Tony, Grammy and Emmy winner André De Shields (The Wiz, Hadestown, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Play On!, The Full Monty) is part of the exciting, innovative Keeping Live Theatre Alive! initiative, the brainchild of actor Dan Lauria (“The Wonder Years,” Lombardi). Lauria called upon dozens of popular stage and screen stars to help save regional theater by creating short videos of themselves reading their works, including monologues, stories, reminiscences, and poems – that they’ve written and posted.
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
NJ Rep has made special performances featuring De Shields, Shuler Hensley, John Larroquette, Carolyn McCormack, Barbara Niven and Tony Todd on NJ Rep’s website. FREE of charge. Of course, donations are welcome, particularly in this crisis period. Click here to donate. More than 1.5 million dollars has been raised to date.
“Every sector in society has been impacted negatively by COVID-19, including theatres,” Dan Lauria said. “I wanted to raise awareness of the plight of these organizations while celebrating how actors are keeping their creative juices flowing.”
The lineup also includes includes Tony winners Judith Light, Laurie Metcalf, Bryan Cranston, Priscilla Lopez, John Lithgow, Judd Hirsch, Hal Linden, Joe Mantegna, and Tony Shalhoub. Additional performers include Kim Brockington, Bruce Davidson, Stacy Keach, Dan Lauria, Jodi Long, Wendie Malick, Patty McCormack, Alfred Molina, Ed O’Neill, Lou Diamond Phillips, James Pickens Jr, Stephen Root, Charles Shaughnessy, Peter Scolari, Joe Spano, Chris Sullivan, Reno Wilson, Henry Winkler, and Robert Wuhl.
André De Shields is the triple-crown winner of the 2019 awards season, having won the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, and Tony Awards for best featured actor in a musical for his critically acclaimed performance as Hermes in Hadestown. The Actors’ Equity Foundation followed suit with the Richard Seff Award, honoring veteran stage actors’ best supporting performances of the year. In 2020, Mr. De Shields received the 2020 Grammy Award for Musical Theater Album for Hadestown, the 2020 AUDELCO for Lifetime Achievement, and an honorary Doctor of Arts Degree from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. In 2019, he received the 2019 Project1Voice Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2019 SAGE Joyce Warshow Lifetime Achievement Award, The York Theatre Company’s 2019 Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre, and was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. He received the Key to the City of Baltimore from Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young in August, 2019. Prior to his Tony Award win, Mr. De Shields was best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions: The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Emmy Award), Play On! (Tony Nomination), and The Full Monty (Tony Nomination). In a career spanning fifty one years, he has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director, and educator, receiving in 2018 the 8th Annual Off Broadway Alliance Legend Award, and the 33rd Annual Bob Harrington Life Achievement Bistro Award. Among his other accolades are the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award and the 2007 Village Voice Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance. His film and TV projects include Anton Ego in Ratatouille: The TikTok Tok Musical, the Algebra Tutor in “John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch” on Netflix, Chubby in “Katy Keene” on the CW, and as Wyndham on “Almost Family.” He can next be seen as Gavin Plimsoll in Charles Busch’s new film, The Sixth Reel. De Shields is a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and SDC. andredeshields.com
Shuler Hensley
Shuler Hensley
Hensley’s stage career began in the early 1990s with roles such as Pitkin in On the Town, Joe in The Most Happy Fella, and Gloriosus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, In 1998, he was cast as Jud Fry for London’s National Theatre Production of Oklahoma! then continued to play the role when the show transferred to the West End (1999), and then to Broadway (2002–2003), where he won a Tony, a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award. Hensley also starred on Broadway in Young Frankenstein as the Monster and was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. In 2011 he portrayed American Yiddish theatre great Boris Thomashefsky in The Thomashefskys: Music and Memories of a Life in the Yiddish Theater that later aired on the PBS series Great Performances.
John Larroquette
John Larroquette is best known for his starring roles in the NBC military drama series “Baa Baa Black Sheep”(1976–1978), the NBC sitcom “Night Court” (1984–1992) (for which he received four consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series), the NBC sitcom “The John Larroquette Show” (1993–1996), the ABC legal comedy-drama series “Boston Legal” (2007–2008), and the TNT fantasy adventure series “The Librarians” (2014–2018). He made his film debut by providing the opening narration of the horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), following which he appeared in films such as Stripes (1981), Meatballs Part II (1984), Richie Rich (1994), and the Hallmark Channel mystery television film series McBride (2005–2008).
Carolyn McCormack
Carolyn McCormack
In film, Carolyn’s breakthrough role was in Enemy Mine with Dennis Quaid. Other credits include Woody Allen’s Whatever Works, You Know My Name with Sam Elliott, and A Simple Twist of Fate with Steve Martin. On TV she played district attorney Rita Fiore in “Spenser: For Hire” and appeared as the holodeck simulation Minuet in “11001001”, a first-season episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” and later as Minuet Riker in a fantasy-alternate universe during the fourth-season episode “Future Imperfect”. A role she would become known for is that of Dr. Elizabeth Olivet on NBC’s “Law & Order”. She has also been a guest star on “Madam Secretary,” “Elementary,” “Blue Bloods,” “Judging Amy,” “The Practice,” “Body of Proof,” ‘Cold Case,” “Homicide: Life on the Street,” and “LA Law”. Stage credits include Off-Broadway and regional productions: Eve-olution, Dinner with Friends, Oedipus, Ancestral Voices, The Donahue Sisters, Family Furniture,Vanya, Sonya, Masha and Spike, What I Did Last Summer, and Will Eno’s The Open House (Lucille Lortel nomination, Drama Desk Award).
