A Very Modern Classical Evening at The Picnic House

Brooklyn's favorite free theater, Molière in the Park is back with a staged reading of Le'Asha Julius' new play The Regulars + Molière's The Ludicrous Ladies at Prospect Park's Picnic House!

"Pairing The Regulars, a short tragedy in verse by rapper, actor, and playwright Le’Asha Julius with The Ludicrous Ladies, a one act comedy in prose by Molière might appear at first as an exercise in contrast. New versus old, serious versus farcical, political versus domestic… but in content and in form the plays, of course, are neither fully one nor the other. More importantly, despite the time and space that separates their authors, both plays center two impassioned women with complex desires. Desires they fight for, and that may or may not be born exclusively out of the limitations imposed on them by their place in the world. Will this pairing open up an angle of reflection on women’s struggles and how they’ve evolved or persisted? We hope you’ll join us to find out!"
- Lucie Tiberghien

"As a classically trained thespian who discovered her musical talents in acting school, Molière has always stood out to me for his brilliant use of language and fun characters. As I began to create more music, I learned the value of storytelling through verse, a skill that affected me mostly through hip-hop and Molière. Almost two years ago, while living in my van traveling back and forth between New York and Washington D.C., due to my teaching schedule, I was inspired to write a story based on forbidden love and challenged myself to use language in a classically heightened style. Out birthed The Regulars, a story of lovers separated by animosity and bloodshed, obstacles that we are still battling today."
- Le'Asha Julius

WHEN: Tuesday, December 17th, 7PM (Doors will open at 6:30)
WHERE: The Picnic House (40 West Dr, Brooklyn, NY)
FREE to attend with RSVP
Performance runtime: 90 minutes, no intermission
Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase

Cast
To be announced
The Regulars directed by Le'Asha Julius
The Ludicrous Ladies directed by Lucie Tiberghien, translation by Maya Slater

Molière in the Park
Since 2019, Molière in the Park has been creating opportunities for Brooklynites to experience world class theater right in their borough - and at no cost. Over the past 3 years of programming, over 15,000 Brooklynites have seen one of our shows.

Le'Asha Julius
Le'Asha Julius is an actress from Washington D.C., known for her role as Wendy in HBO's Random Acts of Flyness and Jasmine in Still Here which premiered at The Sundance Film Festival. Le'Asha has worked with The Public Theater, The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, Howard University, and Carnegie Hall among many others. In her free time, she's a rapper/ songwriter and has performed at Black Thought's "School of Thought" and has opened for several artists including Kendrick Lamar, Salt 'n' Peppa, Noname, and Talib Kweli. Le'Asha is currently the first year acting teacher at SUNY Purchase's Conservatory of Acting BFA program.

Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world literature. Molière’s plays capture Brooklyn both in style and content: funny, gritty, progressive, disruptive, and embracing of all types of people. Through the lens of his stories, we see ourselves and others as imperfect and intertwined humans.

Produced by Molière in the Park, in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance and The Brooklyn Public Library.

THIS PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED, IN PART, BY PUBLIC FUNDS FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.

This program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Thank you to all of our donors!

Including: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Emma A. Sheafer Charitable Trust, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Evelyn Sharp Foundation, The American Society of The French Legion of Honor.

Angel Producer: Thomas Kail. Season Producer: Samira Wiley. Visionary Producers: Jon and Elizabeth Weiswasser, and Sybilla and Alex Balkanski, and Carter Redwood. Executive Producers: Puth Family Foundation, Stephan Haimo and Veronica Bulgari, Nikola and Dana Duravcevic, Mimi O'Donnell. Producers: Bill and Judy Steul, Mary Vines. Associate Producer: Jenny Allen

Sponsors: The Araca Group, The Ryan and Ryan Team