a sacred offering created by

nicHi douglas

with music by

S T A R R Busby & JJJJJerome Ellis

directed & choreographed by

nicHi douglas

“Transcendent, paradoxical & joyous! (pray) is an exploration of how faith intersects with Black womanhood through a mix of music, movement, ritual & poetry. Let’s call this a house of song & praise — yahleloo!”
Maya Phillips
The New York Times

We joyously welcome you to nicHi douglas’ (pray)! Channeling the energy and vitality of a Sunday Baptist Church service, this kinetic and vibrant choreopoem celebrates and confronts the complexity of spiritual inheritance. Join this multigenerational congregation of Black womxn and femmes for an evening of song, dance, fellowship and the opportunity to reflect on your own beliefs.

A co-production with National Black Theatre

All tickets are Name Your Price & General Admission

SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 28, 2023
ARS NOVA @ GREENWICH HOUSE
27 BARROW STREET, NYC

THE COMPANY

blackwood, Ariel#1

Off-Broadway credits include 125th and Freedom (National Black Theater) and new R&B Off-Broadway musical Love In A Different Key album out now on all streaming platforms. Regional: Hair (Berkshire Theater Group) The Colored Museum (LaLa) In the Heights (Vanessa u/s). Ariel is a proud member of ‘The Dance Cartel’ company and currently working on her solo career as a recording artist. She looks forward to performing at the Black Girls Rock Fest early 2024. She is currently seeking legit representation. @officiallyakaya

Busby, S T A R R

S T A R R Busby (they/she/he/we) is a Black experimental artist who sings, acts, composes, educates, and is committed to the liberation of all people. S T A R R leads a music project under their name which will release a debut album in 2024. She is the lead singer of dance band People’s Champs (www.peopleschamps.com). S T A R R has also supported and collaborated with artists such as The Gorillaz, Esperanza Spalding, X Ambassadors, Kimbra, Alice Smith, and Quelle Chris. Selected credits: The Beautiful Lady (La Mama, Boris); On Sugarland (NYTW, co-composer); Octet (Signature Theatre, Paula) *Drama Desk Award Winner; Mikrokosmos, Sterischer Herbst (Graz), Nottingham Contemporary; The Girl with the Incredible Feeling, Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi. Love, gratitude, and ashé to my blessed honorable ancestors, especially MME.

Ashley De La Rosa - Headshot

Ars Nova & National Black Theatre debut! Broadway: Mean Girls, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. National Tours: Hamilton: An American Musical, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, RENT. Television: Dear Edward (Apple TV+), The Other Two (HBO). Her original music is available for streaming on all digital music platforms. Grateful to be here.

Fabrique, tina hs

Tina Fabrique was seen most recently in Mary Seacole at Washington DC’s Mosaic Theater and in The Most Happy in Concert at the Williamstown Theater Festival this past season. Broadway/New York/ Nat’l Tour credits include How to Succeed Without Really Trying – Bring In Da Noise Bring in Da Funk -Gospel At Colonus – Ragtime – 70 Girls 70 – Dessa Rose – ELLA – Truly Blessed – The Wiz – Crowns – Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope etc. TV/Film : Blue Bloods – New Amsterdam – The Last OG – God Friended Me – The Boys In The Band – Sings theme to “Reading Rainbow”

Folkes-Stone Headshot

From Los Angeles, Satori Folkes-Stone is an inaugural alumna of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. She was cast in Ivo Van Hove’s 2020 revival of West Side Story just before her graduation. Film to stage she has worked closely with Zachary Woodlee, d. Sabela grimes, William Forsythe, Karla Puno Garcia, Stephanie Klemons and Amy O’Neal. Satori is an improviser, dancemaker, and writer— jazzed to be joining the cast of (pray).

