Award winning playwright Dominique Morisseau’s Paradise Blue is currently in previews featuring Keith Randolph Smith, Simone Missick, Francois Battiste, Kristolyn Lloyd, and J. Alphonse Nicholson. The production, which opens on May 14, will now run through June 10, 2018 in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues).
Last night, The Drama Book Shop presented a Q & A discussion and book signing with Ms. Morisseau, moderated by her executive assistant Stori Ayers, who is also an actor and director.
On Wednesday, May 9th, Ms. Morisseau will be joined by her Paradise Blue director Ruben Santiago-Hudson for a free pre-show discussion at Signature at 6:30pm.
The series continues with a World of the Play event titled Art vs. Artist: Consuming, Creating, and Supporting Media in the Modern Age on Saturday, May 19 at 4:30PM. In this discussion, moderated by curator, cultural producer and theater director Monica L. Williams, panelists Dominique Morisseau, Rachel Tuchman of Kaplan & Company, LLP, Diep Tran of American Theatre magazine will explore how we navigate the past, present, and future of art and media in our current cultural era. Can we consume and appreciate the art of offenders, while still denouncing their actions? How do we support the art and agency of women, while also working to dismantle the “cult of male genius” that has led to valuing the art of abusers over the lives and wellbeing of others? Moving forward, what does the ideal safe space look like and how do we create it?
In addition, Paradise Blue scenic designer Neil Patel, costume designer Clint Ramos and sound designer Darron L West will participate in a Backstage Pass discussion on Tuesday, May 22. This post-show discussion will give audience members an inside look at the mechanics behind the stage magic.
The Signature Spotlight Series will also feature a variety of post-show talkbacks with members of the cast and creative team after the following performance dates: May 3, May 8, May 24 and May 31. Additionally, a special talkback will be held on May 23 featuring Dominique Morisseau and a special guest.
All Signature Spotlight Series events are free and open to the public. Tickets to Signature Productions are not required to attend. To view a full calendar of events at The Pershing Square Signature Center, please visit signaturetheatre.org/calendar.
DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU is the author of The Detroit Project (A 3-Play Cycle) which includes the following plays: Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company), Paradise Blue (Signature Theatre), and Detroit ’67 (Public Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem and NBT). Additional plays include: Pipeline (Lincoln Center Theatre), Sunset Baby (LAByrinth Theatre); Blood at the Root (National Black Theatre) and Follow Me To Nellie’s (Premiere Stages). Dominique is an alumna of The Public Theater Emerging Writer’s Group, Women’s Project Lab, and Lark Playwrights Workshop and has developed work at Sundance Lab, Williamstown Theatre Festival and Eugene O’Neil Playwrights Conference. Her work has been commissioned by Steppenwolf Theater, Women’s Project, South Coast Rep, People’s Light and Theatre, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival/Penumbra Theatre. She most recently served as Co – Producer on the Showtime series “Shameless.” Following its record breaking run at Berkeley Repertory Theatre last summer, her new musical Ain’t Too Proud —The Life and Times of The Temptations, is set to open at The Kennedy Center (Washington DC), The Ahmanson (Los Angeles), and The Princess of Whales Theater (Toronto) this season. Awards include: Spirit of Detroit Award, PoNY Fellowship, Sky – Cooper Prize, TEER Trailblazer Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, Audelco Awards, NBFT August Wilson Playwriting Award, Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama, OBIE Award, Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, and being named one of Variety’s Women of Impact for 2017 – 18.
Backstage Pass with Lia Chang 