Media

In 1960s Texas, one city has so far avoided the tumult of the Civil Rights movement. Through the efforts of an alliance of black church leaders, a wary peace has been maintained with the city's white mayor and citizens. But when the mayor partners with a private developer to gentrify the black neighborhood and uproot its residents, and a movement organizer from Atlanta comes to town, the Minister's Alliance will need to choose between the nonconfrontational status quo and standing up for the interests of their community—and weathering the risks resistance incurs. [7 men, 2 women (doubling)]

Between 1936 and 1938, the Federal Writers' Project gathered over 2,300 interviews with former slaves. Pulitzer-winner Lynn Nottage has collected and condensed these interviews into a theatrical exploration of the history of slavery in the United States. By resurrecting these slaves' stories onstage, Nottage resurrects the voices of people who for so many years had none, and she creates a space for the contemplation of the enduring effects of slavery in America. [4 men, 4 women]

In 1960s Texas, one city has so far avoided the tumult of the Civil Rights movement. Through the efforts of an alliance of black church leaders, a wary peace has been maintained with the city's white mayor and citizens. But when the mayor partners with a private developer to gentrify the black neighborhood and uproot its residents, and a movement organizer from Atlanta comes to town, the Minister's Alliance will need to choose between the nonconfrontational status quo and standing up for the interests of their community—and weathering the risks resistance incurs. [7 men, 2 women (doubling)]

A moving and celebratory musical play in which hats become a springboard for an exploration of black history and identity as seen through the eyes of a young black woman who has come down South to stay with her aunt after her brother is killed in Brooklyn. Hats are everywhere, in exquisite variety, and the characters use the hats to tell tales concerning everything from the etiquette of hats to their historical and contemporary social functioning. There is a hat for every occasion, from flirting to churchgoing to funerals to baptisms, and the tradition of hats is traced back to African rituals and slavery and forward to the New Testament and current fashion. [1 man, 6 women (2 musicians)]

Pulitzer Prize-finalist Dael Orlandersmith's UNTIL THE FLOOD was written in response to Michael Brown's death. Having interviewed scores of St. Louis residents, Orlandersmith portrays the many faces found within the community, giving each a chance to take center stage. [1 n/s (flexible casting)]

Four black men find themselves stuck in a waiting room for the afterlife. As they attempt to make sense of their new paradise, Isa, Daz, Grif, and Tiny are forced to confront the reality of their past, and how they arrived in this unearthly place. Inspired by the ever-growing list of slain black men and women, KILL MOVE PARADISE illustrates the potential for collective transformation and radical acts of joy. [4 men]

"INSURRECTION: HOLDING HISTORY is a wild, thrilling ride down one of history's darkest, scariest corridors. Robert O'Hara employs a language of wicked wit, of deliberate and immensely provocative outrageousness to speak to a vast, bloody, unapproachable outrage. He shatters the funereal hush that usually surrounds the representation of atrocity and holocaust, in the process waking his audience up. He knocks us out of the respectful, repetition-dulled stupor with which we are accustomed to contemplate slavery, eschewing and, even better, savaging all clichés. Through comedy, poetry and pure chutzpah, he teaches us all over again how to be truly frightened and appalled. This is a gorgeous, fresh and vital play from a very exciting playwright." —Tony Kushner. [5 men, 4 women]

Franklyn Longley is a veteran big-city mayor who’s in line to become the first black governor of his state—until his godson is tapped by the party to run instead. As a new generation of black politicians comes forward, they must learn there is a price to pay in order to realize their ambitions. This gripping political drama explores the conflicts that arise when aspirations collide across generational, racial, and gender divides....

THE STORY: Courageous, daring, and unflinchingly honest, ACCIDENTALLY BRAVE is an inspiring true story about discovering a new normal when the familiar world falls apart, a must-see examination of what it means to navigate a world with no certainty. Maddie Corman’s profoundly personal play challenges perceptions, captivates audiences, and sparks an emotionally charged discussion that will leave you wondering: What would I do?

THE STORY: In 1840s Alabama, Dr. George Barry is on the verge of a miraculous cure: treatment for fistulas, a common but painful complication of childbirth. To achieve his medical breakthrough, Dr. Barry performs experimental surgeries on a group of enslaved women afflicted with the condition. Based on the true story of Dr. J. Marion Sims, the “father of modern gynecology,” BEHIND THE SHEET remembers the forgotten women who made his achievement possible, and the pain they endured in the process.