Nikon Z6

Amara Granderson is a Brooklyn native and multidisciplinary artist. Select credits: Broadway: for colored girls… (Tony-nominated, “Lady in Orange.”) Off-Broadway: Romeo ‘n’ Juliet (Classical Theatre of Harlem, “Ensemble.”) Regional: A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Harlem (“Lysandra,” Pittsburgh Public Theater,) Fly (La Jolla Playhouse, “Ensemble.”) Awards: Chita Rivera, The Antonyo’s (Best Ensemble, for colored girls…)

Jackson, taylor symone j-highres-328[60]

Taylor Symone Jackson (She/Her) is an artist from Atlanta, Ga and is ecstatic about making her National Black Theater and Ars Nova debut! Broadway: Ain’t Too Proud Regional: Ain’t Too Proud (Berkeley Rep), The Wiz (Oregon Shakespeare Festival). TV: Born To Dance, My Parents My sister and Me, The Game. Thanks to my friends, family, and Most High! @taylorsymonej

Law, Ziiomi. Photo credit Kaylah Waithe

Ziiomi Louise Law is a professional dancer & performer, arts administrative careworker, community consultant, and death doula nomadically based nowhere & working everywhere. They are a Blackqueer, non-binary, multihyphenate who sweats possibility & oozes pleasure. Zii is an embodied Et Cetera, period! They are most fulfilled when collaborating on projects that feel like soul food. Ziiomi believes if it ain’t a full body YES, it’s a no! You can find themme luxuriating at the intersections of both/and. Ziiomilaw.com

Mizzele, Aigner

Aigner Mizzelle is a NYC based muti-faceted artist. Since earning her BFA from NYU Tisch, Aigner has made appearances in Ars Nova’s ANT Fest, The Public’s Under The Radar Festival, The Prelude Arts Festival, and Circle in the Square. nicHi Douglas’ (pray) is a piece quite dear to Aigner’s heart as she has had the honor of being a part of its development since 2018. Thank you, nicHi for your commitment to your craft and for your unyielding advocacy for your collaborators.

Naderah HS

Naderah Munajj Florida A&M University Alumna, Naderah Munajj is a Grammy Award winning Performing Artist from Miami, FL. A product of New World school of the arts, Naderah received classical training in Dance and Musical Theater. Naderah has been featured in several movies and television programs such as BET’s “Boomerang”, the upcoming “Color Purple” movie, and was a featured dancer in Beyoncé’s historical Coachella performance. This is Naderah’s off-Broadway debut. Keep up with Naderah and follow @iam_naderah on Instagram.

Turner, Gayle

Gayle Turner (She/Her) is thrilled to be a part of the premiere cast of (pray) with nicHi douglas and S T A R R Busby. Performing Credits include the NYSAF Summer season 2022 at Marist College with Playwright Keenan Scott II (Broadway’s Thoughts of a Colored Man) and Director Steve Broadnax III in The Return of Young Boy, First Noel, Langston in Harlem, Having Our Say/Delaney Sisters, Spunk, Once on This Island, Constant Star/Ida B Wells. Member of the Honorary Tony Awarded Broadway Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir and a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts/NY. Peace & Joy.

White, Darnell

A noted staple in New York City’s music scene, Darnell has developed a pristine reputation as a performer, composer, and musical director. As an MD he has collaborated with a number of noted artists including Melba Moore, Brian McKnight, Blaine Krauss, Amma Ossei, Willis White, Angela Birchett, David LaMarr, Carlton Jumel Smith and many more! Darnell recently served as Musical Director for the off-Broadway show Revelation The Musical as well as the film adaptation of Gospel at Colonus (premiering November 2020). He is currently the MD for a few churches in the New York area and the chorusmaster for Trilogy: An Opera Company in Newark, NJ! Darnell is highly recognized as one of New York City’s top vocal coaches and is always accepting new talent into his studio.

Woods, D

D. Woods is a founding member of the multi-platinum pop/r&b group Danity Kane. Recently, D. Woods presented the world premiere of her semi-autobiographical, One-Woman show, MY FAVORITE COLOR: Trouble In Paradise in Atlanta Ga. Her Film/TV/and Theater credits include Holla If Ya Hear Me directed by Kenny Leon, Christopher Green’s Prurience at The Guggenheim Museum, the acclaimed film Blackbird directed by Patrick Ian-Polk, the ALLBLCK streaming network series Stuck With You, Tales on BET Network, Harlem (Amazon Prime) the Off Broadway and Broadway revival of for colored girls…, Marcus Gardley’s Black Odyssey, directed by Stevie Walker-Webb Off Broadway. Follow D. Woods @yagirldwoods on all social media her official website www.missdwoods.com.

