Dear friend,
Welcome to the world premiere of Dave Harris’s Exception to the Rule in the Black Box Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center. This occasion marks our return, after two years, to Roundabout Underground, our space for introducing the work of essential theatrical voices and building tomorrow’s canon for a new generation.
Normally, the Underground offers a playwright their New York debut, but thanks to many COVID-induced scheduling shuffles, you may have already encountered Dave with Tambo & Bones at Playwrights Horizons. Together, these two pieces will demonstrate the range of Dave’s talent. There is surely so much more ahead for him.
Exception to the Rule asks how young people, particularly Black high school students, can escape when the looming threat of “consequences” and an endless cycle of potential punishment hang over their heads. As the character Abdul admits, “We in trouble, we carry trouble, trouble gonna be where trouble gonna be.”
In addition to at last premiering Dave’s powerful play, we are thrilled to give Roundabout Resident Director Miranda Haymon their first opportunity to direct in our season. Miranda was our Roundabout Directing Fellow in the 2017–18 season, and we are so proud to have them as a member of our community of artists.
As always, I ask you to share your thoughts on this play and our whole season by emailing me at ArtisticOffice@roundabouttheatre.org.
Thank you again for joining us, and I hope you enjoy Exception to the Rule.
Sincerely,
Todd Haimes
Artistic Director/CEO