Early Buzz: The Box by Marcus Gardley
Playwright Marcus Gardley is having a moment, four plays by Gardley will celebrate world premieres in early 2014 at four different prestigious institutions, including the Berkeley Rep and Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago. The final of the four plays to premiere is The Box: A Black Comedy presented by The Foundry Theatre, a celebrated theater company most recently lauded for their excellent production of Good Person of Szechwan featuring Taylor Mac.
The Box: A Black Comedy is a play about law enforcement and imprisonment in the United States and the complex relationship between police and communities of color. It features a cast of five men who portray more than a dozen characters and music by Imani Uzuri. The play is inspired by Gardley’s own experience with police harassment and informed by conversations with former prisoners, retired police, corrections officers, and social justice organizers. The Foundry Theatre describes it as a “hilarious satire.” Gardley is well-known for his ability to address difficult topics with humor and we don’t doubt the Foundry’s characterization.
We’ve been eager for this production since we first heard rumor of it. We loved Gardley’s contribution to Facing Our Truth: Short Plays on Trayvon, Race, and Privilege and we are excited to see a full length production by him. We’d recommend acting fast to get tickets.
TICKETS
$30 (click to purchase tickets from OvationTix, the official online ticket seller for The Box)
DATES
April 11 – May 11, 2014 (official opening delayed from April 16, 2014 to April 30, 2014)
LOCATION
Irondale Center
85 South Oxford Street
Brooklyn
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RUNNING TIME
TBA
CAST & CREW
(partial list)
Written by Marcus Gardley
Directed by Seth Bockley
Featuring Andres Munar, J. D. Goldblatt, Leon Addison Brown, Mikeah Ernest Jennings, Sheldon Best
NEWS
Maxamoo Podcast
Looking Harder for More Diverse Theater, Part 1
American Theatre Magazine
The Content of His Characters, Playwright Marcus Gardley is as obsessed with history as with the present moment. His way into both is through the people and the poetry