THE TEAM

nicHi douglas is a Brooklyn-based artist, educator, activist, and 2021 Princess Grace Award winner. you can refer to her/him/them/us using any pronoun said with Respect. nicHi’s work can be characterized by a dogged interest in building community in the process of creating performance. as such, our work is multigenerational, developing theater with/for folx ages 2-82. we have developed original theater work at The Public Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, New Victory, Lincoln Center, Long Wharf, Pig Iron, Denver Center, and Berkeley Rep, among others. they have created interactive dance exhibits for the National Museum of African-American Music and the New York Hall of Science. nicHi’s mutual aid fund, nicHi’s SuSu, launched in 2020 and has raised over $18K for Black artists. nicHi is an Assistant Professor of Movement in the Experimental Theater Wing at Tisch School of the Arts. she has also guest lectured at Yale School of Drama. stage credits: Girl From the North Country (Public Theater, Associate Choreographer), SKiNFoLK: An American Show (NYT Critic’s Pick//The Bushwick Starr/National Black Theatre, Choreographer), Weightless (WP Theater, Choreographer), …The Cotillion (The Movement Theatre Company/New Georges, Choreographer) | www.mynameisnichi.com

S T A R R Busby (they/she/he/we) is a Black experimental artist who sings, acts, composes, educates, and is committed to the liberation of all people. S T A R R leads a music project under their name which will release a debut album in 2024. She is the lead singer of dance band People’s Champs (www.peopleschamps.com). S T A R R  has also supported and collaborated with artists such as The Gorillaz, Esperanza Spalding, X Ambassadors, Kimbra, Alice Smith, and Quelle Chris. Selected credits: The Beautiful Lady (La Mama, Boris); On Sugarland (NYTW, co-composer); Octet (Signature Theatre, Paula) *Drama Desk Award Winner; Mikrokosmos, Sterischer Herbst (Graz), Nottingham Contemporary; The Girl with the Incredible Feeling, Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi. Love, gratitude, and ashé to my blessed honorable ancestors, especially MME.

JJJJJerome Ellis is an animal, stutterer, and artist. He was raised by Jamaican and Grenadian immigrants in Tidewater, VA, where he prays, gardens, and resides among the egrets and asters. Through music, literature, performance, and video he researches relationships among blackness, disabled speech, divinity, nature, sound, and time. He dreams of building a sonic bath house!

dots is a multi-disciplinary design collective creating environments for theater, film, commercials, and immersive experiences. Hailing from Colombia, South Africa, and Japan, we are Santiago Orjuela-Laverde,  Andrew Moerdyk & Kimie Nishikawa. As collaborators, we believe that the whole is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Recent credits: The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window (Broadway : James Earl Jones Theater, BAM), Dark Disabled Stories (The Public Theater), Public Obscenities (Soho Rep, NAATCO, Drama Desk nomination), Kate Berlant is KATE (Connelly Theater), You Will Get Sick (Roundabout Theater, Lucille Lortel nomination).

DeShon Elem is an Afrofuturist/Afrosurrealist artist and designer from The Bronx, by way of Harlem. Her design career has been centered around working on shows that highlight and uplift Black stories and voices. Broadway: Associate Costume Designer Pass Over, For Colored Girls, Fat Ham Off-Broadway: This Land Was Made ( The Vineyard Theatre), The Gospel Woman workshop (National Black Theatre) Film: The Roll Call: The Roots To Strange Fruit (All Arts & National Black Theatre).

