Theater News

Casting Announced for A Walk With Mr. Heifetz and Feeding the Dragon

Sharon Washington will star in her own play, directed by Maria Mileaf for Primary Stages.

Sharon Washington will star in her play Feeding the Dragons, the final offering of Primary Stages's season.
Sharon Washington will star in her play Feeding the Dragons, the final offering of Primary Stages' season.

(© David Gordon)

Primary Stages has announced casting for the final two productions of its 2017-18 season: the world premiere of A Walk With Mr. Heifetz, written by James Inverne, and Feeding the Dragon, written and performed by Sharon Washington and presented in a coproduction with Hartford Stage.

The cast of A Walk With Mr. Heifetz will feature Yuval Boim, Adam Green, Erik Lochtefeld, and live music performed by acclaimed violinist Mariella Haubs. Beginning performances at the Cherry Lane Theatre on January 31, opening night is set for February 20 for a limited run through March 4. Andrew Leynse replaces Benjamin Kamine as director.

A Walk With Mr. Heifetz will feature scenic design by Anshuman Bhatia, costume design by Andrea Lauer, sound design by M.L. Dogg, and casting by Stephanie Klapper Casting.

The plot is described as follows: "In 1925, an unforgettable event occurred when Jascha Heifetz, the most celebrated violinist in the world, played a concert in pre-Israel Palestine. People flocked from all over the globe to see this performance, including Yehuda Sharett, composer and brother of future Israeli Prime Minister Moshe Sharett. Legend has it that after the performance, Heifetz and Yehuda walked together and shared a remarkable conversation that resonated twenty years later when, in 1945, Moshe echoed Heifetz’s experience with his brother in a similar exchange that changed the world as we know it."

The final show of the season, Feeding the Dragon, is written and performed by Sharon Washington and directed by Maria Mileaf. It is set to begin performances on March 21 at the Cherry Lane Theatre, with opening night set for April 3. It will run through April 27.

Feeding the Dragon will feature scenic design by Tony Ferrieri, costume design by Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by Ann Wrightson, and sound design by Lindsay Jones.

The play is an autobiographical solo piece in which Sharon revisits her time growing up in an apartment on the top floor inside the St. Agnes Branch of the New York Public Library, where her father served as the building's custodian. Shrouded in family mystery, Sharon's story boldly examines how both the power of forgiveness and her lifelong love for the written word have helped her battle dragons of all forms.

For tickets to A Walk With Mr. Heifetz, click here.

For tickets to Feeding the Dragon, click here.