our story.
The Muse Project began as a question posed by actor Jocelyn Kuritsky: Why do women actors still struggle to feel fulfilled by the roles they play and the opportunities they are given? A search for an answer to this question and an investigation of its genesis has, through a series of successes, failures, and iterations, led to the development of a project devoted to providing women actors with the resources and stimulation to create theatrical art out of their deepest impulses and unfulfilled artistic desires.
The first test of The Muse Project model took place in May and June of 2013, with space granted by director Ian Morgan and The New Group. The selected actor was Tina Benko.
Kuritsky, Benko, and director Mia Rovegno collaborated for about two weeks, creating new material, both scripted and improvised. The resulting piece was presented in workshop format on May 30, 2013 to an audience of invited guests. The Benko piece was a solo performance that delved into universal questions and concerns about female identity in a way that was shocking and electrifying. This workshop paved the way for what we now term a Mini Muse, a developmental model, and our core program.
Kuritsky, Benko, and director Mia Rovegno collaborated for about two weeks, creating new material, both scripted and improvised. The resulting piece was presented in workshop format on May 30, 2013 to an audience of invited guests. The Benko piece was a solo performance that delved into universal questions and concerns about female identity in a way that was shocking and electrifying. This workshop paved the way for what we now term a Mini Muse, a developmental model, and our core program.
In October 2015, The Muse Project officially launched as a brand new, woman-focused theater initiative.
The 2015-16 year was the first, experimental year of The Muse Project. Kuritsky’s own Muse Project was developed and produced. In early 2015, Kuritsky approached director Tony Speciale and playwright Kim Davies about creating a new play, inspired by Rolling Stone's blockbuster (and now retracted) A Rape on Campus. Stet, a new play inspired by true events, was written by Kim Davies and conceived & developed by Kim Davies, Jocelyn Kuritsky, and Tony Speciale. Stet premiered at Abingdon Theatre Company - in association with The Muse Project - toward the end of the 2015/16 season, and it enjoyed a successful, extended, Off-Broadway run. To read about the process and the show, click here. Stet also visited the Poconos in September 2016. Read more about it here.
The 2015-16 year was the first, experimental year of The Muse Project. Kuritsky’s own Muse Project was developed and produced. In early 2015, Kuritsky approached director Tony Speciale and playwright Kim Davies about creating a new play, inspired by Rolling Stone's blockbuster (and now retracted) A Rape on Campus. Stet, a new play inspired by true events, was written by Kim Davies and conceived & developed by Kim Davies, Jocelyn Kuritsky, and Tony Speciale. Stet premiered at Abingdon Theatre Company - in association with The Muse Project - toward the end of the 2015/16 season, and it enjoyed a successful, extended, Off-Broadway run. To read about the process and the show, click here. Stet also visited the Poconos in September 2016. Read more about it here.
In April of 2017, The Muse Project hosted a kick-off party at Torn Page, the historic home of Geraldine Page and Rip Torn. Actresses Lynn Cohen, Déa Julien, and Jessica Frances Dukes all presented short teasers of the projects they planned to work on during the 2017 Season. Mia Rovegno directed the evening.
In June, July, and September of 2017, all 3 actresses initiated projects using the Mini Muse model. Lynn Cohen presented a personal pastiche of famous monologues at Torn Page. She collaborated with dramaturge Jolene Noelle. Jessica Frances Dukes presented the first full draft of her solo show exploring a complex familial lineage of race, class, and identity in America. She collaborated with playwright-mentor Nathan Alan Davis and dramaturge Anna Lathrop. Déa Julien presented one scene from her new full-length play exploring a Syrian refugee’s struggle to adapt to her new life while navigating her relationship with her sponsor. Déa collaborated with director Adrienne Campbell-Holt and actor Birgit Huppuch.
In June, July, and September of 2017, all 3 actresses initiated projects using the Mini Muse model. Lynn Cohen presented a personal pastiche of famous monologues at Torn Page. She collaborated with dramaturge Jolene Noelle. Jessica Frances Dukes presented the first full draft of her solo show exploring a complex familial lineage of race, class, and identity in America. She collaborated with playwright-mentor Nathan Alan Davis and dramaturge Anna Lathrop. Déa Julien presented one scene from her new full-length play exploring a Syrian refugee’s struggle to adapt to her new life while navigating her relationship with her sponsor. Déa collaborated with director Adrienne Campbell-Holt and actor Birgit Huppuch.
In 2018, The Muse Project was invited to become an Anchor Partner at The Flea Theater. In the summer of 2018, Artistic Director Jocelyn Kuritsky ran The Muse Project's first ever Kickstarter campaign, and raised over $16,000 to fund a fall festival of Mini Muse presentations at The Flea. The campaign ignited a wealth of support from feminist champions and industry stalwarts, including actor Geneva Carr, musicians David Poe & Duncan Sheik, actor/activist Sheetal Sheth, wellness guru Alexandra Jamieson, and many more.
In October 2018, The Muse Project's first collection (a kind of festival) of Mini Muses was presented at The Flea Theater. Vanessa Aspillaga joined Muse for the first time. She presented from a piece that incorporated music and her visual art - a creative memoir of sorts - with collaborator José Zayas (director). Lynn Cohen returned to Muse with collaborators Lewis Black (playwright), Ron Cohen (dramaturge), and Ian Morgan (director & dramaturge). Lynn presented the entirety of Black's short play, Dottie's Home, a reimagining of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. Jessica Frances Dukes returned to Muse with a second iteration of her first solo show (exploring a complex familial lineage of race, class, and identity in America), alongside collaborators Taylor Barfield (dramaturge) and Seret Scott (director). Déa Julien also returned to Muse with a second iteration of her piece that seeks to tell the story of a young Syrian refugee and her relationship to her sponsor. Her collaborators included Kylie Brown (director), Megan Sandberg-Zakian (dramaturge, Maia Directors), and Caroline Hewitt (actor). Kyra Miller joined Muse for the first iteration of a new piece exploring puppetry, Gaslight, and Bluebeard, with collaborators Noel Allain (actor) and Katie Pearl (director, co-writer).
In 2018, in addition to individual support, The Muse Project received support from ART/NY, the Anna Weissberger Foundation, and the Klein Family Foundation.
In 2019, Muse worked with the So-fi Festival to remount Kyra Miller's BlueBeardGasLight. Muse also hosted two brand new Tea Time events with Emmy Award winner Erin Cherry and the internationally acclaimed Sheetal Sheth.
In 2020 and 2021, Muse launched and continues to develop a podcast series called A Simple Herstory about the women who have run for President of the United States. Herstory is being presented by The Tank. The voice of actress Florencia Lozano is at the helm of the storytelling for Season 1. A tremendous team of actresses came together to be a part of this first season, including Kara Young, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Rachel Crowl, Kate Burton, Tonya Pinkins, Louise Lasser, and many more.
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