Four Different Community Gardens

The Motor Company invites everyone to Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn to spend a summer afternoon wandering the neighborhood and watching original, site-specific, outdoor theater—for free! Travel from community garden to community garden, as actors perform new, one-act plays written by some of the hottest young playwrights our city has to offer. Each play is tailor-made for each garden: the space is not just the venue for the performance, but the inspiration for the story. Now in its sixth year, Communal Spaces: a garden play festival is the most adventurous and affordable theatrical event this summer!

This year’s Communal Spaces takes place in four different community gardens during the last three weekends in August, and will feature six new plays by Paul Cameron Hardy, Phillip Howze, Rachel Kauder Nalebuff, Mara Nelson-Greenberg, Fergus Scully and Catherine Yu. Communal Spaces is produced by The Motor Company, Ar-tistic Director Lillian Meredith, in association with Fergus Scully and The Instigators.
Afterlife
Written by Fergus Scully
Directed by Lindsey Hope Pearlman
12:00pm at Heaven’s Gate Community Garden (169-171 Hart Street)

Even though St. Peter welcomes him with open arms, Joey Hardknocks can’t seem to enter heaven…so Angel Prince guides him on a journey through memory and pain, until Joey is underneath the Purple Rain.

The Angry King Sees a Show
Written by Mara Nelson-Greenberg
Directed by Sanaz Ghajar
1:00pm at Hart to Hart Community Garden (104-108 Hart Street)

King Rumpus wants to propose to Alise at her work-place, but his plan goes awry when it becomes clear that Alise can’t stand the sight of him.

The Wedding Party
Written by Catherine Yu
Directed by Anna Lublina
2:30pm at First Quincy Street Garden (397-401 Quincy Street)

It’s the day of a wedding but the groom is missing and the bride isn’t sure if true love exists. Will there even be a wedding?

An Invitation to a Panicking
Written by Paul Cameron Hardy
Directed by Ellie Sachs
3:30pm at First Quincy Street Garden (397-401 Quincy Street)

Topsy, Popsy, Flopsy and Bert try their hands at an outdoor invocation.

Through a Thing
Written by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff
Directed by Jeremy Bloom
5:00pm at 462 Halsey Community Garden (462 Halsey Street)

A play about the strange, geographic language we use to describe our feelings.

462 Halsey
Written by Phillip Howze
Directed by Lillian Meredith
6:00pm at 462 Halsey Community Garden (462 Halsey Street)

Who can remember, when what was is no longer?

What to expect:
Some of the gardens are haphazard while others are more manicured. They are like jungles, or barbecue hangouts, or hidden magical places. The plays reflect the unique feeling of their gardens, and turn the venues themselves into characters. Each play runs for 20-30 minutes, so viewers have plenty of time to explore, eat, drink and get to the next garden.