Curtain Call: The Theater for Young Audiences’ BIPOC Superhero Project Will Feature The Works Of 20 Playwrights Of Color
Broadway: It’s nearly impossible to have a conversation about contemporary American art without bringing up two names: Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Different though they might have been, the two not only crossed paths but even collaborated on an exhibition that has gone down in history as one of the greatest crossovers of all time.
The Collaboration seeks to encapsulate the unpredictable chemistry between this unlikely duo. After leaving its mark in London, the production is now set for its run in the United States. Directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah with Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope playing Warhol and Basquiat respectively, the show will run from December 20, 2022 until January 22, 2023 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater on Broadway. The first preview was scheduled to take place on November 29 but was cancelled due to a coronavirus case within the camp.
It's tough to put into words exactly how fast K-Pop gained traction. Never before in the history of music has a non-Western discipline had such a firm grasp on audiences across the world. Broadway is now set to offer those same fans a closer look at the inner workings of this domain with — KPOP recently opened as the Circle in the Square Theater, having come a long way since its Off-Broadway premiere over five years ago.
The musical follows a singer who struggles with a range of personal issues that threaten the future of one of K-Pop’s most successful labels. The intensity of these internal struggles keep increasing since the plot is centered on a high-stakes performance. The cast features an all-star roster of K-Pop stars, including (f)x founding member Luna, and showcases the genre’s vibrant culture and inner workings to an audience far removed from it.
Jhardon Dishon Milton and Jake Ryan Lozano - Tha bandaged place
Off Broadway: Roundabout Theater Company's critically acclaimed The Bandaged Place had its world premiere on November 15 at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theater. Harrison David Rivers’s new play explores reconciling and rebirth on a transformative level — when a talented dancer named Jonah is brutally assaulted, he decides that bouncing back from this injury wasn’t just a physical task. His healing process subsequently includes making peace with his family and reconnecting with the people who care about him.
The cast comprises Stephanie Berry in the lead role, backed up by Sasha Camille Manuel, Jhardon Dishon Milton, Jake Ryan Lozano and Anthony Lee Medina. Directed by David Mendizábal of the Movement Theater Company, the play will take place at the Black Box Theater until December 18.
After a series of critically acclaimed shows in Canada and Japan, Serge Lamothe's stage adaptation of the Yasushi Inoue novel, The Hunting Gun, will soon make its Off-Broadway debut. The American premiere will take place on March 16 next year at the Baryshnikov Arts Center and will run for a month. The two-piece cast will feature Japanese actress Miki Nakatani and Russian-American dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov.
The 1949 source novella tells the story of a hunter caught in a dilemma when he receives three letters from different women: his wife, mistress and her daughter. Lamothe’s version adds a humorous touch to this by casting the same person to play the three women converging on the hunter, described in the press notes as “a monologue for three voices.”
heater for Young Audiences/USA
Regional: Theater for Young Audiences/USA represents over 1,000 theaters across 47 states and aims to ensure that young hopefuls have access to an enriching network in the performance space. Staying focused on providing young artists and enthusiasts with high-quality theater experiences, the organization has now announced the TYA BIPOC Superhero Project. This initiative serves to connect playwrights of color with mainstream TYA theaters, helping them develop original works with professional assistance.
This will give 20 playwrights of color the opportunity to have their works commissioned by theaters for a week-long residency. Each project is to feature BIPOC superheroes and will climax a year later with a series of productions, co-productions and all the plays being published as an anthology.
“This project is about partnerships and community building and creating spaces for necessary dialogue meant to create action,” project founder José Casas said. “We will give opportunities to directors of color, actors of color, dramaturgs of color, and stage managers of color. It is about encouraging TYA to reassess and if they address issues of diversity, while inviting communities to be a part of the experience instead of tokenizing them. It is about reminding ourselves of why we do theater in the first place.”
“The enthusiasm and support for the TYA BIPOC Superhero Project from theaters across the nation demonstrate the field’s commitment to represent more stories from artists of color,” TYA/USA executive director Sara Morgulis shared. “I see a whole community coming together to share new stories featuring original and complex heroes that will inspire young audiences across the country,”
Among the theaters that will commission the works of the 20 chosen playwrights are the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, D.C.), Teatro (New York City, NY) and In Other People’s Shoes Productions (Los Angeles, CA).
Michael Luwoye - Young Vic
International: Acting in or directing a Shakespeare play is a badge of honor in the theater world. Clint Dyer has now become the first Black man to direct the legendary tragedy, Othello, at one of Britain’s major theaters. Following a week of previews, the production opened at London's National Theater on November 30, set to run into next year until January 21.
Supported by Rosy McEwen and Paul Hilton, Giles Terera takes on the title role. The cast also features Sabi Perez, Colm Gormley, Jack Bardoe, Joe Bolland, Kirsty J Curtis, Peter Eastland, Amy Newton, Patrick Elue, Katie Matsell, Tanya Franks, Joshua Lacey, Martin Marquez, Steffan Rizzi, Jay Simpson, Ryan Whittle, Rory Fleck Byrne and Gareth Kennerley.
Nelson Mandel’s story as an activist in apartheid-plagued South Africa has been told from many angles over the years, and will now be depicted on the stage of London’s Young Vic Theater. His fight against racial segregation followed by a jail sentence that spanned nearly thirty years has taken on the form of a musical production directed by Schele Williams. Mandela will open on December 8 and run through February 4 next year, with performances streaming from January 19–23.
Michael Luwoye, best known for his past in Hamilton, plays the lead role with help from Danielle Fiamanya, who will be playing his wife, Winnie. The play is co-produced by Nandi Mandela, Ronen Zekry, Brian and Dayna Lee, Luvuyo Madasa, Greg Dean Borowsky, Shaun Hurwitz and Shaun Borowsky. Music and lyrics will be provided by the Lion King alum Bongi Duma.
