Join us April 17th-28th for Lee Nowell's I'm Not Supposed to Talk About This
Shakespeare Tavern | 03.19.24
A VERY famous pop musician asks a writer to create a musical. What happens next is a wild ride. Both hilarious and horrifying, I'm Not Supposed to Talk About This is a story based entirely on a true-life tale.
Join us March 15th-31st for Lee Nowell's True North
7 Stages | 03.19.24
A creative exploration of the invisible forces that connect us across the globe, despite our differences.
Atlanta playwright Lee Nowell’s True North first came to 7 Stages as part of our Home Brew @ Home Series in 2020. This scientific Ted Talk style theatrical experience asks audiences to consider the things around them that they can’t see, like electromagnetic energy and the way we interact with it, in addition to the ways it may affect us.
Join us Online Dec 10th-13th for Lee Nowell's True North
7 Stages | 11.23.20
In 2000, Magnetic North began moving at an erratic, sudden speed. It’s averaging 34 to 40 miles per year. It’s been scientifically proven that human beings can feel this, and we’re learning that it’s affecting us in wide-ranging ways.
True North is a guidebook for all of us, combining the latest scientific research with ancient practices that enable each of us to ground ourselves in the midst of uncertainty.
Lee Nowell Teamed up with Novelist / Composer Phillip DePoy to Write Comic Songs in Response to the Very Odd COVID-19 Era.
- Hold On
- An Urgent Message from the GOP
- This Song
- The Crybaby Loser Song
- Georgia Ballad
- COVID-19 Blues
- Propaganda Clown
- Mask Up
Lee Nowell's True North included in 7 Stages Home Brew Series
7 Stages | 9.18.20
The Home Brew series offers virtual productions in the very early stages of creation as a first look or re-work, with one celebrating the world première as an original film!
Synchronicity Theatre Announces Blue Angels Weekend in 2020-21 Season
9.14.20
Read what Atlanta's arts and culture publications are saying about the March 2021 premiere of Lee Nowell's Blue Angels Weekend!
- ARTSATL
- Atlanta Intown
- Broadway World (SA)
- Creative Loafing (Fall Arts Preview)
- Encore Atlanta
- Patch
- Northside Neighbor
- Northwest Georgia News
Lee Nowell's Comedy Blue Angels Weekend will Premiere at Synchronicity Theatre in March 2021
Broadway World Atlanta | 9.03.20
What if Hunter S. Thompson told Thelma and Louise to take a vacation? Odd Couple college roommates Kathleen and Steph reunite to ring in their 40th birthdays.
Synchro Happy Hour
Synchronicity | 6.18.20
Synchronicity Managing Director Celise Kalke and fellow arts-enthusiasts read from a selection of writings by local Atlanta playwrights. Celise will be curating excerpts from a variety of voices, including Lee Nowell.
Q & A with Lee Nowell About Her New Play
Found Stages | 7.23.19
The Wine & Reading Series playwright shares about her play, And Cauldron Bubble, and her life as a writer and artist.
Found Stages Hosts Reading of Lee Nowell Play at Dunwoody Nature Center
Broadway World | 7.16.19
Found Stages and Dunwoody Nature Center are joining to present the fourth play in the second annual "Wine & Reading Series," Lee Nowell's And Cauldron Bubble on Sunday, August 11th.
Act I and II: Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project
Georgia Public Broadcasting | 10.21.18
Listen to Georgia Public Broadcasting’s radio production of Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project.
News: GPB to broadcast the acclaimed play “Beyond Reasonable Doubt” Sunday
Arts ATL | 10.18.18
Georgia Public Broadcasting will revisit the golden age of radio when it stages playwright Lee Nowell’s critically acclaimed 'Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project' for broadcast Sunday morning.
Troy Davis play, ‘Beyond Reasonable Doubt,’ to air on Georgia Public Broadcasting
Savannah Morning News | 10.17.18
Lee Nowell's play 'Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project' has now been adapted as a GPB radio drama.
Radio Drama Explores 'Beyond Reasonable Doubt' in Troy Davis Case
Georgia Public Broadcasting's On Second Thought | 10.17.18
A new radio drama based on a 2016 play explores the meaning of "reasonable doubt" in the Davis case. We spoke with Lee Nowell, the playwright of "Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project," about the play's origins and its new life as a podcast on GPB.
