Einstein’s Begonia

When Albert Einstein died in 1955, he left behind a beloved houseplant: a begonia. In this eclectic, original new musical, Beggy – the begonia – must traverse destabilizing grief, the roller coaster of fame, and too many plant puns to learn to navigate the world without the only parent she has ever known.

Based on the true story of a family heirloom Rebecca Pronsky (music and lyrics) received, Einstein’s Begonia is an eclectic, original new musical told from the plant’s perspective. It explores loss, physics, botany, and the search for identity. Book by Alexis Roblan.

A weekend of first readings of “Einstein’s Begonia” was presented August 24 and 25, 2024 at The Tank and included:

Director: Dara Malina

Cast:
Rebecca Pronsky (Beggy/Rebecca)
Breezy Leigh (Syd/others)
Gina Manziello (Helen)
Jonathan Randell Silver (Pitcher Plant)
Kylani Rivera (Stage directions)

Musical Director: Deidre Rodman Struck

Band:
Bronson Bush (Guitar)
Tina Lama (Bass)
Konrad Meissner (Drums)
Deidre Rodman Struck (Piano)

Stage Manager: Cat Gillespie
Artwork by Christina Batipps

ABOUT THE WRITERS:

Alexis Roblan (BOOK)

Originally from the rural Oregon coast, Alexis Roblan was raised on dense forests, cold beaches, and an acute sense of existential anxiety. Her plays include RED EMMA & THE MAD MONK (The Tank; New York Times Critic’s Pick), DAUGHTERS OF LOT (Edinburgh Fringe), YOU FEEL SO FAR AWAY RIGHT NOW (Finalist, O’Neill National Playwrights Conference), THE ANDREW PLAY (Thomas Barbour Playwrights Award), AND IT SPINS TWICE (FringeNYC), OURS (Finalist, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference), LILIYA (Exquisite Corpse Company), JAVELINA (Winner: Echo Theater Company New Play Competition), and SAMUEL (The Tank; Grant recipient, NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre; Finalist, Clubbed Thumb Biennial Commission; “superb” – Helen Shaw, for Vulture). Alexis has been supported and produced by theatre companies including Clubbed Thumb, New Georges, Ars Nova, The Bushwick Starr, New Perspectives Theatre Company, The Dennis & Victoria Ross Foundation, Project Y, The Blank Theatre (Los Angeles). She is a member of the 2023-2024 Writers’ Room at The Geffen Playhouse.

Rebecca Pronsky (MUSIC & LYRICS)

Featured on NPR, SiriusXM, and BBC Radio, Rebecca Pronsky spent a dozen years performing as a singer-songwriter under her own name before she began writing musical theatre. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Rebecca crafted her first original songs as a student at Brown University. She soon hit the road, touring relentlessly across the US and Europe, averaging 75 shows per year. Her album “Only Daughter” was named a "Top 10 Country Album of the Year" by the UK’s The Telegraph and her album “Departures & Arrivals” received the Philadelphia City Paper's Critics' List Best of the Year distinction. Following the 2016 election, Rebecca traded her cowboy boots for a pantsuit and wrote, produced and performed WITNESS: HILLARY’S SONG CYCLE, a one-woman cabaret piece exploring the inner world of Hillary Clinton just after her devastating election loss. The show sold out both the 2018 New York International Fringe Festival and its subsequent run at The Duplex, and received a segment on WNYC’s “All of It” with Alison Stewart.

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