Barbara Niven
Barbara Niven is an actor, writer and producer, best known for her performances in Hallmark Hall of Fame and Lifetime movies (including Stranger in My Bed, The Perfect Neighbor,Double Cross, Murder in My House, The Rival, A Valentine Carol, Black Widow, Heat Wave, My Mother’s Secret, Home Invasion, The Wife He Met Online, Fame’s Promise, Wedding Daze, and Back to You and Me). TV credits include roles in “Pensacola: Wings of Gold,” “Cedar Cove,” and “Chesapeake Shores” with Treat Williams and Diane Ladd. She is also known for her roles on the soap operas “The Bold and the Beautiful” and” One Life to Live” as well as guest roles in “ER,” “Cold Case,” “Las Vegas,” “NCIS,” “Charmed,” “Eli Stone,” and “Parks and Recreation”.. On HBO she played Marilyn Monroe in The Rat Pack and has appeared in films such as Under Lock and Key,Forest Warrior, Foxfire, Breast Men, Chasing Ghosts, Redline, Summer’s Blood, and A Perfect Ending. She is also a motivational speaker, media trainer, and animal rights activist and spokesperson, as a National Ambassador for American Humane.
Tony Todd
Tony Todd is an actor, film producer, and voice actor, best known for portraying Sergeant Warren in Platoon (1986), Kurn in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1990–1991) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1996), Ben in Night of the Living Dead (1990), the titular character in the Candyman horror franchise (1992–2021), William Bludworth in the Final Destination franchise (2000–2011), Dan in The Man from Earth (2007), and as the voice of The Fallen in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009).
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.
Atlantic Theater Company has announced casting for African Caribbean MixFest, a series of free readings co-produced by playwright Guadalís Del Carmen and playwright, director and Artistic Director of the Young Vic Kwame Kwei-Armah, that will run virtually Tuesday, January 19th through Friday, January 29th.
This winter, Atlantic will present readings of full-length plays by France-Luce Benson, Guadalís Del Carmen, and Kwame Kwei-Armah as well as short plays by Jasmine Lee-Jones and Whitney White. Additionally, Atlantic Theater Company will commission Julissa Contreras, Dane Figueroa Edidi and Patrice Johnson Chevannes to create short one-acts and present them as readings alongside a short play by Jeff Augustin for this year’s African Caribbean MixFest.
MixFest is an annual festival of new plays that explores and celebrates a diverse range of stories from cultural communities worldwide. Beginning with Latino MixFest (2010-2014) and continuing with Asian American MixFest (2017), Middle Eastern MixFest (2018) and Immigrant MixFest (2019), this festival has showcased a wide range of new voices, many of whom have continued their collaborations with Atlantic. Most recently, Immigrant MixFest co-producer and writer/director Shadi Ghaheri received an Atlantic Incubator Residency during the 2019/2020 Season. Atlantic Theater Company’s Asian American MixFest included a reading of Carla Ching’s Nomad Motel directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, which was produced in Atlantic’s 2018/2019 Season. The company has also commissioned several past festival participants including Carla Ching, Lloyd Suh, Brian Otaño, and Sanaz Toossi.
Atlantic’s new play and musical development activities are made possible, in part, by leadership support from the Howard Gilman Foundation and The Tow Foundation, with additional funding from the Axe-Houghton Foundation, the Barbara Bell Cumming Charitable Trust, The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre and the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
Atlantic productions and programs are also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council as well as the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
Admission is free, with a suggested donation. Reservations are required. To RSVP, please visit here. For questions email MixFest@atlantictheater.org.
MEET THE WRITERS
Tuesday, January 19 | 6 PM ET
African Caribbean MixFest will kick off with a group panel moderated by Alisha Espinosa. Learn more about the writers in the festival, their creative process and what inspires their work.
LET THERE BE LOVE
by Kwame Kwei-Armah
directed by Reggie D. White
Thursday, January 21 | 6 PM.
Featuring Marin Ireland, Kevin Mambo and Renika Williams
Let There Be Love tells the story of Alfred, a cantankerous and aging West Indian immigrant living in London who has managed to alienate all those around him-including his equally headstrong daughter with whom he rarely sees eye to eye. When an idealistic young Polish caregiver, new to the country, is assigned to look after him, he experiences a powerful reckoning with his past.
MIXFEST DOUBLE BILL
directed by Dominique Rider
Friday, January 22 | 6PM ET
I USED TO LOVE H.E.R.
written and performed by Jasmine Lee-Jones
ABDUCTION
by Whitney White
Featuring Amara Brady and Travis Artz
A double bill of new work by two thrilling writers from either side of the Atlantic. In her solo piece, Evening Standard Award winner Jasmine Lee-Jones explores the language of love from 1476 to now. Obie and Lilly Award-winning Whitney White’s two-hander is set in a holding room of a spaceship, and the conversations inside start to feel frighteningly familiar.
A COLLECTION OF SHORT PLAYS
directed by Danielle A. Drakes
Tuesday, January 26 | 6 PM ET
COQUITHCO
by Julissa Contreras
Featuring Segun Akande, Michael Luwoye and Mirirai Sithole
REFUGEES/SOLILOQUY
by Dane Figueroa Edidi
Featuring Dane Figueroa Edidi, Chris Herbie Holland, L Morgan Lee and Marquise Vilsón
IN ASYLUM
written and performed by Patrice Johnson Chevannes
UNTITLED PALM SPRINGS PLAY
by Jeff Augustin
Featuring Betsy Aidem, Russell G Jones and TL Thompson
Readings of three commissioned short plays by Julissa Contreras, Dane Figueroa Edidi and Patrice Johnson Chevannes, plus a short play by Jeff Augustin.
WHO IS THE CARIBBEAN IN AMERICA TODAY?
A Panel Moderated by Alisha Espinosa
Wednesday, January 27 | 6 PM ET
Hear from experts as they address this question through the lens of Caribbean history and the critical issues facing the African Caribbean community today, such as sex tourism, the effects of general tourism and environmental concerns. Our panel of thinkers will also explore matters of leadership and the role of art in Caribbean culture.
TIGRESS OF SAN DOMINGUE
by France-Luce Benson
directed by Awoye Timpo
Thursday, January 28 | 6 PM ET
Featuring China Brickey, Safiya Fredericks, Dan Hopman, Fedna Jacquet, Russell G. Jones, Guyviaud Joseph, Margaret Odette and Bechir Sylvain
Part II of Benson’s Haitian Revolution trilogy “Deux Femmes on the Edge de la Revolution,” Tigress of San Domingue continues the journey of Cécile, an enslaved African healer turned rebel soldier, and Valentine, a French expat caught between two worlds. As Toussaint L’Ouverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines continue the fight for freedom and equality, Cécile rises up the military ranks. Driven by a dangerous combination of trauma and ambition, she must choose between her obligation to family and their allegiance to the new nation rising from the ashes.
