Theater company to act out Atlantic Yards dispute

The dramatic battle over the $4.2 billion Atlantic Yards project will soon hit the stage: an unconventional Manhattan theater company is creating a play about it. The Civilians, known for producing plays that address hot-button topics, has received a $150,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to fund the show, which will include characters based on the activists, politicians and residents involved in the disputed development. The show will have ample material to draw on. Critics say the 22-acre project, which would include a basketball arena for the NBA’s Nets and 16 towers with residential and commercial space, lacks financial transparency and would overwhelm the surrounding neighborhoods.