Georgia Public Broadcasting brings 'Troy Davis Project' play to radio
Connect Savannah | 10.16.18
TROY DAVIS might be the most high-profile murder case in Savannah’s history. In 2011, Davis - convicted in 1991 in the murder of Savannah police officer Mark McPhail - was executed after maintaining his innocence since the beginning and receiving a overwhelming amount of support from people like Pope Benedict XVI and former President Jimmy Carter. It was an extremely divisive case, and prompted strong debate across the nation. . .
Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project to Air on GPB on October 21st!
Georgia Public Broadcasting | 10.15.18
TUNE IN on October 21st at 10 AM/est to hear Georgia Public Broadcasting’s radio production of Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project. The play, commissioned by Atlanta’s Synchronicity Theatre for its 2015-2016 season, features the original cast: Stephen Ruffin, Eric Mendenhall, Terry Henry, Lane Carlock, Danielle Deadwyler, Cynthia D. Barker, John Benzinger, Eddie Bradley, Jr., and narrator, Dakota Adams. You will also be able to download the podcast!
Outstanding World Premiere Nomination
Suzi Awards | 08.28.16
Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project was just nominated for Outstanding World Premiere by the Suzi Awards.
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Best Dynamic Duo Award
eldridge ATL | 08.28.16
Congratulations to Terry Henry and Stephen Ruffin for being named Best Dynamic Duo of the Year for their performances in Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project.
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Theater staged in private homes creates an intimate experience
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | 06.07.16
About 50 friends and neighbors gather in Greg and Pola Changnon’s home one evening in May for what appears to be a summer cocktail party. Everyone flocks to the kitchen, which is ground zero for colorful sandwich platters, a dessert tray and a selection of red and white wines. Then a woman beckons guests to move to the formal dining room, its long table and high-back chairs replaced with several rows of white folding chairs.
The show is about to start.
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Atlanta Theatre: Race to Justice
PBA 30 - Atlanta's PBS Station
PBA30 presents "Atlanta Theatre: Race to Justice," an examination of two new controversial plays about the 1970s Atlanta child murders and the 2011 execution of Troy Davis. WABE 90.1's Rose Scott hosts a conversation on race and the arts with the playwrights of "Serial Black Face" and "Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project."
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Media Versus the Justice System; Capital Punishment Versus Race - All at stake in Gripping "Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project" Making its World Premiere at Synchronicity Theater Through May 1st
Aquarius Magazine | 05.02.16
The intense and enigmatic "Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project" makes its world premiere at Atlanta's bold and engaging Synchronicity Theatre, in its new permanent home at 1545 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta 30309, several blocks from the Woodruff Arts Center, running through May 1st.
This stimulatingly high tension and thought provoking play is written by Synchronicity's Managing Director and Artistic Associate Lee Nowell and directed by Producing Artistic Director Rachel May, produced in association with Inverness Productions. The production which alternates act 1 and 2 depending on the night and is followed by a discussion nightly engages the audience from beginning to end by exploring and questioning the validity of the accusation towards African American Troy Davis for murdering a white policeman in Savannah, Georgia in 1989.
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Terry Henry, Stephen Ruffin Deliver A Jolt Of Electricity In “Beyond Reasonable Doubt”
eldridge ATL | 04.29.16
“Beyond Reasonable Doubt” is hardwired to spark debate and prompt conversations with audiences and the play’s acting ensemble alike as the drama examines all angles of the still controversial Troy Davis case.
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‘Beyond a Reasonable Doubt’: A powerful deconstruction of absolute truth
SCAD Connector | 04.28.16
“One of the dangers of doing a play like this is you don’t want it to be a living newspaper.”
Actress Terry Henry’s observation of the difficulty producing “Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project,” speaks to the complexity of the story Lee Nowell brought to the stage. This play tackles the complicated case of Troy Anthony Davis, an African-American man executed by the state of Georgia in 2011 for the murder of police officer Mark MacPhail.