This reading was generously underwritten by Diane M. Miller.
A SHERO’S JOURNEY OR WHAT ANACAONA AND YEMAYÁ TAUGHT ME
by Guadalís Del Carmen
directed by Awoye Timpo
Friday, January 29 | 6 PM ET
Featuring David Anzuelo, Christopher Cassarino, Patrice Johnson Chevannes, Cindy De La Cruz, Jesus E. Martinez, Adesola Osakalumi, Judy Reyes and Ricardo Chavira
Zoila has had her entire life planned and laid out for her by her family and society. She finds herself at a crossroads when she falls in love with a friend from the past. When tragedy hits, she decides to risk it all. Leaving everything behind, she meets two ancestral figures, and together they embark on a journey that makes Zoila question everything she was ever taught.
A strong opening for the new year, Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents Red Folder, the third of six productions debuting on its Steppenwolf NOW virtual stage.
Written, directed and illustrated by Obie Award-winning Steppenwolf ensemble member Rajiv Joseph (Guards at the Taj, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), this illustrated short begins streaming on January 27, 2021. Commissioned specifically for the virtual stage, Red Folder features narration by Critics’ Choice and Obie Award-winning ensemble member Carrie Coon (Bug, “The Leftovers,” The Nest), charming illustrations by ensemble member Rajiv Joseph and enchanting original music composed by Chris P. Thompson.
The red folder belongs to a first grader. It is the source of all his woes. Years later, he seeks vengeance.
Rajiv Joseph. Photo by Lia Chang
Rajiv Joseph shares, “I’m really excited about this piece, it’s unique I think; it’s something I never would’ve conceived of doing outside of the restrictions that the pandemic has imposed on us.”
Rajiv Joseph joined the Steppenwolf ensemble in 2018. His play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama and also awarded a grant for Outstanding New American Play by the National Endowment for the Arts. He has twice won the Obie Award for Best New American Play, first in 2016 with Guards at the Taj (also a 2016 Lortel Winner for Best Play) and in 2018 for Describe the Night. Steppenwolf produced Guards at the Taj to acclaim in 2018 and will produce the world premiere of King James in a future season (the original 2020 production was postponed due to COVID-19). Other plays include Archduke, Gruesome Playground Injuries, Animals Out of Paper, The Lake Effect, The North Pool and Mr. Wolf. Joseph has been awarded artistic grants from the Whiting Foundation, United States Artists and the Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. He is a board member of the Lark Play Development Center in New York City, where he develops all his plays. He served for three years in the Peace Corps in Senegal and now lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Carrie Coon (Narrator) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2019 and was last seen at Steppenwolf in ensemble member Tracy Letts’s Bug, for which she won a Jeff Award. Other Steppenwolf credits include Mary Page Marlowe, Tracy Letts’s adaptation of Three Sisters, The March and Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as “Honey,” a role that led to a Tony nomination and a Theatre World Award. She won a Critics’ Choice Television Award for her performance in HBO’s “The Leftovers” and a TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama for her performances in HBO’s “The Leftovers” and FX’s “Fargo”. For her performance in Amy Herzog’s world premiere Mary Jane, she garnered a 2018 Lucille Lortel Award, an Obie Award and a Drama Desk Award nomination. Recent films include The Nest with Jude Law, Ghostbusters: Afterlife and upcoming historical drama TV series “The Gilded Age” by Julian Fellows.
The original piano score was created using a technique called microtonality-an approach to tuning that gives access to the “notes between the notes.” Careful application of the technique can saturate musical flavors, making it possible to create harmonies and timbres with a subtly heightened clarity and harmonious glow.
Composer Chris P. Thompson shares, “Rajiv’s piece really resonated for me as a picture of how adults impose the anxieties and complexity of their world onto children. I found the palette of microtonality to be perfect for expressing that range. It begins simply, with pure-tuned piano and basic synthesizer waveforms. As fear and anxiety mount, the simple sounds of the score become more odd, dissonant and cutting. The synthesizer sounds gradually grow teeth. Eventually, the score is practically putting giant fists down on an out-of-tune piano.”
Chris P. Thompson (Original Music) composes electronic and acoustic music that tells stories and paints pictures of potent emotional states. His third solo album, True Stories & Rational Numbers, was released in October of 2020. Well-known in contemporary music circles as a longtime percussionist in Alarm Will Sound and the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, he has participated in the world premieres of over a hundred new works and can be heard on 30 studio albums. He has appeared or collaborated with an eclectic range of artists and ensembles including Björk, Dirty Projectors, Foxing, Medeski Martin & Wood, the Metropolitan Opera, Nico Muhly, and Tyondai Braxton. chrispthompson.com
Red Folder was filmed and edited by Joel Moorman. Lead Animation Artist was Christopher Huizar with Joel Moorman and Rudy Schultz as Animation Artists. Additional credits include Elise Hausken (Production Manager), JC Clementz, CSA (Casting Director and Artistic Producer), Laura D. Glenn (Production Stage Manager) and Christine D. Freeburg (Assistant Production Stage Manager).
Access to Red Folder is available with the purchase of a Virtual Membership to Steppenwolf NOW, which includes all six productions for only $75. Once released, all productions are available for members to stream through August 31, 2021. Discounted $50 memberships are available to essential workers, artists, students and teachers. Note: 20/21 Classic Members, Black Card holders and RED members receive Steppenwolf NOW content for free. Single tickets to Steppenwolf NOW shows are not available. For more info or to purchase, visit steppenwolf.org/now or call Audience Services at 312-335-1650.
Lia Chang
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.
Happy birthday to Tony, Grammy and Emmy winning Hadestown star André De Shields, who turns 75 today.
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André kicked off the New Year playing the hard-bitten restaurant critic Anton Ego in Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical, presented by the Tony Award-winning theatrical production company Seaview’s (Slave Play, Sea Wall/A Life), with Jeremy O. Harris, Michael Breslin, and Patrick Foley serving as Executive Producers. The performance was a benefit for The Actors Fund Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund and has raised $2 million dollars to date.
