About the Show

Chaos amidst a blackout forces a family to take stock of their losses and their relationships.

On July 13, 1977, lightning struck three times in the New York area causing a power outage throughout the city. In the proceeding hours, rioters wrecked multiple city blocks, thousands of dollars’ worth of property, and the dreams of one Bushwick family. With their shop and livelihood burned to the ground, they count on one another to stay hopeful among the ruins.

Shedding Load follows this family, from 1938 to 2014, as they discover long-hidden family secrets, face generational trauma, and deal with the fallout of how one event can change a neighborhood forever.

This show will be presented at 59E59 Theaters.

Critic Reviews (2)

“ ‘Shedding Load’ is challenging to parse. The cast and director Mia Walker do their best to turn a play that is mostly about ideas into a play about actual people. But the humanity only shines through sporadically, leaving us in the dark for far too long.”
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"This type of event represented an exciting portent of American theater. It garnered an intense attraction to those who understand and appreciate the vitality and expressive power of dramatic arts."
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Cast and creative team

The Varsity Theatre Company