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'Beyond Reasonable Doubt' Re-Visits Both Sides Of Troy Davis Case
GBP News - NPR | 04.27.16
In 2011, Georgia executed Troy Davis, a death row inmate convicted of killing a Savannah police officer. The case sparked international interest. Leaders including former President Jimmy Carter, Pope Benedict XVI, and former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr spoke out against the execution. A play at the Synchronicity Theatre in Atlanta presents both sides of the Troy Davis case. It's called "Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project." Playwright Lee Nowell explains why she wanted to tell this story.
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Theatre Review: ‘Beyond Reasonable Doubt’ at Synchronicity
Atlanta INtown | 04.27.16
Synchronicity Theatre is presenting a compelling drama based on real-life events called “Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project,” written by Lee Nowell and directed by Rachel May.
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Review: “Beyond Reasonable Doubt” is a vivid and riveting look at the ripple effect of execution
Arts ATL | 04.12.16
It’s a case that divided Atlanta and people all across the world. Troy Davis, an African-American, was executed in 2011, convicted of killing white police officer Mark MacPhail in Savannah more than 20 years earlier. His defenders were passionate about his innocence. His critics were adamant in his guilt. Playwright Lee Nowell has crafted an original play about the case, which seems now as timely as ever.
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Preview: Playwright Lee Nowell digs beneath the headlines for “Beyond Reasonable Doubt”
Arts ATL | 04.08.16
Troy Anthony Davis had three close calls with death before he was executed via lethal injection on September 21, 2011 at 11:08 p.m.
Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail was killed on August 19, 1989, and Davis was convicted of murdering him in 1991.
The case sparked a worldwide conversation about the morality of the death penalty.
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New play examines Troy Davis case in two acts
NBC 11 Alive - Atlanta | 04.07.16
ATLANTA - A new play opening Friday at Synchonicity Theatre provides an unusual take on the Troy Davis death penalty case, which gained international attention in 2011.
"Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project" presents directly conflicting opinions of the case equally. One act points to his guilt, while the other act points to his innocence.
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Synchronicity Theatre attempts justice to Troy Davis case with Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Creative Loafing | 04.06.16
Synchronicity Theatre addresses one of the most incendiary legal battles of recent Georgia history with the world premiere of Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project. Directed by Rachel May, the drama revisits the 2011 execution of Troy Davis for the murder of police officer Mark MacPhail, interweaving fictional characters with trial transcripts, legal documents, journalism, and interviews. Decatur-based playwright Lee Nowell explains how her four-year obsession with the case contributed to Synchronicity Theatre’s dramatization.
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New play about Troy Davis presents both sides, both ways
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | 01.21.16
For more than two decades, the Troy Davis case sparked worldwide attention and controversy — which continued even after Davis’s execution in 2011 for the 1989 fatal shooting of Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail.
Now the case and the issues that swirled around it are coming to an Atlanta stage in a unique way as Synchronicity Theatre presents the world premiere of “Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Troy Davis Project.”
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A Conversation with Threshold Festival Playwright Lee Nowell
Actor's Express | 11.30.15
CG: Tell us about your play, please – its origins or inspirational source, a quick plot summary, its themes and what, if anything, you’re hoping will be a take-away for the audience.
LN: Obsession is a story written from two perspectives, one from a theatre director, the other from an actress who's been cast in his play.
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Threshold Festival showcases new work by Atlanta playwrights
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | 11.28.15
Ariel Castro abducted three women and held them captive in the basement of his Cleveland home for 10 years. Jodie Foster’s stalker tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan to prove his love for her. Obsession is a powerful thing and a rich subject for a play, according to playwright Lee Nowell.
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Black Lives Matter, Ferguson and Troy Davis: Writing About a Moving Target
HowlRound | 11.06.15
Playwrights Lee Nowell, Gabrielle Fulton & Phillip DePoy discuss issues of race and social justice in their current works. Read the article and join the discussion at HowlRound.
Kenyon College "Class Notes - Changing the Dialogue"
Kenyon College Alumni Magazine| Spring-Summer 2015
Atlanta playwright Lee Nowell '92 tackles tough topics in comedies, dramas and experimental theater.
In this golden age of self-promotion, playwright Lee Nowell '92 wants nothing to do with branding herself. She doesn't confine herself to a particular genre or style. Some of her works take a traditional approach to storytelling, but others are experimental in content and perspective - even where they're performed.
"I don't have one kind of play that I write. That makes me a little different than other playwrights and of the cultural expectations of artistis," said Nowell who lives in Decatur Georgia, outside of Atlanta.