Cha See is a lighting designer from Manila, Philippines and based in NYC. Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel and Obie award grantee. Off-Broadway credits include You Will Get Sick (Roundabout Theatre Company), The Seagull/Woodstock, NY, One in Two (The New Group), Wet Brain (Playwrights Horizons), The Fever, Lucy (Audible Theater), Exception to the Rule (Roundabout Underground), What to Send Up When It Goes Down (Playwrights Horizons, BAM), Soft (MCC), As You Like It (La Jolla Playhouse), among others. Cha’s designs will soon be featured in Babbitt (La Jolla Playhouse), Covenant (Roundabout Theatre Company), and Is It Thursday Yet? (Perelman Center). Cha received her M.F.A. from NYU Tisch. seelightingdesign.com

Mikaal Sulaiman Broadway: Thanksgiving Play, Fat Ham, Death of a Salesman, Cost of Living, Macbeth, Thoughts of a Colored Man. Off-Broadway: The Half-God of Rainfall (NYTW), Primary Trust (Roundabout), Des Moines (TFANA), Sanctuary City (NYTW), Fairview (Soho Rep), Rags Parkland (Ars Nova), Underground Railroad Game (Ars Nova). Recipient: Obie Award, Creative Capital Award, Henry Hewes Award, and CTG Sherwood Award. www.mikaal.com

Noah Mease is a theater-maker, writer & cartoonist. (pray) is his 8th production at Ars Nova; other props work includes INFINITE LIFE (Atlantic, National Theatre), NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 (“Kazino,” A.R.T, Broadway), OKLAHOMA! (St. Ann’s, Broadway), HADESTOWN (NYTW), AN OCTOROON (Soho Rep., TFANA), and JOHN (Signature – OBIE Award). Alumnus of Ars Nova’s Play Group. Ongoing comics at www.namelessmage.com

Bio to come

Bio to come

Jadele McPherson is an artist-scholar currently in residence at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. McPherson founded Lukumi Arts in 2008, an Afro-Cuban arts experimental theater company. In 2021 McPherson produced the Afro-Latinx artist series: Mind, Body & Soul, and also performed in Yoruba Soy with Pedrito Martinez at Carnegie Hall; Rebirthing Yemaya by Beatrice Capote and Wake Up: Liberation Call at Dawn with Abigail DeVille at the Hirshhorn Museum.

The Telsey Office/ Destiny Lilly, CSA With offices in both New York and Los Angeles, The Telsey Office casts for theater, film, television, and commercials. The Telsey Office is dedicated to creating safe, equitable, and anti-racist spaces through collaboration, artistry, heart, accountability, and advocacy.

Belynda M’Baye: Being of service to new plays and supporting artists brings me joy to my soul. I have been blessed to have supported as Production Stage Manager ( to list a few),@ National Black Theatre –  The Gospel Woman, The Peculiar Patriot,  The First Deep Breath, , Crowndation, Serious Adverse Effects, Blood, Sweet, Manhood, Un-Tamed, Zoohouse, Hands Up, Master ( Foundry Theater)   Hands Up, Rain Pryor’s Fried Chicken & Latkes, Waterboy @ Bushwick Starr.  A Drop of Midnight ( Sweden Tour) Apollo Theater, Festivals: 48 Hours in Harlem9, New Black Fest, The Lark,, NYMF  2017, NAMT 2017,  Now Africa Playwrights Festival. NBTF (Winston Salem, NC:  Foundry Theatre, Crossroads Theatre, American Bard Theatre,  Lincoln Center Education. Belynda  is the I Am Soul Residency Program Manager at National Black Theatre.

Keyana Hemphill is a multi-hyphenate artist who is thrilled to be working with this brilliant team! BFA: NYU Tisch ‘17. Off Broadway: The Cotillion (ASM, New Georges/The Movement Theater Company). Other theatre credits include Uncle Vanya (SM, O’Henry Productions); In the Name of the Mother Tree (ASM, DoubleEdge Theatre in assoc. w/ National Black Theatre and the Apollo Theater); Definition (SM, Mercury Store); where love lies fallow (ASM, The Shed, The Public).

Talia Paulette Oliveras (she/they) is a blk-latinx artist who builds interdisciplinary, experiential, and ritualistic community spaces through theatre. Talia primarily makes work alongside Nia Farrell as Ta-Nia: a theatre-making duo dedicated to making blk spaces in an anti-blk society. They recently participated in Soho Rep’s Writer/Director Lab 2019-21, premiered Eternity, the End, and Everything that Never Began in Germany (Schauspiel Dortmund), and is developing a newly commissioned piece with Playwrights Realm. taliaoliveras.com

Michelle Cole, MA (she/her) is an educator, choreographer, dancer, scholar, and mother. She is an adjunct faculty and advisor at NYU committed to centering dances and empowering voices of the African diaspora. She has performed on stages from Radio City Music Hall to the National Theater of Kampala in Uganda. In 2020, she established Dance Culture LLC to revolutionize dance education. She was honored as the 2020 NYSDEA Teaching Artist of the Year.

