A MESSAGE FROM DOUGLAS LYONS

Playwright, TABLE 17

Since I saw BLKS at MCC Theater in 2018, it has been my playwriting dream to see one of my works bow on their stage. This year that dream came true with the world premiere of TABLE 17. Given the quality of productions past, I knew we would present a fabulous show once the curtain rose, but what I couldn’t predict was the immense support I would receive behind the scenes.

Well before rehearsals began, MCC was already at work, connecting with every production department: I had meetings with the Marketing and Press teams, plus a one-on-one sit down with the Public Engagement team to devise specific community activities around my play. During the preview process, Bernie, Will, and the entire artistic staff corralled around our creative team offering valuable notes that became essential in the evolution of TABLE 17‘s success. This kind of care made me not only feel at home as a writer but completely embraced as an artist. We weren’t just putting up a show, we were collaborating to make an impact.

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Without the daring risks that MCC takes to discover and produce new work, where would new writers like me find our soft place to land? Throughout the entire TABLE 17 process I felt heard, respected, championed, and loved. New plays and musicals are the bedrock of our industry’s future. It takes true investment, commitment, and support to ensure our art form gains new stories to add to the continuous canon. MCC’s iconic history behind such work has birthed shows such as SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY, REASONS TO BE PRETTYHAND TO GOD, and now TABLE 17.

Your generosity makes this kind of work possible.

I WANT TO SUPPORT NEW WORK AT MCC

As 2024 comes to a close, I implore you to consider making a donation to support MCC Theater, so they can continue their expansive work, not only on their stages but in their engagement with rising and established artists. Theater isn’t mounted from thin air. It takes resources to build the foundation to discover new stories like mine. MCC proves itself time and time again as an institution invested in showcasing the most provocative and curious work in the industry.

I am so proud to be able to call myself an MCC Playwright. With your donation, MCC will continue to change the face of the American Theater in the way they’ve changed my life forever.

With gratitude,

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