The Tragedy of Coriolanus
THROUGH MARCH 1ST
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THROUGH MARCH 1ST //
McKinley Belcher III as Coriolanus. Photo by Hollis King.
Nobles, Curs and the Meinies Between,
Now that we’re nearing the end of 2026 I’m finally emerging from a Cor. Hole to invite you to one of the final performances of The Tragedy of Coriolanus. It is an incredible company of performers, designers, and theater-makers bringing this late tragedy of Shakespeare’s to pulsing, “heart-attack”ing life on stage at Theatre for a New Audience through March 1st. Many of you know that this is a passion project years in the making and I’m thrilled and humbled to have been a part of the final season that Jeffrey Horowitz programmed and to be currently working with Arin Arbus as she begins her tenure as Artistic Director of a theater that has produced works by some of the directors I admire most. The company - of fourteen - are absolutely wonderful and share a drive to make a work of theater that speaks from Shakespeare’s time to now with a resonance that puts our form at the center of civic discourse. There are moments when this 420 year old play feels as fresh as a NYC premiere. The design team has been leaning in to create an aesthetic and performance language that supports the text and develops a world of our mutual imagining.
If you have any difficulty with the booking please contact me. I am excited to share this with the community of makers I have the great privilege of working alongside and don't want anyone to not get the chance to see this.
This year I’ve been privileged to bring The Tragedy of Coriolanus to the stage as well as be a part of the Winter Theater Festival Madness with a presentation of Llontop with Anonymous Ensemble at Pregones in the Bronx as a part of the Under the Radar Festival. This work has been in development over the last few years and has been presented to audiences in New Jersey, DC and Ohio. For those who haven’t seen it - it features song-poems by Quechua poet Irma Alvarez-Ccoscco set in specific moments of Quechua history and spanning the brutal conquest of the Incas in 1532, through the eighteenth-century Indigenous uprising of Túpac Amaru II, and into the present-day resurgence of Quechua empowerment. 2026’s performance featured a new poem for the moment: a call to be witness, to accountability, to end the brutal, degrading and dull repetition of history. The work is a three-part experience: an interactive installation of Peruvian heirlooms, a live-film performance for both in-person and virtual audiences, and a lively conversation with the artists and special guests about the work and Quechua empowerment. And most excellent food. Look forward to opportunities to see the work in the months ahead.
None of these works would be possible were it not for the work of two totally amazing directors who have been acting as Associate on these projects. Gama Valle came in with a passion to work on Llontop and has been absolutely fundamental to making sure the show ran successfully. And Danica Selem was by my side and in the rehearsal rooms - and answering emails on my behalf! - from the end of 2025 to the opening of Coriolanus. Please check out the work of these two excellent directors and hire and collaborate with them.
And - always feel free to reach out if we can make a thing together.
With love, solidarity and in making,
Tata
Roslyn Ruff as Volumnia. Photo by Hollis King.
Mickey Sumner as Aufidius. Photo by Hollis King.
The Tragedy of Coriolanus
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Ash K. Tata
The Company
Barzin Akhavan (Cominius), Kevin Alicea (Adrian), McKinley Belcher III (Caius Martius Coriolanus), Jack Berenholtz (Nicanor), William DeMeritt (Sicinius Velutus), Meredith Garretson (Virgilia), Pomme Koch (Senator/Lieutenant/Aedile), Merlin McCormick (Young Martius), Jason O'Connell (Menenius Agrippa), Emma Ramos (Valeria), Roslyn Ruff(Volumnia), Mickey Sumner (Tullus Aufidius), Zuzanna Szadkowski (Junius Brutus), Sarin Monae West (Titus Lartius)
The Team
Scenic Designer: Afsoon Pajoufar
Costume Designer: Avery Reed
Lighting Designer: Masha Tsimring
Sound Designer: Brandon Bulls
Composer: David T. Little
Projection Design: Lisa Renkel and POSSIBLE
Fight Choreographer: J. David Brimmer
Movement Director: Dan Safer
Intimacy Coordinator: Dan O’Driscoll
Voice Director: Andrew Wade
Hair & Makeup Designer: Janera Rose
Properties Supervisor: Sean Frank
Casting Director: Jack Doulin
Production Dramaturg: Jonathan Kalb
Production Stage Manager: Charlie Lovejoy