Terran Scott (she/her) is a true creative multi-hyphenate. Based in Brooklyn, Terran is an actor, singer and music-person (MTF, Joe’s Pub, NAMT, NYSAF, Lightning Rod Special, others), a producer at Eileen Fisher, and co-founder of Fruit House Films, a production collective where she is a producer, production designer and music coordinator/supervisor. Follow our various projects at @fruithousefilms. Like the native planetree, Terran annually sheds her bark to make room for new growth. @vegeterran | terranscott.com

Colleen Murray (Assistant Set Designer) is a scenic designer and visual artist based in Brooklyn. Recent design credits: Gloria (Doug Hughes), Happy Days (Nico Krell), Conveyances (Zoey Martinson), Citizen: An American Lyric (Whitney White), Cellino v. Barnes (David Rafailedes, & Michael Breen), Airline Highway (Pamela Berlin), and Backstage (Paul Oscar Kanter, Costume Design). TSOA scholarship recipient. www.colleenmurraydesign.com IG@coll3enmurray

Bio to come

Bio to come

Bio to come

Ziiomi Louise Law is a professional dancer & performer, arts administrative careworker, community consultant, and death doula nomadically based nowhere & working everywhere. They are a Blackqueer, non-binary, multihyphenate who sweats possibility & oozes pleasure. Zii is an embodied Et Cetera, period! They are most fulfilled when collaborating on projects that feel like soul food. Ziiomi believes if it ain’t a full body YES, it’s a no! You can find themme luxuriating at the intersections of both/and. Ziiomilaw.com

We will offer a mask-required performance on Wednesday, September 27 @ 7PM for those individuals who are more comfortable attending a performance at which everyone is masked. Bars Nova will be closed for that performance and all patrons and front of house staff in attendance will be required to remain masked throughout the performance.

Following the Thursday, October 5 @ 7PM, Thursday, October 12 @ 7PM and Thursday, October 19 performances, National Black Theatre will host and facilitate panel discussions (called afterwords) where members of the creative team and community will discuss a variety of topics related to the show. Additionally, each Friday and Saturday evening performance after October 6 will also include afterwords facilitated by National Black Theater’s leadership team where audience members can join in conversation about the production.

There will be a captioned performance on Wednesday, October 18 @ 7PM. You will need to download GalaPro from your app store and create an account. Find (pray) from the list of productions. Choose your closed captioning as the service service for the show. Follow the steps on your screen (turn phone to airplane mode, connect to the GalaPro Wifi network, turn off all phone notifications). Your phone will be the device for closed captioning.

If a performance is sold out, you can join a standby line for day-of-show tix made available by last minute cancellations and no-shows. Standby will begin 1 hour prior to curtain and will form outside. Folks from the standby line will be admitted into the show on a rolling basis as availability is confirmed. Standby tix are name-your-price starting at $35 + fees.

(pray) is wheelchair accessible. There is a ramp from the sidewalk to the lobby. If you wish or need to remain in your wheelchair throughout the show, our staff will remove the theater chair. This can be done by letting us know your needs/plans in advance; just email dzhang@arsnovanyc.com. It can also be done without prior notice when you arrive! If you wish to transfer to the theater seat from your wheelchair, we are happy to store your wheelchair or motorized mobility aid in the lobby during the performance. The House Manager will return your mobility device to you at the end of the performance as (pray) has no intermission.

About 25% of the seating is on the ground floor of the theater and does not require using stairs to access. There are five six-inch steps to get into the building.

All remaining seats require no less than one and no more than five steps to access.

Licensed service animals (any dogs that are trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities) are welcome at (pray). They must rest in your seating area throughout the performance and are unable to occupy the aisle. Please bring proof of certification or a license for your service animal and be prepared to present it to the House Manager upon request. You can send advance notice to dzhang@arsnovanyc.com, which is appreciated, but not required.

