| IT’S GOING TO BE A HELL OF A WEEK! |
If the only way to save humanity is to relocate 40% of Earth’s inhabitants to another planet, how do you choose who stays and who goes?
60/40A 7-day race to save humanity, told in 7 scenesabout 7 interconnected characters.
IT’S GOING TO BE A HELL OF A WEEK!
60/40: The only way to save humanity? Relocate 40% of Earth’s inhabitants to another planet–but how do you choose who stays and who goes? IT’S GOING TO BE A HELL OF A WEEK!
60/40: June 9 @ 6:30 PM – Monday; June 11 @ 9:00 PM – Wednesday; June 14 @ 6:45 PM – Saturday; Hudson Guild 441 W 26th StreetNew York City
60/40 is a 7-day race to save humanity, told in 7 scenes about 7 interconnected characters.
With just 1 week mandated to relocate 40% of Earth’s population to another planet, society is faced with an impossible choice.
As the characters’ carousel of interaction progresses throughout the week, their lives unfold to show what a small world it really is – and how the choices just a few idiots make can affect us all.
The story takes place several decades after a major asteroid event decimated the population and made Earth nearly uninhabitable, which had two major effects—colonization of Earth II and ludicrous consolidation of wealth and power.
Multimedia elements convey the looming omnipresence of ONE MEDIA, literally the only outlet for News and Entertainment. The Heir of ONE MEDIA has just been elected president…and the line between the public and private sectors went right out the window.
Major confusion arises regarding what the new administration’s motivations really are, and ultimately the citizens must decide to embrace their collective power and do what’s right rather than simply do what they’re told by their friendly neighborhood Kleptocrats.
60/40 explores the unfortunately topical dangers of tyranny and political corruption of the media along with the tremendous importance of critical thinking and personal connection in the face of oppression and misinformation.
Naya James Sonnad Naya is a writer of plays and films, actor and producer in New York City. As the child of an Indian immigrant father and Midwestern-raised mother, she was the only brown, pagan, weirdly-named vegetarian kid at Catholic school in a small Michigan hunting and farming town. Although it felt unique at the time, after seeing more of the world it became clear that this experience of isolation was way more common than she thought–what a relief! To that end, a primary focus of Naya’s work has always been to question what it means to belong, what it means to be other, and what it means to be an American, grappling especially with the topic of how we can help each other stay intact as human beings in the modern era. In 2024, Naya was both an Austin Film Festival Finalist and a Nominee for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for playwriting. She is thrilled to collaborate with visionary director Lu Bellini, with whom she has developed a multitude of projects–including the world premiere of Abdication! at Theater for the New City. Naya’s other writing credits include Tipping Point produced by Naked Angels at the Kraine Theater, over a dozen original one-acts, and several short films.
Lucia Bellini, is an Italian-born filmmaker, theater artist, and writer known for her dark humor, bold perspective, and multimedia approach to live storytelling. Drawing on her filmmaking skills, she creates dynamic, immersive experiences on stage that add new dimensions to traditional theater. She’s excited to dive into stage directing again with 60/40 by Naya James, where she brings a looming TV back to the stage—a thrilling return after completing her Bachelor of Arts in Film (Summa Cum Laude) and a minor in Theater at Hunter College. Lu has collaborated with her longtime creative partner and playwright Naya on several projects, including the full-length play Abdication!, the staged reading of Tipping Point, numerous one-act plays, and a handful of film projects. Over the past decade, some of Lu’s other work has earned notable recognition, including nominations for Best Director and Best Actress for a revival of Love/Sick by John Cariani, and a win for Best Director of a Staged Reading for the original play Who Mourns for Bob the Goon, which later received a full run at the HERE Arts Center. A constant creator, Lu is always working on her next project, continuously exploring new ideas across acting, directing, and writing. Her philosophy? “One step at a time”—trusting the process while staying deeply engaged in the work
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