ICYMI: "Crosswords" to Conclude 2024-25 Season at the Neurodivergent New Play Series
AJ Johnson's mystery thriller will be directed by Megan Lummus as part of Piccione Arts's ongoing play series dedicated to neurodivergent empowerment
Press contact: neurodivergentplays@gmail.com
This June, the Neurodivergent New Play Series will conclude its 2024-25 Season with a reading of Crosswords - written by AJ Johnson and directed by Megan Lummus - at A.R.T./New York’s South Oxford Space, located at 138 South Oxford Studio, Brooklyn, NY on June 15th at 2pm EST.
Tickets are available at www.ticketleap.events/tickets/neurodivergentplays/the-neurodivergent-new-play-series, with a minimum $10 donation for limited in-person seating & pay-what-you-can for at-home for at-home livestreaming up to two weeks after the live performance. Regular updates are available at www.linktr.ee/neurodivergentplays and on Instagram & Facebook @neurodivergentplays.
In Crosswords, Gene and Val are content with their white-picket-fence life until a serial killer's ciphered note lands in their morning newspaper. As they attempt to unravel the killer's message in hopes of putting an end to the fear and death terrorizing their community, the couple realizes they have their own secrets hidden in cross words and blissful oblivion. They must decide if they will continue trying to solve the mysteries entangling their relationship, or return to the comfort of ignorance.
“AJ first introduced me to Crosswords when it was still being written two years ago, and since she first explained the concept I've been desperate to direct it,” says Ms. Lummus. “This show tackles big topics in a very grounded way, with two complex and fascinating characters bringing us along for the ride. The whole show is a wild ride from start to finish, in a way that is an endlessly fascinating challenge for a director.”
“I’ve always loved solving codes and ciphers, basically since I was able to read,” says Ms. Johnson. “As I grew up that also grew into a love of mysteries and eventually true crime. In listening to podcasts about the Zodiac Killer, I also learned about Donald and Bettye Harden, the regular, everyday couple who solved the first cipher over the weekend on their own. Something about the idea of a couple staying up all night trying to solve this mystery resonated with me. I began thinking about all the challenges they might have faced and thought it was an incredible premise for a play.”
Ms. Johnson goes on to say that “[t]he arts are all about bringing light to stories and experiences. I strive to direct that light to stories that don’t always get that focus, and neurodivergence is one of those areas. For so long neurodivergence and mental health/illness has been something to speak about quietly or dance around. The more we avoid topics, the less we understand them. Neurodivergence isn’t some dark secret to be locked away; it is part of our identities.” Ms. Lummus adds that "[t]he theatre world is ripe with many, many neurodivergent people, many of whom feel like they have to hide parts of themselves to be accepted. I think neurodivergent empowerment means being able to find spaces where you can be yourself, in all of your neurodivergent glory. If we are in a rehearsal or performance space where we don't feel safe to be our whole selves, then we will be unable to bring our best work to the table."
Founded in 2023 by award-winning autistic playwright and producer Anthony J. Piccione, the Neurodivergent New Play Series is dedicated to presenting matinee readings on the 3rd Sunday of every month - with seasonal breaks in December, January, July, and August - of plays written entirely by neurodivergent and disabled playwrights (i.e. autism, ADHD, dyslexia, OCD, Tourette syndrome, etc.) as part of a growing resident company of playwrights whose interests and specialties span a wide range of subjects, genres & structural approaches, with each play personally selected from a neuroinclusive resident company of directors. Learn more at www.linktr.ee/neurodivergentplays or by following @neurodivergentplays on Instagram and Facebook.
The Neurodivergent New Play Series is sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by Brooklyn Arts Council.