Assistive Listening Devices are available free of charge on a first-come, first-serve basis from the box office. An ID or credit card is required to borrow a listening device; it will be returned to you when you return the device after the performance. The Assistive Listening Device includes an over-ear headset and the receiver. Both are cleaned before and after performances. Any member of the Ars Nova team can help you check one out – just let us know when you arrive and we’ll hook you up!

There will be a captioned performance on Wednesday, October 18 @ 7PM. You will need to download GalaPro from your app store and create an account. Find (pray) from the list of productions. Choose your closed captioning as the service service for the show. Follow the steps on your screen (turn phone to airplane mode, connect to the GalaPro Wifi network, turn off all phone notifications). Your phone will be the device for closed captioning.

Our bathrooms are stalled, all gender restrooms – everyone is welcome to use any bathroom of their choice. We have two restrooms; one up one flight of stairs (to the left of Bars Nova) which contains two stalls and two sinks, and one down one flight of stairs (to the left of the security desk) which contains three stalls and three sinks. This bathroom is also accessible via elevator. Unfortunately, though, these restrooms are not wheelchair accessible due to the dimension of the hallway. There is an accessible restroom of the 4th Floor of the building, available only to guests with access needs. Please let any member of the Ars Nova team know if you need access to this restroom, and we’ll get you there!

We have a space adjacent to the lobby that can be made to offer privacy for feeding should you need at any time. See the House Manager onsite and they will arrange a comfortable space, with storage and refrigeration for your materials.

The audience seating locations are in, around and throughout the playing area. Performers will be within 3’ of you, and you will be surrounded by performances no matter where you sit.

The seating is a combination of pews and wooden seats. Both items are salvaged, so we do not know their weight rating. They are solid wood and well constructed. The pews are 18” high, 15” deep, and between 90” or 121” long; they have unattached upholstered cushions and provide at least 21 inches of space for each person seated on them. The chairs are 19” wide and 18” high, and will be spaced to provide at least 21” of space for each person seated on them.

Performances of (pray) will take place at Ars Nova @ Greenwich House, located on 27 Barrow Street, New York, NY, 10014.

Saturday, September 23 – Sunday October 28, Monday – Saturday @ 7PM with additional performances on Saturday @ 2PM beginning October 14. Click the “calendar” tab to view our full performance schedule.

The audience seating locations are in, around and throughout the playing area. You will be surrounded by performers no matter where you sit.

Seating is general admission and first-come first-served. So, the earlier you arrive at the theater, the more choice you’ll have about where you sit! (Bonus: cheapest drinks in Greenwich Village are at Bars Nova!)

The only way to guarantee you reserved seats is to become a Super Nova. Super Novas never hear “sold out,” get reserved seats in prime locations, and make fair wages and accessible tickets possible. Learn more about becoming a Super Nova here!

Tix to (pray) are Name Your Price, meaning tix are available in $5 increments up to $100 and you pick the price that’s right for you! For this show, Name Your Price tix start at $5 for the first week of performances, $15 for the second week of performances, $25 for the third week of performances and $35 for performances thereafter, which means you can save big by coming to an early performance!

Once you’ve selected your performance date and time at check-out, you’ll see a number of ticket price options. Select the price point you want to pay and the number of tickets you’d like to purchase and they’ll be added to your cart. After that, continue through the check-out process and you’ll be all set!

Yes. The processing fees are charged by our ticketing and credit card processors, and increase along with the base price of your ticket.

The show runs approximately 75 minutes with no intermission.

There is no late seating or re-entry, so arrive early, nab the best seats, and leave yourself a little extra time to arrive and use the restroom before the show begins.

Tix to (pray) are Name Your Price, meaning tix are available in $5 increments up to $100 and you pick the price that’s right for you! For this show, Name Your Price tix start at $5 for the first week of performances, $15 for the second week of performances, $25 for the third week of performances and $35 for performances thereafter, which means you can save big by coming to an early performance!

If a performance is sold out, you can join a standby line for day-of-show tix made available by last minute cancellations and no-shows. Standby will begin 1 hour prior to curtain and will form outside. Folks from the standby line will be admitted into the show on a rolling basis as availability is confirmed. Standby tix are name-your-price starting at $35 + fees.

