534 Productions, in association with Thirty Saints Productions, will present an exclusive developmental industry reading of The Keeners, a bold new play with music by Barbara Grecki, on Monday, October 20 and Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at Pearl Studios. This AEA Tier 1 presentation is by invitation only.
The Keeners is set in 1970s Ireland, where a resilient family of women earn their living keening — the traditional practice of singing laments at wakes. When a charismatic band promoter arrives promising fame and fortune, their world is turned upside down. With sharp, raw emotion and unexpected tenderness, the play explores grief, resilience, and the pull between tradition and change. At its heart, The Keeners asks what we cling to and what we are willing to leave behind in pursuit of possibility.
The play is underscored by original music from Gilda Lyons, whose emotionally charged compositions bring a raw, contemporary urgency and powerful resonance to the story’s landscape.
Playwright Barbara Grecki is a writer, director, actor, and teacher whose work blends sharp storytelling with deep humanity. She co-wrote A Woman in Morocco with composer Daron Hagen (Kentucky Opera, Butler School of Opera) and the opera triptych New York Stories (Florida Grand Opera, Chicago Opera Theater). Her stage works, including In Our Own Words and Split Decision, often center on resilience, community, and transformation. As a director, she has helmed cabaret, one-woman shows, and benefits featuring Broadway luminaries such as Victoria Clark and David Hyde Pierce.
The reading is directed by James A. Rocco and Barbara Grecki, produced by 534 Productions, with Thirty Saints Productions serving as Executive Producer. Full casting to be announced in the coming weeks.
Thirty Saints Productions, founded by Broadway and recording veteran James A. Rocco and estate attorney Jeffrey P. Scott, is an innovative theatrical company with five core specialties: Producing & Consulting (investor in Broadway’s Come From Away and co-producer with Broadway Asia of the Japanese tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Anthony Fedorov), Music Licensing (The Marvelous Wonderettes), Live Concerts (touring SRO-style themed concerts to performing arts centers and clubs nationwide), Recordings (original cast album of A Country Christmas Carol and the James Rocco Legacy Series), and New Plays & Musical Representation (including Christine Toy Johnson’s Empress Mei Li Lotus Blossom, Oy to the World, and The Holiday Songbook). Along with their associate Emily Villano, Thirty Saints continues to champion new projects that entertain, inspire, and connect audiences everywhere.
534 Productions, founded by Adrienne Shepherd, is a New York–based stage and film production company dedicated to telling stories rooted in truth and humanity. Guided by the belief that truth changes lives, the company develops and produces work that entertains while sparking reflection and conversation. From intimate plays to innovative film projects, 534 Productions champions new voices and collaborates with established artists to create productions that reveal the extraordinary in everyday life. With a focus on both artistic integrity and audience impact, Adrienne Shepherd and 534 Productions are committed to work that inspires, connects, and endures.