KJCC’s Artists in Residence for the 2024-2025 academic year are the theater company What Will the Neighbors Say? The Neighbors are joining the KJCC to continue developing a new experimental documentary theater play, "At the Barricades," which examines the international volunteers who traveled to Spain between 1936-1939 to fight against Fascism in the Spanish Civil War. Inspired by true stories of those who traveled to Spain in 1937 to join the anti-Facist forces as a framing, this research-based play explores the integrated Lincoln Battalion to unpack the nature of their resistance and solidarity. This unit fought alongside a range of foreign comrades in Spain - from Scots to Cubans to Filipinos - in an international crusade against authoritarianism. Unfortunately deeply prescient in our current moment, "At the Barricades" is a morally complex work that highlights the bravery of the foreign volunteers in the Spanish Civil War, and asks today’s audiences what they would be willing to sacrifice for the freedom of others - and themselves.

As Artists in Residence at KJCC for the 2024-2025 academic year, the Neighbors will continue researching and workshopping “At the Barricades” with members of the NYU community, with work-in-progress sharings throughout the year. At its conclusion, a full reading of the show will be presented at KJCC ahead of the Off-Broadway world premiere of the piece in late Spring/early Summer 2025.

What Will the Neighbors Say? is a 501(c)(3) documentary theater company that provokes questions through untold stories. Founded by a collaborative cohort of international artists, the Neighbors present overlooked social, cultural and historical narratives that challenge the audience to reflect on the current moment. Through a combination of source-based experimental plays, arts education programming and dynamic community gatherings, the troupe encourages rowdy and rigorous debate at the theater and throughout the Neighborhood.

Since its inception, the company has premiered 12 original plays in 6 cities in 4 countries on 2 continents, and co-presented a further 24 new works. Over the course of these projects, the Neighbors have created jobs for over 250 artists - 75% of them non cis-male identifying and 50% of them members of the global majority of immigrants. Through their robust community engagement department, the Neighbors have organized symposiums, staged annual benefits for organizations ranging from Planned Parenthood to PERIOD and hosted free public events, including their free flagship program, "storytime," a night of storytelling and live music. The Neighbors are members of the Adjunct Faculty at Marymount Manhattan College and were Adjuncts and the Company-in-Residence at CUNY Queens College for three years. Additionally, they have taught at the Wuhan Institute of Design & Science, Ohio State University and the National Alliance of Acting Teachers, amongst others. They also provide free arts education for students K-12 through their What Will the Kids Say? Initiative.

JAMES CLEMENTS

James (he/him) is a Scottish writer, actor, theatermaker and arts educator based between New York and Scotland. Clements has performed at venues including La Mama, BRIC, HERE and MITU580, and has written and directed projects at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, the 92nd Street Y, Culture Lab, Brooklyn Art Haus, The Colony Theatre (Miami), The Keegan Theatre (Washington, D.C) and the Stockwell Playhouse (London). His source-based experimental plays include "The Diana Tapes" (2016), "Four Sisters" (2017), "Beauty Freak" (2018), "MEDEA/BRITNEY" (2019), "Ellis Island" (2021), "The Aliens Make Thanksgiving Dinner" (2022), "TRACES" (2023) and "Brothers in Arms" (2023). Critics have described these plays as “searing” (New York Times), "magnifying" (TimeOut), "intricate" (BroadwayWorld), "compelling" (The Guardian), "affecting" (Playbill) and "intellectual" (Theatre is Easy), and they have been performed in cities across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. He is a member of the Adjunct Faculty at Marymount Manhattan College and NYU Tisch, and is Co-Artistic Director of What Will the Neighbours Say? Theatre Company and the Teaching Artist-in-Residence and Entrepreneurship Fellow with the NYU Production Lab. Previous residencies include The Cell, Culture Lab, Brooklyn Arts Council and BRIClab. His work has been recognised by the Queens Council for the Arts, DCLA, NYFA, A.R.T./NY, NYU and Creatives Rebuild New York, amongst others. He is represented for film and television by Swain-Thomas Agency, and recent credits include voicing a national commercial for the Super Bowl.

SAM HOOD ADRAIN

Sam (he/him) is an actor, director, educator and producer based in New York City. As a theatre artist, Hood Adrain has worked on stage and off at companies across the country including Trinity Repertory Company, MCC Theater, Chickenshed NYC, Infinity Theatre Company, Barrington Stage Company Dramatist Guild Foundation, Missoula Children's Theatre, Ithaca Shakespeare Company, HERE, IRT, MITU580, The Flea, Theatre Row, Strongbox Theater, and Audible to name a few. He is the recipient of the 2021 BroadwayWorld Award for Best Director of a Regional Production for his direction of "The 39 Steps" at Strongbox Theater. He is a published playwright whose works have been called "heartbreaking ....complex...and thought-provoking" (Theatre is Easy), have been presented in NYC at HERE, The Nuyorican Poéts Cafe, and IRT Theatre, toured to Providence and Toronto and produced as a radio play by the Cleveland Radio Players. He is a member of the Adjunct Faculty at Marymount Manhattan College and is thrilled to be in residence at NYU KJCC. Recent TV credits include "Search Party" and "Law & Order" as well as a print campaign for Santander Bank. Sam is proudly a Co-Artistic Director of WWTNS? BFA NYU: Tisch School of the Arts, Experimental Theatre Wing, repped by WSM Talent.