Created by Radical Evolution

Directed by Rebecca Martínez and Taylor Reynolds
Music Director/Arranger: Julián Mesri
Choreographer: Joya Powell
Artistic Producer: Meropi Peponides
Lead Author: Beto O’Byrne
Contributing Authors: Eugenie Chan, Reginald Edmund, Rebecca Martínez, Jay B Muskett

an Archive Residency premiere in partnership with IRT Theatre

Featuring: C.K. Edwards, Christian A. Guerrero, Cedric Lamar, Julián Mesri, Beto O’Byrne, Sara Ornelas, Jessica Ranville and Mao Zhang

Scenic Design: Peiyi Wong
Costume Design: Lux Haac
Sound Design: Margaret Montagna
Lighting Design: María-Cristina Fusté
Production Stage Manager: Megan Schwarz Dickert
Assistant Stage Manager: Diane Healy
Casting: Stephanie Yankwitt, TBD Casting Co.

Line Producer: Sanam Hashemi
Production Manager: Drew Francis
Marketing and Media Manager: Coryn Carson
Graphic Design: the watsons
Press Representative: John Wyszniewski, Everyman Agency
Working Theater Business Manager: Kylee Brinkman
Working Theater Producing Artistic Director: Laura Carbonell Monarque

Previous Artistic Collaborators:
Andrea Abello, Remi Veronica Adewole, Rachel April, Trevor Bachman, Sarah Cangussu, Caitlin Cisco, Melvin J. Cox, Georgina Escobar, Ann Flanigan, Gineiris Garcia, Brittany Grier, Alfredo Guenzani, Pat Harnett Marshall, Brandon Hogstad, Erica Huang, Darell J. Hunt, Everton Isidoro, Christopher Moncayo-Torres, Trevor New, Chris Peters, Manny Rivera, Laura Riveros, Maya Sharpe, Peregrine Teng Heard, Sonia Villani, Reggie D. White, Anna Wray

SONGS ABOUT TRAINS

Through folk songs from various cultures and imagined letters from those whose stories have been lost to history, Songs About Trains welcomes audiences to an exploration of the many cultural communities that built the US rail system. Produced by Working Theater, Radical Evolution, and New Ohio Theatre, this theatrical concert dives headfirst into conversations on immigration, labor, and Manifest Destiny. Songs About Trains highlights how this pivotal moment in US history helped forge a global superpower, generated unbelievable wealth to a select few, and did so at the expense of thousands of lives, all while inspiring one of the deepest canons of music ever made in this country. Created by a multicultural cohort of artists, this theatrical concert questions the complexity of progress while celebrating the Chinese immigrant, Irish immigrant, Mexican American, African American, Appalachian, and Navajo communities instrumental in creating the United States as we know it today.

For more information, please email Beto at beto@radicalevolution.org. 

Development History
April 2022. World Premiere Co-Production with Working Theater and New Ohio Theatre. New York, NY
July 2019. Ice Factory. New Ohio Theatre. New York, NY.
February 2019. Developmental Workshop. New Ohio Theatre. New York, NY.
April 2018. Developmental Workshop. LaGuardia Performing Arts Center. Long Island City NY.
October 2017. Developmental Workshop. New Ohio Theatre. New York, NY.
August 2017. Developmental Workshop. Department of Public Works. Governor's Island, NY. 

PROJECT SUPPORT
This project is made possible in part through support from the following funders:

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts, Off-Broadway Angels, The Puffin Foundation, Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

Songs About Trains was developed in the Archive Residency, a program of the New Ohio Theatre and IRT Theatre and at the Rough Draft Festival at LPAC.

The 2022 production of Songs About Trains was developed with support from Pregones/PRTT, and its ASAP/Artist Space At Pregones initiative.