Go Down, Moses (2026)
Written by Dana Leslie Goldstein
Go Down, Moses brought together an interdisciplinary team of artists, designers, performers, and production professionals to develop an ambitious new theatrical work.
While the production was ultimately unable to move forward to performance, the creative process generated an extensive body of work—from early concepts and design development to rehearsals, technical planning, and production preparation.
This page documents that process and the people behind it.
The Vision
Though set nearly forty years ago, Go Down, Moses felt strikingly relevant to the conversations shaping communities and college campuses today. At its center were questions of who gets a platform, how institutions respond to political extremism, and what safety and inclusion truly mean—conflicts that continued to resonate within ongoing debates around freedom of speech, identity, and power.
The production explored what happened when deeply held values collided with fear, when alliances shifted under pressure, and when individuals and institutions were forced to decide between maintaining harmony and taking a stand. Go Down, Moses invited audiences to consider questions of responsibility, courage, and the consequences of both action and silence.
It’s 1985. Ethics professor Philip Hoffman and newly appointed Dean of Students Albert Becker already have a long history: they marched side by side for civil rights, registered voters together during Freedom Summer, and have maintained a friendship that crosses boundaries of race, religion, and country of birth.
Now, they work at a small, liberal university, where part of the job is shaping a new generation of activists. But when a star student from the South Bronx challenges the administration and invites a controversial speaker to campus, free speech becomes a battle cry. Long‑festering inequities rise to the surface, and old friends are forced to see each other—and themselves—more clearly.
The Creative Process
Go Down, Moses developed through a collaborative process that brought together artists across disciplines from the earliest stages of development. Through research, conversation, workshops, rehearsals, and experimentation, the team worked to define the production's central ideas and translate them into a shared theatrical vision.
Each stage of the process created an opportunity to test, refine, and build upon the work; allowing the story, characters, and visual language to evolve together.
LOGO DESIGN:
Designing the World
The world of Go Down, Moses was built layer by layer. Scenic, costume, lighting, projection, sound, and music each offered a different way into the story, while the designers worked collaboratively to create a unified visual and sensory language.
The work ranged from early concept sketches and visual research to detailed design development and technical planning, bringing the imagined world of the play closer to the stage.
What this production required:
Creative Development · Casting · Scenic Design · Costume Design · Lighting · Sound · Movement · Technical Direction · Stage Management · Production Management
Behind the Scenes
Bringing Go Down, Moses toward the stage required the work of artists, technicians, performers, and production staff working together across every detail of the process. From rehearsals and fittings to technical planning, production meetings, and staging, each step brought the production closer to its intended form.
On January 18, the team also presented a preview of the production in New York City featuring student actors from Binghamton University, offering an opportunity to experience the work in performance and gather insight as the production continued to develop.
These moments behind the scenes capture the collaboration, problem-solving, and preparation that shaped Go Down, Moses before its planned production.
The Team
Go Down, Moses brought together an accomplished group of artists and theatre professionals across performance, design, production, and creative development.
The cast included Broadway veterans Terence Archie (Company, Kiss Me, Kate, Ragtime) and Jacob Harran (Awake, Sing!), alongside Shania Adams, Lucas Bernhauer, Kaa'lah Bynes, Maddy Mackarey, Yarin Neuhaus, Jeremiah Packer, Vanessa Pliskow, Donovan Price, Patrick Saint Ange, Celina Mylene Santana, and Renee Shohet.
The creative team included associate director Alexa Powell, scenic designer Diamond Robinson, costume designer CK Zaki, lighting designer Zayn Noel, projection designer Steve Lucin, and original music by John Bronston. The production team also included stage manager Kai Stanton, assistant stage manager Jason “Fletcher Christian” Laws, and dramaturg Lucy Tuchmann, with marketing led by Brianna Sun, Heather Kirschner, and Rosella Nguyễn.
The production was directed by Brandon M. Weber and produced by Unlimited Stages, bringing together a multidisciplinary team whose collective experience spanned Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theatre, film, and live cultural events.
THE PLAYWRIGHT
Dana Leslie Goldstein
Award-winning playwright, lyricist, and librettist Dana Leslie Goldstein spent eight years developing Go Down, Moses, shaping the work through nearly 20 readings and workshops. Her work has been developed and presented by institutions including Manhattan Theatre Club, Vineyard Theatre, The York Theatre Company, and New Dramatists, and has been published by Next Stage Press, Smith & Kraus, Applause Books, and Palmetto Press.
Prior to this production, Go Down, Moses had received significant recognition, including a nomination for the Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference and selection as the winner of the 2025 Waterworks New Play Festival.
THE DIRECTOR
Brandon M. Weber
A New Orleans native and multidisciplinary theatre and film artist, Brandon M. Weber's work spans performance, directing, casting, and producing. His experience includes collaborations with Telsey & Co. and major cultural events including the VMAs and Global Citizen Festival. His work centers on amplifying stories of the African Diaspora and creating experiences that challenge audiences and expand perspectives.
A Milestone for Unlimited Stages
Go Down, Moses was Unlimited Stages' largest and most ambitious project to date, marking the organization's first foray into the development of a full-scale theatrical production. Founded in 2018, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit had built its foundation by championing new work through readings, workshops, and community-driven programming, including the Script Showcase at The Flea Theater and the ongoing Unlimited Cold Read Series.
The production marked an expansion of that mission—bringing the organization's experience developing and supporting new work into a full-scale production process.