties. This work is by us and for us and it is for you as well. Visit us on Instagram at @thesocialclubthtr
Lita Lofton 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, and more and 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 fairytales and folklore and the final girl in horror films.
COVID-19 policy: In guidance with the city and state COVID-19 policies, we will no longer be requiring masks, but strongly recommend them.