Faculty Staff Co-Founders
PRODUCTIONS CURRENT PAST
 

7 Minutes

 
Web-Banner-7-Minutes-300.jpeg

U.S. Premiere

DATES

March 17 - April 10, 2022

LOCATION

HERE Arts Center

 

WRITTEN BY:

Stefano Massini

TRANSLATED BY:

Francesca Spedalieri

DIRECTED BY:

Mei Ann Teo

PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH:

Working Theater

DESCRIPTION

Based on actual events, 7 Minutes depicts an urgent meeting of the 11 women and gender non-conforming folx elected to the union council of their rural Connecticut textile factory. Changes at the factory seem inevitable when new owners take over, giving the council only 90 minutes to vote on a decision with serious consequences for everyone at the factory. Tempers flare and anxieties boil over as individual needs, perspectives and suspicions vie for position while the clock runs down.

A razor-sharp portrait of unionized factory workers grappling in real time with the power imbalance they depend on for their very livelihoods, 7 Minutes scrutinizes the individual impact of the economic forces and labor practices currently under debate in the United States. Best known in New York for his acclaimed play The Lehman Trilogy – a searing study in the unfettered pursuit of wealth by early captains of American industry – Massini tracks in 7 Minutes the lasting effects of the capitalist system they helped build on the workers of today, who bear the brunt of ever-tightening productivity demands and decades of government policy and business interest weakening the labor movement.

 

CONVERSATION SERIES

We are proud to be producing 7 Minutes alongside partners from across the world of organized labor in NYC and beyond. Join us at the following performances for post-show discussions with leaders in the field:

Friday, March 8: In Conversation with Starbucks Workers United, Hosted by Kim Cook

Tuesday, March 22: In Conversation with Make the Road NY, which organizes to build the power of immigrant and working class communities, with special guest Aracelly Cantos

Wednesday, March 23: In Conversation with Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO

Thursday, March 31: A post-show conversation between Karen Nussbam (a Founder of 9to5, SEIU 925 and Working America) + Elise Bryant (President, Labor Heritage Foundation and the Coalition for Labor Union Women)

Friday, April 1st: Students, Alumni and Faculty from CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies in dialogue with organizer Sarah Hughes (Labor Notes)

Wednesday, April 6th: Esta Bigler from Cornell’s Institute for Labor Relations facilitates a post-show conversation with the audience

Friday, April 8th: Two organizers with the Teamsters Union will speak about their upcoming campaign

Saturday, April 9th at 1:30p: Post-Show Conversation with Dr. Hayet Sellami (Professor at Columbia and NYU, whose first job was actually at a French textile factory, the same setting as the 7 Minutes play in the original Italian)

Sunday, April 10th: Off their historic win, we are closing the 7 Minutes Conversation Series with guest Chris Smalls, President of the newly-formed Amazon Labor Union. Join us after the conversation - we will be celebrating workers and organizers with an informal social hour in appreciation and gratitude for all you do and continue to do.

BG.png

INFORMATION

  • Nicole Ansari, Jojo Brown, Danielle Davenport, Julia Gu, Simone Immanuel, Mahira Kakkar, Layla Khoshnoudi, Ebony Marshall-Oliver, Aigner Mizzelle, Sushma Saha, Carmen Zilles

  • Production Stage Manager: Genevieve Ortiz

    Scenic Design: You-Shin Chen

    Costume Design: Asa Benally

    Lighting and Sound Design: Hao Bai

    Props Design: Patricia Marjorie

    Casting Director: Taylor Williams

    Line Producer: Victor Cervantes Jr.

    Production Manager: Brittany Coyne

    Dramaturg: AriDy Nox

    Assistant Stage Manager: Sydney Leffler

  • Tickets are priced according to a Sliding Scale Ticketing Initiative, reflecting Waterwell and Working Theater’s commitment to accessibility and belief that theater should not be a luxury or a privilege. We want to make play-going a regular part of our lives. All are welcome here.

    What Should I Pay?

    Use these guidelines to help decide what tier of sliding scale tickets is right for you.

    $84: The True Cost of Your Seat

    For people who are comfortable and have expendable income, paying this price supports a production at this ambitious scale. 7 Minutes employs more artists than many plays Off-Broadway (and on!).

    $60: Pay it Forward

    For people who consistently meet their basic needs and have some expendable income, Pay it Forward allows you to buy a ticket at regular price, plus another to cover the cost for someone with more need.

    $30: Regular Price

    For people who consistently meet their basic needs.

    $10: Access

    Tickets are available at this price to maximize access for all who want to join us, even those who may stress about meeting their basic needs.

    If the Access price is still challenging given your financial situation and you would like to join us for 7 Minutes, a $0 ticket is available for any who ask. Please reach out to us at info@waterwell.org.