André De Shields (center), (Clockwise) Blake Rouse, Raymond J. Lee, Sophia James, Gabbi Bolt. via Ratatouille The Musical
André also lent his name to a fundraising email campaign for The Actors Fund in December which garnered 86 donations totaling nearly $85,000.
Joe Benincasa and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André is currently featured on Crossroads Theatre Company virtual stage, presenting excerpts of his musical Haarlem Nocturne interspersed with his reflections about creating the work, co-writing, directing and starring in the production. The encore presentation and conversation with Crossroads Co-Founder Ricardo Khan streams on the Crossroads website through January 17th. Click here to watch.
Ricardo Kahn and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
De Shields and Haarlem Nocturne have a long history with Crossroads. The musical, performed at Crossroads in 1994, pays homage to the nightclubs of Harlem’s golden age. “Mr. De Shields is family and we are excited to have him back at Crossroads to spend some time with us reminiscing and revisiting the creativity and artistry that brought Haarlem Nocturne to life,” said Khan. “We’ll also talk about the roles he played in bringing success to some of Broadway’s biggest shows including The Wiz, The Full Monty, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Hadestown, the show that brought him his first Tony in 2019,” he added.
Tony Award Winner André De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields as Hermes in HADESTOWN. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields is the triple-crown winner of the 2019 awards season, having won the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, and Tony Awards for best featured actor in a musical for his critically acclaimed performance as Hermes in Hadestown. The Actors’ Equity Foundation followed suit with the Richard Seff Award, honoring veteran stage actors’ best supporting performances of the year. In 2020, Mr. De Shields received the 2020 Grammy Award for Musical Theater Album for Hadestown, the 2020 AUDELCO for Lifetime Achievement, and an honorary Doctor of Arts Degree from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. In 2019, he received the 2019 Project1Voice Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2019 SAGE Joyce Warshow Lifetime Achievement Award, The York Theatre Company’s 2019 Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre, and was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. He received the Key to the City of Baltimore from Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young in August, 2019.
Theater Hall of Fame Class of 2019- Michael Price, Natasha Katz, Carolyn Capstick Meehan, André De Shields, Donna McKechnie, Emily Mann, Michael Feingold and Ann Reinking at the New York Friars Club in New York on November 18, 2019. Photo: Lia Chang
Prior to his Tony Award win, Mr. De Shields was best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions: The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Emmy Award), Play On! (Tony Nomination), and The Full Monty (Tony Nomination).
The Wiz – “Y’all Got It”
Actor André De Shields (C) w. cast in a scene fr. the Broadway musical “The Wiz”. (c.1974) Photo by Martha Swope courtesy of THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
Ain’t Misbehavin’ – “Viper’s Drag”
Nell Carter, Ken Page, André De Shields, Armelia McQueen and Charlayne Woodard in Ain’t Misbehavin’. Photo by Mignonette Dooley Johnson
Play On! – “Rocks in My Bed”
The Full Monty – “Let It Go”
THE FULL MONTY’S Marcus Neville, Romain Fruge, John Ellison Conlee, André De Shields, and Jason Danieley on the cover of TIME OUT NEW YORK in 2000. Photo: Dick Mitchell
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
In a career spanning fifty two years, he has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director, and educator, receiving in 2018 the 8th Annual Off Broadway Alliance Legend Award, and the 33rd Annual Bob Harrington Life Achievement Bistro Award. Among his other accolades are the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award and the 2007 Village Voice Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance. His film and TV projects include Anton Ego in Ratatouille: The TikTok Tok Musical, the Algebra Tutor in “John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch” on Netflix, Chubby in “Katy Keene” on the CW, and as Wyndham on “Almost Family.” He can next be seen as Gavin Plimsoll in Charles Busch’s new film, The Sixth Reel. De Shields is a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and SDC. andredeshields.com
André De Shields can be seen on Netflix as the Algebra Tutor in “John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch”.
Below are highlights of André’s interviews, performances and speeches during 2020.
Jan. 10: The Actors Fund Special Performance of 2020 was an unforgettable afternoon at the Tony Award-winning best musical Hadestown. Tony Award winner André De Shields rocked the house after the performance with a ‘curtain sermon’ about The Actors Fund that will be long remembered.
Jordan Roth, André De Shields, Khaila Wilcoxon, Kimberly Marable, Dana Lyn, Kay Trinidad, Rachel Chavkin, Ben Perowsky, Malcolm Armwood, Afra Hines, Jessie Shelton, Rachel Hauck, Liam Robinson, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, Brian Drye. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and David Henry Hwang. Photo by Lia Chang
March 9, 10, 11 – Prior to the COVID-19 shutdown in New York, André performed his theatrical concert OLD DAWG; NEW TRICKS for the Broadway Cabaret Series at Old School Square’s Crest Theatre and The Broadway Concert Series Presented by Vi at Aventura at Aventura Arts & Cultural Center. Below are highlights of the show. Click here to read more about the show.
Apr. 10: Baltimore Native and Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award Winning Actor André De Shields collaborated with the Office of the Mayor to deliver an important message on how we all can stay healthy and safe during the #COVID19
Apr. 14: André De Shields performs in “A Hill on Which to Drown” | En Garde Arts presents Uncommon Voices
May 3 – THE FULL MONTY’s André De Shields, John Ellison Conlee, Jason Danieley, Romain Fruge, Marcus Neville, Patrick Wilson and David Yazbek Reunite for STARS IN THE HOUSE Click here to read more.
May 6: Badger Commencement 2020 Shout Out – André De Shields, ’70, offers a heartwarming message to the UW-Madison graduates of 2020
May 9 – André Received an Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree from the Boston Conservatory of Music at Berklee. Click here to read more and below for his speech.
May 11: Theatermania interview
May 12 – The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Monologues – “COVID & Incarceration” collaborated with several arts and advocacy organizations – The Broadway Advocacy Coalition; The Confined Arts; RAPP; Zealous, The Center for Institutional and Social Change at Columbia Law School and American Friends Service Committee – to feature real stories from those currently and previously incarcerated, their families, and the advocates serving them during this global pandemic. https://www.instagram.com/tv/CAI3w66jG2A/ André performed a monologue from A Father’s Sorrow, written by Shaka Senghor. This Special Edition of Viral Monologues is made possible by the support of Broadway Cares / Equity Fights Aids. Click here to read more.