All sales are final – there are no refunds or exchanges.

If you’re unable to use your tickets, you may donate them in exchange for a letter of tax credit by emailing tix@arsnovanyc.com.

We ask that you stay home if you aren’t feeling well or are awaiting the results of a COVID test. Please let us know prior to your ticketed performance, and we will work with you to find a solution if you’re unable to attend.

We welcome and encourage mask-wearing to protect yourself and others. However, as mask mandates have lifted and city, state and federal guidelines have changed, we will not be requiring them at most performances.

We will offer a mask-required performance on Wednesday, September 27 @ 7PM for those individuals who are more comfortable attending a performance at which everyone is masked. Bars Nova will be closed for that performance and all patrons and front of house staff in attendance will be required to remain masked throughout the performance.

We no longer require proof of vaccination, but we strongly encourage all audience members to get vaccinated and boosted in accordance with public health guidelines.

We’ve upgraded the ventilation and air filtration in all of our spaces to meet or exceed the highest standards set by public health officials and our theatrical unions.

Our staff will clean and sanitize the theater and common areas and we’ll continue to provide hand sanitizer for your personal use.

Signage is posted in all spaces encouraging washing or sanitizing hands frequently.

Yes! Following the Thursday, October 5 @ 7PM, Thursday, October 12 @ 7PM and Thursday, October 19 performances, National Black Theatre will host and facilitate panel discussions (called afterwords) where members of the creative team and community will discuss a variety of topics related to the show. Additionally, each Friday and Saturday evening performance after October 6 will also include afterwords facilitated by National Black Theater’s leadership team where audience members can join in conversation about the production.

(pray) is wheelchair accessible. We hope you’ll let us know in advance by emailing tix@arsnovanyc.com to let us know if you are unable to transfer, so that we can make your visit as smooth as possible. Details on all of our accessibility offerings can be found by clicking the “access” tab on this page. We also welcome any questions or information about your access needs ahead of your visit; reach out Audience Engagement Associate Declan Zhang. Access needs and accommodations can include, but are not limited to:

  • Guests arriving in a wheelchair, motorized mobility aid, etc;
  • Guests remaining seated in a wheelchair during the show;
  • Guests planning on transferring from their wheelchair or scooter into a seat;
  • Guests visiting with their service animal;
  • Guests looking to utilize an Assistive Listening Device during the show;
  • Guests hoping to access our Audio Described Performances
  • Guests who require specific chair accommodations such as high-weight capacity seats, purchasing multiple seats for one person, or information regarding chair specifications;
  • Guests wishing to learn how to best navigate the space prior to their visit and would like more detailed specifications of the venue.

Please note: this production contains haze.

Ars Nova is uncensored. We provide content advisories — to the best of our ability — to inform audiences when shows contain racial violence, racist language, sexual violence or nudity. We provide information about this type of content in advance, based on our core values, so that each audience member can make an informed decision about if and how they’d like to engage with that content. We welcome artists to share additional information about their shows based on their own core values.

The development and production of (pray) is supported, in part, by The Ford Foundation’s Creative Futures program, MAP Fund, National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s Frank Young Fund for New Musicals, NYSCA/TDF TAP Plus, and the NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre by the City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment in association with The New York Foundation for the Arts.

Tix to (pray) are Name Your Price, meaning you decide what you pay! The minimum price for Name Your Price tix start at $5 plus fees the first week of performances and go up in $10 increments each week of performances, so you can save by booking tix to earlier performances in the run. And fun fact: for every dollar you spend on your ticket, we spend the following on the show:

  • $.62 on artist, creator, & crew compensation
  • $.27 on production materials like scenery, costumes, lighting & sound equipment
  • $.07 on marketing & engagement materials like photos, music videos, audio-description, etc.
  • $.04 on company care like physical therapy, water and throat lozenges!

To cover all those expenses for the entire run of the show, every ticket would need to sell for $257! If you are able to make an additional donation to help pay the artists who made (pray) fair wages while keeping tickets affordable for all New Yorkers, please do!