Acting
Photo by Mark Garvin
Lantern Theater Company - Philadelphia, PA
The Wanderers
By Anna Ziegler
Directed by Jesse Bernstein
Two couples – Esther and Schmuli, Abe and Sophie – seem destined for each other, but are torn apart by their conflicting sense of obligation and independence. From the writer of Lantern hits Photograph 51 and The Last Match comes this moving exploration of estrangement and the great human yearning for connection, told with keen humor and deep empathy.
Guerilla Wolf - New York City, New York
2 Truths & A Lie
A Drama • Comedy short film by Brandon Haynes
A counselor’s program challenges truth-challenged individuals to play “two truths and a lie,” but a dark turn forces them to confront their vulnerabilities.
TheatreSquared - Fayetteville, Arkansas
Flex
By Candrice Jones
Directed by Delicia Turner-Sonnenberg
TheatreSquared (T2) produced the co-world premiere of FLEX by Candrice Jones, an Arkansas native and winner of the 2020 Steinberg Playwright Award. FLEX tells the story of a girls’ high school basketball team from Plainnole, Arkansas. It’s 1997, and the women of the Lady Train team are inspired by the successes of the WNBA. With aspirations of going pro, they must first navigate the pressures of being young, Black and female in rural Arkansas. Will their fouls off the court tear their team apart? Or can they keep their pact to stick together through hell or high water? This powerful new play celebrates the fierce athleticism of women’s basketball with all the adrenaline and swagger of a four-quarter game.
Boston Court Pasadena - Pasadena, California
What To Send Up When It Goes Down
By Aleshea Harris
Directed by Aleshea Harris
What to Send Up When It Goes Down is a play, a ritual, and a home-going celebration that bears witness to the physical and spiritual deaths of Black people as a result of racist violence. Setting out to disrupt the pervasiveness of anti-Blackness and acknowledge the resilience of Black people throughout history, Aleshea Harris’s acclaimed, groundbreaking play blurs the boundaries between actors and audiences, offering a space for catharsis, discussion, reflection, and healing.
The play was created for a Black audience, but all are welcome. The intention of the play is to create a space for as many Black-identifying audience members as possible.
The Actors Company, Los Angeles, CA
The Blacks: A Clown Show
By Jean Genet
Directed by Craig Gibson
The Blacks, is a lyrical, ritualistic play that centers on two groups of Black characters: one, a royal colonial court made up of such stereotypes as a Queen, Missionary, and General, who wear whiteface masks throughout; and the other, a group of unmasked “Negroes,” who represent colonized natives in an unspecified African village. The Blacks is an absurdist condensation of colonization, with a final coup staged by the Negroes, who kill the members of the court.
Obama Spy Drama
By Nicholas Zill
Directed by Caitlin Hart
Obama Spy Drama, the political satire/musical comedy from City In A Swamp Productions, features CIA intrigue, a sultry seductress, and a powerful elixir – all designed to lure Edward Snowden back from his Russian hideout. The real test comes when Vladimir Putin and President Obama engage in hand-to-hand combat to determine who gets the NSA leaker.