May 14: Katy Keene – Try (feat. Ashleigh Murray & Andre DeShields)
André De Shields in “A FATHER’S SORROW” by SHAKA SENGHOR Hear more from Elder Qualls and how you can support his call to action at https://www.NowHearUs.org
May 20 – NYU Gallatin’91 Alum André De Shields presented a NYU Class of 2020 All-University Commencement Message.
May 26: Playbill: Eva Noblezada, Reeve Carney, and more Hadestown Cast Reunite to Perform ‘Road to Hell (Reprise)’
May 28- The Jimmy Kimmel Show
May 29 – Yin & Yang, aka André De Shields and Garth Kravits, put their own spin on the Sam Cooke R & B classic, “Bring It On Home To Me,” accompanied by Andrew Gutauskas on saxophone.
Yin & Yang, aka André De Shields and Garth Kravits, put their own spin on the Sam Cooke R & B classic, “Bring It On Home To Me,” accompanied by Andrew Gutauskas on saxophone. When asked what inspired the pair to collaborate virtually on this song, De Shields shared, “my ambition for collaborating with Garth on what will ultimately be a series of duets is to restore joy and love to a world that has lost its way.” Kravits said, “André and I very quickly agreed that the essence of this cover and the others that will follow, would be fun, pure and simple. Just to enjoy singing with one another so that the viewing and listening audience might share in what we’re laying down.” Click here to read more the pair.
June 1 – NPR released the Tiny Desk Concert featuring Hadestown cast members, musicians and creator Anaïs Mitchell. The concert was filmed on March 2.
HADESTOWN at NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert on March 2, 2020. Photo: NPR
The set list includes “Way Down Hadestown”, “Come Home With Me/Wedding Song”, “When The Chips Are Down”, “Flowers”, and “Why We Build The Wall.”
Cast members and musicians featured are: André De Shields: Hermes; Kimberly Marable: Persephone; Jewelle Blackman: Fate, accordion; Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer: Fate, violin; Kay Trinidad: Fate, percussion; Reeve Carney: Orpheus; Eva Noblezada: Eurydice; Patrick Page: Hades; Anaïs Mitchell: composer, vocals, guitar; Liam Robinson: piano, accordion; Brian Drye: trombone, glockenspiel; Megan Gould: violin; Ilusha Tsinadze: guitar; Ben Perowsky: drums; Malcolm Parson: cello; and Chris Tordini: bass
June 4 – A Virtual Town Hall: The Impact of Covid-19 and Systemic Inequity in Communities of Color, A Holistic Plan for Healing Our Communities via Zoom.
Presented by The Arts and Culture Committee of The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, the Harlem Arts Alliance, and Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, the office of the Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer and the 42 members of the Coalition of Theatres of Color (CTC) a 501(c)3 not for profit consortium. The meeting addressed the proposed FY21 city funding for arts institutions. Given the codependent nature of arts, community and culture in New York, survival of CTC institutions is indissoluble from the survival of New York. The impact of COVID-19 on the arts and culture community has been devastating. Each of our members – large and small – are struggling to survive the next few months and sadly many may not; drastically and irrevocably shifting the landscape of our field for many years to come. Today our institutions and missions are more vital than ever in playing a key role in the recovery of our great city as many of our organizations are more than just theaters. Speakers included Corey Johnson, Speaker of the NYC Council; I. Daneek Miller, Council Member, BLAC Co-Chair; Laurie Cumbo, Council Member, BLAC Vice Chair; Inez E. Dickens, New York State Assemblymember; André De Shields, Actor, Choreographer; Danny Glover, Actor, Activist; Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Actor, Playwright, Director; David Martine (Chiricuhau Apache/Shinnecock); Sade Lythcott, CTC Chair, National Black Theatre; Diane Fraher, American Indian Artists Inc. (AMERINDA); Madaha Kinsey-Lamb, Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center; Carl Clay, Black Spectrum Theatre; Tisa Chang, Pan Asian Rep; and Libertad O. Guerra, The Clemente.
Jun. 7: CBS Sunday Morning -On Broadway: Keeping the lights on. COVID-19 has shuttered stages on the Great White Way, but there are some traditions in Broadway theaters that can’t be totally turned off. Correspondent Mo Rocca talks with “Hadestown” star André De Shields, multiple Tony-winner Bernadette Peters, Broadway producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper, and Seth Rudetsky & James Wesley, the couple behind the “Stars In the House” web series, about how theater artists are coping with the shutdown by turning to a whole new stage.
Oct. 15: Broadway on Demand: Class is now in session with Tony Award® Winner André De Shields. André is sharing some catalytic elements that you’ll want to put in your toolkit whenever you need to inhabit a character.
Nov. 2: Sing Out For Freedom 2020: An Election Eve Concert in Support of the #ACLU & #NYCLU André De Shields, accompanied by Gaelynn Lea on violin. “Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of the Nation” The final words of Congressman John Lewis as published by The New York Times.
André De Shields & Lillias White Inspire with Duet of ‘If You Believe’ – Behind-the-scenes: BROADWAYVS: André De Shields & Lillias White Sing ‘If You Believe’
Lillias White and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.
The LCT SPOTLIGHT SERIES presented Turning the Page: LCT Artists Read Their Own Poetry and Prose featuring playwrights David Adjmi, Ayad Akhtar, and Sarah Ruhl, playwright and director James Lapine, director Jack O’Brien and actor Andrew Rannells reading from their own non-theatrical works on January 14.
New York, NY – August 7th, 2017: Ayad Akhtar posing for a portrait in New York.
Adjmi read from his memoir Lot Six: A Memoir; Akhtar from his critically-acclaimed Homeland Elegies: A Novel; Ruhl from her book of poetry 44 Poems for You; Lapine from his upcoming Putting It Together – How Stephen Sondheim and I Created Sunday in the Park with George; O’Brien from his soon-to-be-published memoir Jack in the Box, or How to Goddam Direct; and Rannells from his collection of essays published under the title Too Much Is Not Enough: A Memoir of Fumbling Toward Adulthood. Introduced by poet Honor Moore (Ms. Moore’s latest memoir is Our Revolution: A Mother and Daughter at Midcentury, published in March 2020). Click below to watch through January 24.
