Our 7-acre campus in Malvern is a terrific location to gather artists from near and far to imagine and develop new work, collaborate with one another, experiment with different approaches to storytelling, and discover the direction they want to take their creative passions. In recent years, we have hosted The Kiln New Works Lab and The Harmony Labs to foster relationships among multi-hyphenated artists, and nurture new plays and musicals.
The Kiln
The Kiln is an annual program where theatre artists are invited to gather, develop, and showcase works-in-progress. It is designed as an artist-centered production incubator for directors, performers, and multi-faceted artists to work on passion projects and share them with each other and the People’s Light community.
Harmony Labs
Our Harmony Labs are part of a larger effort to support the incubation and production of new music driven theatre. We strive to bring together new teams of theatre makers, singer/songwriters, and storytellers to conceive of new projects that will resonate profoundly with communities in our part of the world.
Recent World and Regional Premiere productions include:
Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole, a powerful exploration of race in America through the experience of the iconic singer as he anticipated the final broadcast of his NBC variety show. Conceived and created by Colman Domingo and Patricia McGregor, Lights Out is a fever dream that probes beneath Cole’s elegant veneer as he questions whether to exit with grace or “burn it all down”. As a result, the production asks the audience to encounter classics like “Unforgettable”, “Straighten Up and Fly Right”, “The Christmas Song”, and “The Party’s Over” through a completely new lens. Our award-winning World Premiere of Lights Out featured Dulé Hill and Daniel J. Watts as Cole and Sammy Davis Jr.. Both performers reprised their roles in a subsequent sold out production at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical by B Jeffrey Maddoff with Lloyd Price, directed by Sheldon Epps. From obscure beginnings to overnight teen sensation, from unsung trailblazer to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the story of Lloyd Price has never been told onstage— until now. Featuring a stellar cast of fifteen singers and dancers performing iconic hits like “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” “Stagger Lee,” and the legendary song that became his namesake, this world premiere musical celebrates one of the most resilient and influential entertainers of our time, Lloyd "Mr. Personality" Price.
Bayard Rustin Inside Ashland by Steve H Broadnax III. Chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington and openly gay Civil Rights activist, Bayard Rustin was nearly written out of the history books. This world premiere play soars with African-American spirituals and offers a glimpse into a transformative moment for young Rustin—his 1944 prison sentence in Ashland, Kentucky. While incarcerated and targeted for his sexuality, Rustin puts his faith in nonviolent resistance to the test, illuminating what it means to be branded a "troublemaker" within a system stacked against you.
Such Things As Vampires by Zak Berkman, Stuart Carden, Jessie Fisher, and Mary Tuomanen. Inspired by the story of Dracula, this feminist exploration of love, fear, and the supernatural included 10 original folk, punk, and art-rock influenced songs that were awarded the 2019 Barrymore for Outstanding Original Music.
