Soho Rep Announces ‘The Hunger Cycle’ – Three World Premiere Plays Exploring Desire & Sustenance

Soho Rep, the acclaimed Off-Broadway theater company, has unveiled The Hunger Cycle, a bold, three-play initiative exploring the multifaceted nature of hunger – material, emotional and moral – in contemporary life. The ambitious project, spanning the next three seasons, features world premieres from César Alvarez, Madeline Easley, and the collective Radical Evolution, each promising a distinct theatrical experience.

The announcement signals a significant investment in large-scale works for Soho Rep, with all three productions representing some of the most ambitious in the company’s 50-year history. Director Eric Ting emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting artists who “confront the complex systems that govern our society,” calling the selected artists “quintessential models” of this approach. The project received crucial support from the Civis Foundation, with additional funding for The Potluck from the Miranda Family Fund, and for Feast for the Dead through a Venturous Playwright Fellowship at the Playwrights’ Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, backed by the Venturous Theater Fund.

A Massacre Reimagined: César Alvarez’s The Potluck

The cycle kicks off this summer with The Potluck, a new musical by César Alvarez, directed by Sarah Benson, and co-produced with INTAR Theatre. The musical centers on the 1979 Greensboro Massacre, a harrowing event where five labor organizers were murdered at a protest in North Carolina by the Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party. Alvarez, who has a deeply personal connection to the tragedy – he was born into the survivor community and named after two of the victims – aims to explore the aftermath of state-sanctioned violence through the lens of musical theatre.

“It’s extremely complex to produce a new musical, and even harder to produce one about healing from state-sanctioned murder,” Alvarez stated. The production will feature a 12-person intergenerational cast, aiming to capture “the softer side of the revolution” while grappling with the realities of facing a government actively seeking to harm its citizens. Details about the specific musical style and staging are currently limited, but the project’s scale suggests a significant undertaking for both companies. You can learn more about the Greensboro Massacre at the Digital Greensboro website.

Speculative Futures and Collective Grief: Madeline Easley’s Feast for the Dead

Scheduled for Soho Rep’s 2026-27 season, Feast for the Dead marks the Off-Broadway debut of playwright Madeline Easley. This nine-person play dives into a speculative future, weaving together themes of responsibility to the deceased, resilience in the face of loss, and the cyclical nature of destruction and rebirth – all framed within the unexpected context of a zombie apocalypse. Easley’s work is described as possessing “a keen sense of pop culture, a vibrant flair for the theatrical, and a full beating heart.”

Easley, a New York-based writer of Wyandotte heritage from Kansas City, draws heavily on her tribal history and the Wyandotte Feast of the Dead – a tradition that bridges the physical and spiritual worlds and provides a communal space for grieving. She hopes the play will prompt audiences to examine the cycles of violence prevalent in American society. “My play responds to the fact that this cycle feeds upon itself,” Easley explained. “I dream that this production will provide a way of organizing ourselves to meet an uncertain future.”

Devised Storytelling and Communal Healing: Radical Evolution’s Hunger

Rounding out The Hunger Cycle in the 2027-28 season is Hunger, a devised work from the collective Radical Evolution. The piece promises an immersive, fable-like experience designed to challenge audiences to interrogate the various forms of hunger – physical, spiritual, and communal – and to reconnect with each other and the natural world as a path toward healing. Radical Evolution, comprised of Anooj Bhandari, Jei Lawrence, Meropi Peponides, and Joya Powell, is known for its experimental and collaborative approach to theatre.

The creators emphasized the project’s focus on the myths and fables we tell ourselves about hunger and satisfaction. “With a combination of experiments in sound and movement, and a deep appreciation for the stories nature tells us, we’re excited to bring this piece to life,” they said in a joint statement. Soho Rep’s support for their “idiosyncratic, collective creation process” was also highlighted, signaling a willingness to embrace unconventional theatrical forms. More information about Radical Evolution’s work can be found on their website: www.radicalevolution.org.

Caleb Hammons, Soho Rep’s director, underscored the importance of the Civis Foundation’s support, stating that their “visionary, signaling partnership” is enabling the company to think more expansively in a challenging industry landscape. This commitment to pioneering work is evident throughout The Hunger Cycle, which promises to be a defining chapter in Soho Rep’s history. The company’s dedication to supporting artists who tackle complex societal issues, combined with the ambitious scope of these three productions, positions The Hunger Cycle as a significant event in the Off-Broadway season. For those interested in supporting American Theatre, TCG membership offers access to their quarterly print magazine and contributes to a thriving arts ecosystem.

The timeline for ticket sales and specific performance dates for each production will be announced in the coming months. Soho Rep’s website, www.sohorep.org, will be the primary source for updates and further information as The Hunger Cycle progresses.