Lia Chang
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.
In the winter of 2022, MTC will present the Broadway premiere of Skeleton Crew, written by Tony Award nominee Dominique Morisseau (Ain’t Too Proud, Pipeline) and directed by Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Lackawanna Blues, August Wilson’s Jitney) at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
Dominique Morisseau. Photo by Lia Chang
Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Photo by Lia Chang
A timely and gripping Broadway premiere from Tony Award® nominee Dominique Morisseau (Ain’t Too Proud, Pipeline). In 2008 Detroit, a small automotive factory is on the brink of foreclosure, and a tight knit family of workers hangs in the balance. With uncertainty everywhere, the line between blue collar and white collar becomes blurred, and this working family must reckon with their personal loyalties, their instincts for survival and their ultimate hopes for humanity. The New York Times gives this astonishing work a Critic’s Pick and cheers, “A very fine new play… warm-blooded, astute, deeply moral and deeply American.” And The Amsterdam News hails it as “a prime example of how theatre imitates life… intense, touching and funny.” Directing is Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Lackawanna Blues, August Wilson’s Jitney).
Also in Winter 2022, Off-Broadway at New York City Center Stage (i), MTC plans to present the world premiere of Prayer For The French Republic, written by Drama Desk Award winner Joshua Harmon (Bad Jews, Significant Other) and directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer (The Sound Inside, The Band’s Visit). Prayer for the French Republic is sponsored by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation’s Theatre Visions Fund program. Prayer for the French Republic was commissioned by MTC through the Bank of America New Play Program.
In 1944, a Jewish couple in Paris desperately await news of their missing family. More than 70 years later, the couple’s great-grandchildren find themselves facing the same question as their ancestors: “Are we safe?” Following five generations of a French Jewish family, Prayer For The French Republic is a sweeping look at history, home, and the effects of an ancient hatred. This powerful world premiere comes from acclaimed playwright Joshua Harmon (Bad Jews, Significant Other) and director David Cromer, a Tony Award winner for The Band’s Visit.
MTC’s planned 2021-2022 season also includes the Broadway premiere of Lackawanna Blues, written, performed, and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson with original music by Bill Sims Jr. in Fall 2021 and the Broadway premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning How I Learned to Drive, written by Paula Vogel and directed by Mark Brokaw in Spring 2022 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre; and the world premiere of Morning Sun, written by Simon Stephens and directed by Lila Neugebauer in Fall 2021 and the American premiere of Golden Shield, written by Anchuli Felicia King and directed by Danya Taymor in the 2021-2022 season, off-Broadway at New York City Center Stage (i).
Exact performance dates and further casting information for all six productions will be announced at a later date.
Like the rest of the theatre community, Manhattan Theatre Club continues to closely follow the COVID-19 health and safety guidance of New York City and State.
“When conditions allow, everyone at MTC looks forward to safely having artists and audiences back in Broadway’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre and at our off-Broadway home at New York City Center,” said Lynne Meadow.
In the meantime, MTC’s Virtual Season continues online with theatrical experiences, initiatives, and events that audiences can enjoy without leaving their homes. Details can be found at www.manhattantheatreclub.com/virtual.
MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB, under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, has become one of the country’s most prominent and prestigious theatre companies. Over more than four decades, MTC productions have earned numerous awards including 7 Pulitzer Prizes, 27 Tony Awards, 40 Drama Desk Awards and 49 Obie Awards. MTC has a Broadway home at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street) and two Off-Broadway theatres at New York City Center (131 West 55th Street). For more information on MTC, please visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.
TICKETING INFORMATION
Subscriptions to MTC’s new season of plays are now available by calling the MTC Clubline at 212-399-3050 or by clicking here.
Single ticket information for Lackawanna Blues, Skeleton Crew, How I Learned to Drive, Morning Sun, Prayer for the French Republic, and Golden Shield will be announced at a later date. Visit www.manhattantheatreclub.com for more information.
Lia Chang
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.
DeWanda Wise, star of the Netflix series “She’d Gotta Have It,” and her husband, Alano Miller, best known for the WGN America drama series “Underground,” will join Ted Lange, the actor, director and screenwriter known for the TV series “The Love Boat,” as co-hosts of New Federal Theatre’s “50th Anniversary Virtual Gala” January 17, 2021 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The event will celebrate the esteemed organization, founded by Woodie King, Jr. in 1970, for its 50 years of theatrical excellence.
Ted Lange. Photo by Lia Chang
DeWanda Wise and Alano Miller. Photo by Lia Chang
This virtual gala will be accessible from the theater’s website, www.newfederaltheatre.com, and will honor Cliff Frazier, Ron Himes, S. Epatha Merkerson, Ed Pitt, Phylicia Rashad, Oz Scott, Beth Turner, Glynn Turman and Douglas Turner Ward.
Attendees are encouraged to reserve early.
The celebration is written by Bill Harris and directed by Dean Irby. Honorary Committee for the event includes Debbie Allen, Harry Belafonte, Vin Diesel, Toni Fay, Danny Glover, Samuel L. Jackson, La Tanya Richardson Jackson, Sidney Poitier, Issa Rae, Phylicia Rashad, Lamman Rucker, Glynn Turman, Mfundi Vundla and Lynn Whitfield.
Special Guests: Debbie Allen, Trazana Beverly, Mya Carter, Patrice Johnson Chevannes, Debbi Blackwell Cook, Michael Dinwiddie, D.K. Dyson, Joseph L. Edwards, Elain Graham, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Ted Lange, Kevin Maynor, Ademola Olugebefola, Joyce Sylvester and Richard Wesley.
Editor: Natalie Morrow, Production: Stage Manager: John Scutchins.
DeWanda Wise was last directed by Woodie King, Jr., the founder and Producing Director of New Federal Theatre, in Leslie Lee’s play “Sundown Names and Night-Gone Things” at Castillo Theatre in 2009.
Woodie King, Jr.’s New Federal Theatre has produced over 450 mainstage plays, an astonishing and influential record of achievement, sending multiple plays to Broadway and launching numerous minority and women playwrights and actors into prominent careers. Its alumni are an honor roll of artists of color from the 1970s through today.
