HEARTLAND
by Gabriel Jason Dean
Directed by Ari Laura Kreith
WHEN: now through Sunday, May 5; Thursday at 7:30 pm, Friday & Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday at 3pm
WHERE: Luna Stage, 555 Valley Road, West Orange
TICKETS: $16-39, and are available at LunaStage.org/Heartland or by calling 973-395-5551.
Heartland, now playing at Luna Stage, will extend through May 5. The new play, which opened April 4, has received audience and critical acclaim. Broadway World called it a “heartfelt masterpiece rife with comedic brilliance and the triumph of the human spirit.”
Heartland features Kareem Badr, Brian Corrigan, and Lipica Shah, giving what New Jersey Jewish News described as “formidable performances.” NJJN further describes the play by Gabriel Jason Dean as “searing…powerful… [a play] about relationships—how they are made and how they can break. Highly recommended."
Set in Omaha and Afghanistan, Heartland weaves back and forth through time, unraveling a mystery that illuminates the cost of defending an American Empire. NJ Arts Maven described it as exploring “compassion, responsibility, regret, redemption, forgiveness and, above all, love… [an] examination of the human heart…one you will talk about for days afterward.”
The production is directed by Luna’s Artistic Director Ari Laura Kreith. It is the final play of Luna’s 2018-2019 Season and will close following this limited extension.
As Out in Jersey wrote, “Heartland is a double-edged title for the play. It refers to the center of the United States as a geographical area. But it also refers to the land where one’s heart lies, that place where one feels a sense of belonging and rightness. Both meanings are displayed in this thoughtful and emotional play. It is a privilege to watch fine actors at work in such a well written and well directed theatre piece. You owe it to yourselves to travel to the Heartland.”
Special events, including pre-show LunaLit book-related events and talk-backs with guest experts and members of the creative team, are scheduled throughout the run. The full schedule, including the schedule of talk-backs and events, is available at LunaStage.org/Heartland.
