Registration for this event will open at 12 PM on Friday, April 11.
by Jonathan Barbee
Showtimes
Saturday, May 3 @ 8 PM
Sunday, May 4 @ 3:30 PM
Sunday, May 4 @ 8 PM
At a rural Arkansas factory, five coworkers discover rice, romance, Kodachrome 35mm film, and extraterrestrial activity converging in a seemingly forgotten post-Y2K landscape.
Waltimore is the new hire, building back from personal tragedy. Sabrina is an energetic intern trying to keep it together. Brigham has been at Riceland for a long time now - at least that’s what his time sheet says. Management is management… Maybe. What starts as a simple 9 to 5 quickly spirals into a unique exploration of time, love, and the human condition.
About the Playwright
Jonathan Barbee is a Harlem-based playwright, director, photographer, and performer hailing from Virginia. His plays ethically explore the absurdity of social normalities, while dismantling them. Some of their plays include The FInisher and The Opener Destroy the Universe and Written by A Black Man: A Podcast, Hosted by Two White Men. They’ve directed work with Winding Road Theatre, University of Arizona, and Columbia University. He’s recently had the privilege of assisting Branden Jacobs-Jenkins on his Broadway play, Purpose. Their photography has been featured in Forbes and Playbill, as well as numerous marketing campaigns for universities and theatres nationwide. You can find their music underneath JoWi MiBa on all platforms.
About the New Plays Festival
Columbia University School of the Arts presents a festival of new plays written by the 2025 Columbia MFA Playwriting Cohort. The esteemed faculty who nurtured these students, including Tony©, Pulitzer, and Obie Award winners, such as Lynn Nottage, Rogelio Martinez, Blair Singer, Noelle Vinas, Charles L. Mee, Michael Korie, David Auburn, and David Henry Hwang invite everyone to experience these innovative new playwrights.
Organized by Leslie Ayvazian, Theatre.