Several early successes brought NFT to national prominence: “Black Girl” by J.E. Franklin, won a Drama Desk Award, “The Taking of Miss Janie” by Ed Bullins moved from NFT to Lincoln Center and won the Drama Critics Circle Award; “For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf” by Ntozake Shange performed on Broadway for ten months (co-produced with the late Joseph Papp) and was nominated for the Tony Award before embarking on a three-year national tour. It has subsequently been performed regionally and around the world and was revived Off-Broadway in 2019.
Among the performers who benefited from early successes on NFT’s stage are the late Chadwick Boseman, Debbie Allen, Morgan Freeman, Phylicia Rashad, Denzel Washington, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Issa Rae, and many more.
For more info, including an expanded list of the company’s distinguished alumni, click here.
Admission to this virtual gala is free and donations will be gratefully accepted. To reserve, click here or send an email to rsvp@newfederaltheatre.com. Suggested donations are $50 to $25,000 and can be made through Paypal at www.newfederaltheatre.org or by mailing a check to New Federal Theatre, 543 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
Lia Chang
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.
On Saturday, February 13th at 7:00pm EST, Play-PerView is presenting Revenge Porn by Carla Ching (Nomad Motel), featuring Tina Huang (“Rizzoli & Isles”), Amy Hill (“Magnum P.I.”), Kahyun Kim (Daddy), Christopher Larkin (“The 100”), Ken Leung (“Lost”), and Roland Ruiz (Boyhood) under the direction of Bernardo Cubría (Brain Problems). In Revenge Porn, when Kat Chan’s ex-husband posts explicit photos of her online and tags everyone she knows, she has to wrestle with a choice: Be humane to someone she used to love? Or take him out in a very public way? A play about public shaming, ownership of womens’ bodies and images, and the earthquakes that come from dissolving a marriage, Revenge Porn will be available on-demand through February 17th. This reading will benefit a new emergency micro-grant program established by Ma-Yi Theater Company.
Click on here for virtual tickets starting at $5.00, and here for the line up of the 2021 season, updates, trivia, contests, and more.
This event requires having the free Zoom teleconference app which can be downloaded via https://zoom.us
A Zoom link will be sent via Eventbrite to your email the day of the event
Performance time is subject to change.
Play-PerView’s Redbubble store offers a range of branded products, from mugs and masks to tees and totes, and helps friends of the company stay stylish and show their support! Purchases contribute to both the company’s charitable work and its operating costs, with 20% of proceeds designated to benefit a different not-for-profit theater every week. Visit Redbubble to explore the store at tinyurl.com/ppvshop.
Play-PerView has raised almost $180,000 to date in support of arts organizations and other charities across the country impacted by the COVID-19 virus in its first season of thirty-seven major live-streamed events and additional auxiliary programming.
Lia Chang
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.
WASHINGTON — United States Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on the violent assault on the United States Capitol and the need to immediately reconvene Congress to remove President Donald Trump from office:
“January 6, 2021 is a date which will forever live in infamy. This was the most violent, deadly, and destructive assault on the U.S. Capitol since the War of 1812. The insurrectionists were domestic terrorists, many armed and many associated with white nationalist groups. This was a planned and coordinated attack with an intent to overthrow a free and fair election, and included live bombs both on the Capitol grounds and outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters.
“These insurrectionists were called to action, incited, fueled, and assisted in their attack on our democracy and our Capitol by Donald J. Trump, the sitting President of the United States, who has used every opportunity to build his own following at the expense of our country and our Constitution and with the express intent to fuel and promote hate and violence as a political tool.
“I was one of a dozen Representatives trapped in the gallery above the House floor as this occurred. We pulled out gas masks from under the seats because tear gas was being used and we had to get down on the ground for cover. Capitol Police barricaded the doors with furniture and had their guns drawn. We were eventually told that we had to quickly exit and took flights of stairs down to a safer location. As we did, we passed insurrectionists who had been trying to break into the very gallery that we had been trapped in. They were being held — spread-eagled on the floor and at gunpoint — by Capitol Police.
“We knew that the first thing we had to do was to finish the work of certifying the election, to make it crystal clear to these insurrectionists — led by Trump and his enablers — that we would do our Constitutional duty and listen to the will of the people who voted and made their voices clear in delivering both a popular vote and Electoral College vote victory to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris. In the wake of the violence wrought on the Capitol, it was even more disgusting that some Republican colleagues continued their baseless objections to the Electoral College certification, even spinning more lies and conspiracy theories on the House floor and shockingly defending the insurrectionists. Nevertheless, at 3:45 AM on January 7, 2021, we completed the process and certified the election in both the House and the Senate. There is absolutely no question that on January 20, Joe Biden will be our new president.
“However, our work is far from done. Congress must reconvene right now so we can have immediate accountability in three specific ways.
“First, we must immediately remove the President from office. I have called on Vice President Pence and the Cabinet to put this country first and uphold their constitutional duty to invoke the 25th Amendment. I have also signed on to once again impeach Donald Trump. He is a direct threat to our democracy, with complete control over the military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies. It cannot be an accident that the federal government was not properly prepared for the threats associated with Wednesday’s assault, which were being publicly broadcast over social media. Additionally, Donald Trump did not authorize the full securing of the US Capitol. In fact, French Intelligence experts have stated that they believe the President may have been involved in a coup attempt — explicitly or implicitly with his actions. It is inconceivable that Congress would allow him to remain in office in these final critical days leading to President-elect Biden’s inauguration, or that we would not clearly send a message to our country and the world that insurrection and sedition will not be tolerated.
“In addition, the Department of Justice must ruthlessly investigate Trump and hold him fully accountable for his dangerous crimes and corruption against the American people with every tool in the toolbox. To those who say we should simply move on, I remind you that his crimes without consequences would only enable him and any others who follow in his dangerous mold to do the same. I also remind everyone that for Black, Brown and Indigenous people across our country who have been met with violence while peacefully protesting, this rapid march towards a rising of the Confederacy — with a noose on Capitol grounds and a Confederate flag planted at the Capitol as others were waved inside — without any consequences is a re-traumatization and an unacceptable outcome in any march towards justice. It simply cannot be.
