Robert Lyons/Ohio Theatre

Join the celebration of Robert Lyons and the Ohio Theatre (1987 - 2023) with the artists who made work there.

Robert Lyons and twenty+ alumni artists of the Ohio/ New Ohio Theatre converge at Segal Center for an afternoon discussing, honoring, and remembering thirty years of ground breaking experimental work.

The panels will be followed (in Ohio Theatre fashion) by a party.

Participating artists include:  Susan Bernfield, Lenora Champagne,Karin Coonrod, Jeremy Dobrish, Alex Hare, Melanie Joseph, Nehemiah Luckett, Kevin Maloney, Chuck Mee, Chuk Obasi, Meropi Peponides, Vieve Price, Dan Rothenberg, Tina Satter, Normandy Sherwood, Maria Striar, Alex Timbers, Nela Wagman, and others.

3:30 p.m ET – 5:30 p.m. ET, Rotating Alumni Artist discussion

5:30 p.m ET – 5:45 p.m. ET, Break

5:45 p.m. ET – 6:30 p.m. ET, Conversation with Robert

Robert Lyons was Artistic Director of the legendary Ohio/New Ohio Theatre for more than thirty years, actively expanding the boundaries of what theatre is, how it’s made, and who makes it.  Projects developed, presented, and produced by Ohio/New Ohio have gone on to garner multiple Drama Desk awards and nominations, Obie Awards, Edinburgh Audience First Awards, national and international tours, and Off-Broadway productions. Under Robert’s artistic leadership, Ohio/New Ohio was honored with two Obie Awards for sustained artistic achievement and was widely recognized as an indispensable pillar of the NYC downtown theatre community. He continues now as Artistic Director of Soho Think Tank.

Robert is also a NYC playwright who writes dark, satirical comedies, literary adaptations, and experimental performance texts. He has more than twenty New York City premieres to his credit, most recently My Onliness (“a welcome gust of weird” - New York Times) which has been invited to the prestigious Sibiu International Theater Festival in Romania in 2025.  His performance text YOVO has been translated into Spanish and American Sign Language and has been performed in NYC, Poland, Cuba, and South Korea. Robert’s work has been developed in residencies at Mercury Store, NACL, Space at Ryder Farm, HERE Artist Residency Program, the Orchard Project, The Playwright’s Center of Minneapolis, MASS MoCA, the Bogliasco Foundation, and MacDowell Colony. Both My Onliness and YOVO are included in My Onliness and Others, a collection of six of his plays recently published by Mercer Street Books. His newest play ultraleftviolence.edu was developed in Ice Factory 2023 and will premiere at La Mama (NYC) in Spring 2025. www.robertclyons.com.

Participating Artists

Susan Bernfield—Susan is the Artistic Director of New Georges.

Lenora Champagne—Lenora is a playwright and performance artist.

Karin Coonrod—Karin was the Artistic Director of Arden Party.

Jeremy Dobrish—Jeremy was the Artistic Director of Adobe Theatre.

Alex Hare—Alex directed the A Burning Church in the Archive Residency program.

Melanie Joseph—Melanie was the Artistic Director of The Foundry.

Nehemiah Luckett—Nehemiah composed music for A Burning Church in the Archive Residency program.

Kevin Maloney—Kevin is Artistic Director of TWEED.

Chuck Mee—Chuck wrote Soot and Spit which was presented in the Archive Residency Program.

Chuk Obasi—Chuk is the Co-Artisic Director of TEA Artistry.

Meropi Peponides—Meropi is the Co-Artistic Director of Radical Evolution.

Vieve Price—Vieve is the Co-Artistic Director of TEA Artistry.

Dan Rothenberg—Dan is the Artistic Director of Pig Iron Theatre.

Tina Satter—Tina is the Artistic Director of Half Straddle.

Normandy Sherwood—Normandy is the Artistic Director of The Drunkard's Wife.

Maria Striar—Maria is the Artistic Director of Clubbed Thumb.

Alex Timbers—Alex was the Artistic Director of Les Freres Corbusier.

Nela Wagman – Nela is the Artistic Director of Watermark Theatre

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