THE HUMAN RACE THEATRE COMPANY EXPLORES
CAUSE AND EFFECT IN ITS EICHELBERGER 24/25 LOFT SEASON
For The Human Race Theatre Company’s 39th year, we delve into “What makes us better humans?” exploring how faith, community, service, and inner compass influence the choices we make.
This inquiry ties back to our core mission: to startle us into a renewed awareness of ourselves. Our founders—Suzy Bassani, Caryl Philips, and Sara Exley—envisioned our theatre as a platform to express humanity’s vast emotions and experiences. “Our actions and reactions to our circumstances and the world around us transform us,” notes Emily N. Wells, Artistic Director. “We invite you to join us for our 39th season, promising a captivating blend of love, hope, fear, beliefs, and joys that reflect the present moment.” With pleasure and anticipation, we now share the 39th year of The Human Race Theatre Company: Re/action
The 2024 – 25 Season features five productions, combining fresh and favorite works, all showcased in the unique style of The Human Race Theatre Company.
The 5-production season launches in October with Kate Hamill’s quirky take on the canon of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the murder-mystery comedy Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B.
In December, a world premiere comedy continues The Human Race tradition of alternative winter offerings with A Frosty Night. Imagined by playwright Mark Brown (This is Tom Jones!, Around The World in 80 Days), this what-if scenario pits Frosty the Snowman’s frustrated and heartbroken wife Sharon against Mrs. Claus.
Join us in February for A Distinct Society by Kareem Fahmy, recently nominated for seven San Francisco Critic’s Circle awards. In the tranquil hush of a library that straddles the U.S. – Canada border, unexpected relationships write the most compelling stories.
As spring returns, so does the legend of Camelot. In this tightly crafted adaptation of Lerner and Lowe’s beloved classic adapted by David Lee, wrap yourself in timeless romance, heroic dreams, and the soaring melodies that stir the soul.
Rounding out the season, raise a glass with your high school crowd at The Comeuppance. A New York Times Critic Pick for 2023 penned by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, this contemporary dark comedy delves into the heart of friendships that outlast life’s twists and turns.
We look forward to sharing these stories with you throughout the upcoming year. Subscriptions come many sizes and suited to any budget, and offer the best value with the most flexibility including our new Generation HRTC rate for ages 20-40! Can’t commit? Choose our membership program instead. By popular demand, a Parents Day Out Series is available at no additional charge. Military and student discounts available. Renewals will begin at the end of April and new subscriptions are available at any time. All tickets are available through Dayton Live Box Office at 937-228-3630 or https://www.daytonlive.org/series/loft-season/.
The Human Race Theatre Company
2024-2025 Loft Season
Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B
By Kate Hamill
Cheerfully Desecrating the Stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Director Heather Wilson-Bowlby
October 9 – 20, 2024 – Regional Premiere
This fast-paced romp re-examines the world’s most famous detective story with a bold new feminist lens. In this highly theatrical escapade, oddball female roommates Sherlock (yes, it’s also a girl’s name—wait, is it a girl’s name? Is it even a name?) Holmes & Joan Watson join forces. They emerge from the pandemic fog as a deeply codependent, quasi-dysfunctional Odd Couple adventure duo—solving mysteries and kicking butts, until they come face-to-face with a villain who seems to have all of the answers.
Prepare for an evening of laughter, suspense, and empowerment as Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B takes you on an unforgettable adventure that redefines heroism, friendship, and the art of deduction.
Recommended if you liked The 39 Steps, Deadline, Shipwrecked!
A Frosty Night
By Mark Brown
Director Emily N. Wells
December 11 – 22, 2024 – World Premiere
In this world premiere farce, Mark Brown takes on winter with a twist! Sharon Frosty, Frosty the Snowman’s wife, knows that he’s up to no good and follows his trail to the North Pole. Will she catch him in the act? Laugh ‘til you’re blue with this adults-only comedy.
Recommended if you liked Reindeer Sessions, Who’s Holiday, This is Tom Jones!
A Distinct Society
By Kareem Fahmy
Director Brant Russell
February 5 – 16, 2025
In the tranquil hush of a library that straddles the U.S. – Canada border, life is about to change. When an Iranian father and daughter, separated by the international border, start using the library as a meeting place, the French-Canadian librarian, an American customs agent, and a local teenager find their quiet lives suddenly full of excitement and consequence. Inspired by true events, A Distinct Society is a touching and funny new play about the many things – family, food, art, love, and politics – that can either divide or unite us.
Experience a story of borders transcended by the universal search for connection, proving that even in the quietest places, life can echo with excitement and profound significance.
Recommended if you liked The Cake, Gloria.
Camelot
Book & Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Book Adapted by David Lee
New Orchestrations by Steve Orich
Director Emily N. Wells
Music Director Ian Axness
March 26 – April 6, 2025
Embark on a majestic journey to a realm where honor, dignity, and morality pave the way for a new era under the youthful King Arthur’s reign. This tightly focused adaptation of the classic musical Camelot breathes new life into the legendary love triangle with the same musical favorites “If Ever I Would Leave You,” “The Lusty Month of May,” “I Loved You Once In Silence,” and “Camelot.” Witness as this beloved musical is reborn, offering a spellbinding experience that celebrates love, leadership, and the quest for an ideal world.
Recommended if you liked Fiddler on the Roof, Mame, Oliver!
The Comeuppance
By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Director Latrelle Bright
May 28 – June 8, 2025 – Regional Premiere
As the sun sets on the eve of their twentieth high school reunion, a close-knit group of former classmates—once known as the “Multi-Ethnic Reject Group”—reunites to pre-game the monumental night. Bonded in their youth as outsiders, they now navigate the complexities of adulthood with humor, heart, and a hint of nostalgia. Brilliantly witty, theatrical, and moving, The Comeuppance focuses on millennials reckoning with the world they will soon inherit. This play is a toast to the ties that bind us, the past that shapes us, and the future we step into together.
Recommended if you liked peerless, Lizzie, Heathers.
The Human Race expresses gratitude for the public and private support which makes these productions possible: Loft Season Sponsor: Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation; Sustainability sponsors: Anne F. Johnson, Steve and Lou Mason, and Morris Furniture Company; Additional Season support: Emma R. Catterton Trust, Funds at The Dayton Foundation, Virginia F. Kettering Foundation, The Toulmin Fund, The Shubert Foundation; Organizational support: Culture Works, Montgomery County, Ohio Arts Council. Media Sponsors: WDPR Discover Classical, WYSO, Key Ads. Pay What You Can Sponsor: Enterprise Holdings Foundation. Parent’s Day Out: Rabbit Hole Books/Dayton Book Fair
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On May 17, 2024 the staff and board of The Human Race Theatre Company hosted the inaugural Certified Human Race Fundraiser. After two rounds of trivia provided by Pepper Sprout Productions and a toast to HRTC’s community of supporters, attendees returned to the stage for a rousing auction and mission raise.
THE KITE RUNNER
peerless
SHIPWRECKED! AN ENTERTAINMENT: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself)
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 