“Second, we must immediately, quickly, and thoroughly investigate what happened that allowed insurrectionists to overtake the Capitol on Wednesday. The United States has the most powerful law enforcement, intelligence, and military agencies in the world. To my chagrin, we spend $750 billion on defense, and yet we were unable to protect our own Capitol and democracy. We need to know what happened and what did not happen, and there must be accountability for that. We also need to know that our Capitol is safe now, that the inauguration will be safe, and that our law enforcement agencies are working for our democracy and not for insurrectionists. Those who were part and parcel of any breaches of Capitol security, or any delays that prevented the Capitol from being fully secured as we took on the Constitutional responsibility of certifying the Electoral College must be held accountable.
“Finally, we absolutely must reckon with the racism and white supremacy that was so clearly and painfully on display with the storming of the Capitol. Over one year ago, during my opening remarks for the Judiciary Committee’s impeachment hearings, I said this: “Donald Trump is the smoking gun. It is reloaded and whether or not it goes off again is up to us.” Then last summer, I grilled Attorney General Bill Barr on the Department of Justice’s disparate treatment of white, armed militia who stormed the Michigan State Capitol with absolutely no accountability and the unforgivable, violent treatment of Black Lives Matter protestors who were protesting the systematic and regular murder of Black people throughout our history, brought fully to the forefront by the murder of George Floyd.
“We know that peaceful Black and Brown protestors would never have been allowed even remotely close to the Capitol. And yet, there were no barricades and no law enforcement to stop the insurrectionists who overtook our Capitol — and even videos and pictures of those people being allowed in, barriers being opened up, and the insurrectionists posing for selfies with law enforcement inside the Capitol. This is the deep injustice and violence of our law enforcement agencies over the course of our history that have led to the powerful calls for justice in policing. No progress in America is possible unless we address the racism, white supremacy, and anti-Blackness that has plagued our country for far too long.
“I want to close by extending my gratitude to everyone for your thoughts for our safety and for America during this dark moment. Our country and our democracy will have to recover from these deep wounds — and it will not be easy. It will take time and it will take work. But we will get through this because we are strong and resilient. We will do the people’s work to ensure that justice and peace prevail. And we will preserve and protect our democracy today and always. I promise you that.”
Lia Chang
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.
The Studios of Key West will present a virtual production of the powerful and timely new play Smithtown, written by Drew Larimore and directed by Stephen Kitsakos, Studios of Key West Artistic Associate. Smithtown is a series of four interconnected but distinct monologues featuring an ensemble of top Broadway and television actors: Michael Urie (Broadway revival of Torch Song, “Ugly Betty”), Ann Harada (Avenue Q and Cinderella on Broadway), Colby Lewis (Chicago’s Hamilton, “Chicago Med”), and Constance Shulman (“Orange is the New Black” on Netflix, The Rose Tattoo on Broadway). The play will be available for a two-week online engagement from February 13 to February 27. Click here to purchase tickets.
Incisively dark and funny, Smithtown shines a spotlight on the ways we communicate, and miscommunicate, in a rapidly evolving digital era, when the rules of conduct change by the minute, and loneliness and isolation seem to be the order of the day. “I wrote Smithtown a few years ago and felt compelled to revisit it in light of the pandemic,” said Larimore, “Technology is at the core of the play, so producing it now in this online format couldn’t be more appropriate.”
The play follows four residents of Smithtown, a fictional Midwestern university town, who unwittingly and arguably become “victims” of technology gone awry. A college professor ignites a local tragedy by texting questionable photographs to his ex-girlfriend. A sleep-deprived “text angel” sends a well-meaning text at the exact wrong moment. A struggling artist plays fast and loose with morality to get ahead. A grieving mother turns to social media to fill the emptiness left by a lost child.
Well-known for its creative partnerships within and beyond Key West, The Studios has expanded its reach and capacity over the previous year to produce quality streaming content. For this project, The Studios has drawn upon its impressive roster of Artist in Residence alumni, pairing former AiR and playwright Drew Larimore (The New Peggy) with former AiR and videographer/writer Harry Aspinwall (Netflix’s “The Sleepover”) to create this special theatrical event.
Director Stephen Kitsakos recognizes the inherent challenge in bringing Larimore’s script to life for online audiences. “Smithtown is most definitely a play, and not a film, and so of course, the focus is on the text,” he said, “but theatre endures and adapts. We assembled some of the most talented actors working today, each one a consummate storyteller, to create a hybrid form of presentation that works perfectly with this project. And of course we added a hint of cinematic flair where we could,” he adds.
Smithtown will run as an on-line streaming event from Saturday, February 13 to Saturday, February 27. Running time is 65 minutes. Tickets are $15 for Studio Members and $20 for non-members.
Lia Chang
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.
“Every sector in society has been impacted negatively by COVID-19, including theatres,” Dan Lauria said. “I wanted to raise awareness of the plight of these organizations while celebrating how actors are keeping their creative juices flowing.”
Written, directed and illustrated by Obie Award-winning Steppenwolf ensemble member Rajiv Joseph (Guards at the Taj, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), this illustrated short begins streaming on January 27, 2021. Commissioned specifically for the virtual stage, Red Folder features narration by Critics’ Choice and Obie Award-winning ensemble member Carrie Coon (Bug, “The Leftovers,” The Nest), charming illustrations by ensemble member Rajiv Joseph and enchanting original music composed by Chris P. Thompson.
This virtual gala will be accessible from the theater’s website, 
The Studios of Key West will present a virtual production of the powerful and timely new play Smithtown, written by Drew Larimore and directed by Stephen Kitsakos, Studios of Key West Artistic Associate. Smithtown is a series of four interconnected but distinct monologues featuring an ensemble of top Broadway and television actors: Michael Urie (Broadway revival of Torch Song, “Ugly Betty”), Ann Harada (Avenue Q and Cinderella on Broadway), Colby Lewis (Chicago’s Hamilton, “Chicago Med”), and Constance Shulman (“Orange is the New Black” on Netflix, The Rose Tattoo on Broadway). The play will be available for a two-week online engagement from February 13 to February 27. Click 