Miami New Drama Partners with The Rubell Museum to Present The Museum Plays

Miami New Drama has revealed details for The Museum Plays, an innovative and immersive theatrical experience set to revolutionize how audiences interact with visual and performing art. Miami New Drama will collaborate with the Rubell Museum, one of the country's most prominent collections of contemporary art, to present six new 10-minute plays inspired by and performed in front of works of art from the museum. The Museum Plays is conceived and created by Miami New Drama Artistic Director Michel Hausmann, and directed by Hausmann and Tatiana Padiani. 

Playwrights will include Hanna Benitez (GringoLandia, Adaptive Radiation), Harley Elias (The Handless King), Rolegio Martinez (Elían, 7 Deadly Sins), Carmen Pelaez (The Cuban Vote, 7 Deadly Sins), Marco Ramirez (The Royale, Buena Vista Social Club) and Aurin Squire (“This Is Us,” A Wonderful World). The plays have been inspired by the art of Alfonso Gonzalez Jr., Jenna Gribbon, Glenn Ligon, Kaari Upson and Kehinde Wiley.

Performances will take place inside the Rubell Museum's galleries (1100 NW 23rd Street) beginning on Thursday, February 22 and playing through Sunday, March 31. Opening night is set for Saturday, February 24. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:00 PM, and Sunday at 7:00 PM. 

“We are always looking to find innovative ways of staging new work, as well as collaborating and promoting the excellence and vitality of Miami’s arts scene,” commented Michel Hausmann, Artistic Director of Miami New Drama. “From this came the idea to commission short plays inspired by artwork on view at the Rubell Museum with the performance taking place right in front of these paintings and sculptures. We hope The Museum Plays becomes a model that can be performed in other cities, by other theater companies and art museums and collections."

“As an institution dedicated to supporting contemporary art and artists, the Rubell Museum is honored to partner with Miami New Drama and their brilliant and distinguished Artistic Director Michel Hausmann on this exciting interdisciplinary collaboration that expands and enriches the city’s arts offerings,” said Mera Rubell,  “Through The Museum Plays, our audiences can deepen their connection to the works on view in our galleries, and consider them in a new, dynamic context.”

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Michel Hausmann and Managing Director Nicholas Richberg, the theatre company continues its bold journey of artistic excellence, bringing captivating stories to the diverse and dynamic city of Miami.

The Museum Plays will consist of: 

• Rogelio Martinez’s Bedfellows, inspired by Kaari Upson’s “Rubells”
• Aurin Squire’s Maybe It’s About Love, inspired by Kehinde Whiley's "Triple Portrait of Charles l"
• Carmen Pelaez’s America, inspired by Glenn Ligon’s “America”
• Hannah Benitez’s Muse, inspired by Jenna Gribbon’s “Scenicscape” 
• Harley Elias’s Not a Scam, inspired by Alfonso Gonzalez Jr.’s “Your Ad Here”
• Marco Ramirez’s Body of Work Will Close the evening. 

The Museum Plays is a spiritual cousin to Miami New Drama’s critically acclaimed and award-winning 7 Deadly Sins, which was the largest live professional theater production performed in the United States during the COVID-19 shutdown. 7 Deadly Sins transformed six vacant storefronts and the Colony Theatre loading dock into seven unique theater spaces, and invigorating an entire block of Miami Beach’s historic Lincoln Road, one of the world’s most renowned and trafficked pedestrian thoroughfares. Its acclaimed run was extended twice, playing 54 performances.

For more information and updates about Miami New Drama's 2023-2024 Season, please visit miaminewdrama.org.