Theatre for a New Audience returns to in-person performances October 30 with Will Eno’s Gnit, 19 months after it was shuttered just four previews into its run. The 2021–2022 season will also include Alice Childress’ Wedding Band: A Love-Hate Story in Black and White and Arin Arbus directing The Merchant of Venice.

Performances resume at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center (TFANA’s home) with Gnit (continuing through November 21), directed by Oliver Butler. The creative team features set designer Kimie Nishikawa, costume designers Ásta Bennie Hostetter and Avery Reed, lighting designer Amith Chandrashaker, sound designer Lee Kinney, and composer Daniel Kluger.

Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (February 5–March 4, 2022) will star John Douglas Thompson as Shylock. The Arbus-helmed production began as an online exploration in January 2021 as part of TFANA’s Artists & Community series. The Shakespeare Theatre Company co-production will travel to Washington, D.C., after its TFANA debut.

Childress’ 1918-set interracial love story Wedding Band (April 23–May 15) will be directed by Awoye Timpo. The production is the first New York revival since 1972 and marks the expansion of TFANA’s collaboration with Classix, a collective created by Timpo in collaboration with Brittany Bradford, A.J. Muhammad, Dominque Rider, and Arminda Thomas.

In addition to Wedding Band, the two groups will launch (re)clamation, a new podcast series covering different aspects of Black theatre history.

For more information, visit TFANA.org.