The Black Rep has announced its upcoming 46th season with a compelling lineup of shows featuring time-honored classics and new Black voices.
“Season 46 is rich with a wide variety of shows,” said Ron Himes, founder and producing director of The Black Rep. “As we close our 45th season and look forward to Season 46, we are optimistic and excited to program work that we anticipate will bring audiences back to the theatre.”
The forthcoming 46th season, which begins in September, presents works that explore themes of identity and self-worth. The lineup includes Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Award- and Tony Award-winning “Death of a Salesman,” considered to be among the greatest plays of the 20th century. Himes says The Black Rep’s production will look at Miller’s masterwork through an African American lens.
“I am really excited about playing Willie Loman under the direction of Jackie Thompson in ‘Death of a Salesman.’ I think she is a very gifted director, and we are giving her a talented, creative team to produce this American classic, with music by Keyon Harrold,” Himes noted.
The season opens with Carlyle Brown’s “The African Company Presents Richard III” (Sept. 7 to 25), based on a true story of a conflict between New York theaters in 1821. It is followed by “Death of a Salesman” (Jan. 11 to 29, 2023); Loy A. Webb’s “The Light” (Feb. 1 to 26), which explores issues of gender, trust, love and color; “Skeleton Crew” (March 29 to April 16), the third work in Dominique Morisseau’s “Detroit” trilogy about the waning days of an auto stamping plant; and the Tony Award-winning musical revue, “Eubie!” about groundbreaking musician and composer Eubie Blake.
The Black Rep is also introducing the “Phoenix Rising Series,” which focuses on new works and new artists. Details on the new series will be announced at a later date.
Founded in St. Louis 45 years ago by Himes, The Black Rep has grown to become one of the largest, nonprofit professional African American theatre companies in the country. In addition to presenting award-winning productions, the company creates programs that offer opportunities, representation, and other resources to support students and theatre professionals of color.
“We celebrate our role as one of the major cultural institutions in this community and we are particularly proud of our consistently diverse audiences,” Himes said. “We believe that collaboration and cooperation with our cultural and educational partners will create a synergy that can only be good for the community.”
The Black Rep’s final show of the 45th season, “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea,” tells the story of an 18-year-old who decides to voyage into the Atlantic Ocean in search of an ancestor lost during the Middle Passage. “Dontrell” continues through Sunday, July 24, at the Edison Theatre.
For tickets, or more information about the upcoming season, including subscriptions, visit theblackrep.org or call (314) 534-3807.
