COUNTING AND CRACKING PREMIERES IN NEW YORK CITY

7 MAY 2024: Following a sold out premiere Sydney season in 2019, and 2022 UK tour, Belvoir’s smash- hit production, Counting and Cracking by S. Shakthidharan with Eamon Flack will make its US debut in New York at NYU Skirball Center from 6th to 22nd September, 2024.

As one of Australia’s largest productions to premiere in New York City, Counting and Cracking will run in partnership with The Pubic Theater and NYU Skirball, a first for Belvoir.

Featuring 19 performers from six different countries, speaking in five different languages, performing 50 characters, Counting and Cracking follows the journey of a Sri Lankan-Australian family over four generations, spanning from 1956 to 2004.

“Taking Counting and Cracking to the New York is something of a cultural moment.” Said Eamon Flack, Belvoir artistic director, and director and associate writer of Counting and Cracking. “Of course Australian plays have been to New York before, but this is an Australian play set largely in Sri Lanka, with a cast from six different countries, performed in five different languages, and a touring party of 40.

“It’s crazy to take this show anywhere, let alone to New York, but The Public Theatre is a great company and if they’re up for crazy then of course Belvoir is. And that’s exactly what the arts should do – form unlikely collaborations, across unbridged gaps, finding new visions for how to live and think and work together. That’s what this play is about. We’ll be in the US in the heat of election season. That’s apt for a play about the politics of division and the possiblities of reconciliation”.

“Counting and Cracking is a magnificent play and production, but even more impressive for me was the story of how it was created. Belvoir is one of those rare theatres that doesn’t just produce plays, they bring art into the world that wouldn’t exist without them. I’m honored to be partnering with them,” said Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director at Public Theater.

Shakthidharan, writer and associate director of Counting and Cracking said, “For so long, in the creative industries, we have looked to Europe and North America as a place to imitate; to model ourselves upon. What thrills me about Counting and Cracking going to New York is that perhaps there is a greater power in telling stories that can only be our own – in sharing that uniquely Australian perspective with the world.

“Counting and Cracking is silly, profound, unashamed and clear-eyed in ways that only an Australian production can be. I’m beyond thrilled that this humble, epic story – born out of the suburbs of Western Sydney and the memories of my ancestors – has been picked up by the same company that premiered Hamilton and Angels in America“.

The award-winning show will also run in Melbourne from 31^st May to 23^rd June in the Union Theatre, University of Melbourne as part of Rising Festival, ahead of a highly anticipated return season to Sydney at Carriageworks from 28^th June to 21^st July.

Counting and Cracking stars Rodney Afif, Prakash Belawadi, Anthonythasan Jesuthasan, Nadie Kammallaweera, Ahi Karunaharan, Abbie-lee Lewis, Gandhi McIntyre, Shiv Palekar, Sukhbir Singh Walia, Kaivalysa Suvarna, Nipuni Sharada, Rajan Velu and Sukania Venugopal

COUNTING AND CRACKING 2024 SEASONS

MELBOURNE

Union Theatre, University of Melbourne

Arts and Cultural Building, 159 Monash Road, Parkville VIC 3010

Dates: 31 May – 23 June 2024

Tickets: https://tickets.rising.melbourne/counting-and-cracking

SYDNEY

Carriageworks

245 Wilson St, Eveleigh NSW 2015

Dates: 28 June – 21 July 2024

Tickets: https://belvoir.com.au/productions/counting-and-cracking-2024/

NEW YORK

NYU Skirball

NYU Skirball Center (566 LaGuardia Place) Dates: 6 September – 22 September 2024 Tickets: https://publictheater.org/

Co-commissioned by Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals Inc, Sydney Festival, Adelaide Festival and Belvoir. Originally co-produced with Co-Curious.

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