Ex Somnium has published "How to Survive Being Human"
Ex Somnium | 01.12.15
Copies sold during the run of the production almost exceeded the available supply.
More copies are available now through this link: https://squareup.com/market/exsomnium
Atlanta Theatre Buzz gives 'How to Survive Being Human' four stars!
Atlanta Theatre Buzz | 11.22.14
On a cool cloudy night, in Downtown Atlanta, a new theatrical experience takes its first step. Timothy Hand, a hipster with a handlebar mustache greets his guests at the door of The Big House on Ponce, a near dilapidated 95 year old mansion currently belonging to an artist’s commune. This and a brief history of the house set the mood for something more than a three act play.
How to Survive Being Human was written by Lee Nowell and is a response to the modern existential crisis. It seeks to answer the questions that many of today’s thirty somethings are asking. What is my purpose? Why do I feel like I’m constantly failing? Why do I even bother? This show takes place in three different areas of the house and is comprised of three, 22 minute monologues.
On The List
Kenyon News | 07.31.14
One list that female playwrights want to be on is called simply The List, and it includes both a Kenyon alumna and professor.
Lee Nowell ’92 and Wendy MacLeod ’81, James E. Michael Playwright-in-Residence and professor of drama, were both nominated for The List by a group called The Kilroys, female playwrights and producers in Los Angeles who are challenging gender disparity in the theater.
'Paper House' nominated for Kilroys 2014 The List
The Kilroys | 06.16.14
Congratulations again on your nomination to the 2014 edition of The List! This nomination is a reflection of the fact that one or more of our invited responders considered your work amongst the 3-5 most excellent new plays by female-identified authors encountered in the last year.
The Kilroys are a gang of LA-based female playwrights and producers committed to gender inclusivity in the American theater. They are creating positive initiatives to achieve field-wide change while working independently to advance the artistic and professional goals of their members.
View the complete listing of all eligible nominated plays and spread the word and share this achievement on social media (#parityraid).
Review: Actor's Express wears its 'Albatross' well in Lee Nowell's world premiere
ArtsATL | 10.26.10
Can you think of a more difficult play to pull off than the two-character drama? Everything rides on how the actors are able to work off each other while trying to bring the ultimate truth of the script onto the stage. Now add the challenge of working with a new script, and the challenge doubles — even if the actors are free of the baggage of the noteworthy productions of better-known material.
These are just a few of the reasons to go see “Albatross,” Actor’s Express’ world premiere of Atlanta playwright Lee Nowell’s first solo effort, running through November 20. Deftly directed by artistic director Freddie Ashley, “Albatross” follows a married couple through a harrowing evening that follows the funeral of a friend, and the series of secrets and lies that come spilling out over food and drink, suspicions and accusations.
‘Albatross,' new murder mystery by Atlanta playwright Lee Nowell at Actor's Express
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | 10.26.10
It begins in Hitchcockian fashion. A beautiful blonde steps through the front door of her home dressed in mourning attire and a veiled chapeau that gives her an air of mystery. She and her husband have been to a funeral.
As lightning flashes outside and the woman nervously prepares dinner for her needling spouse, the neatness and normality of their lives will be shattered by revelations of a secret past. Murder and blackmail. Lies and deception. Panic and paranoia. In the long dark night that makes up Atlanta playwright Lee Nowell’s suspensefully calibrated “Albatross,” this troubled couple will dredge up sordid, perhaps criminal backstories that can no easier be buried and forgotten than their dead friend’s coffin.
Speakeasy: with 'Albatross' playwright Lee Nowell
Creative Loafing | 10.21.10
“It’s like high school. They’re too cool for me. They’ll never go out with me,” is how playwright Lee Nowell describes her feelings about whether Actor’s Express would ever produce her work. Instead, real life imitates the ending of Sixteen Candles when Actor’s Express stages the world premiere of Nowell’s two-actor dramaAlbatross, opening Sunday, Oct. 24. Originally from East Tennessee, Nowell has worked as an actress and director in Atlanta theater in the 1990s and 2000s, and co-written several plays with her husband, playwright/novelist Phillip DePoy, but Albatross marks her debut as a solo playwright.