The OBIE and Drama Desk Award-winning Classical Theatre of Harlem has announced casting for its revival of Samuel Beckett's absurdist classic Waiting for Godot, which will begin performances on May 18th and will run thorugh June 25th at the The HSA Theater (645 St. Nicholas Ave., near 141st Street).
The production will be directed by Christopher McElroen, the co-founder of the Classical Theatre of Harlem. "Two tramps meet on the side of the road. The two men remember that they are supposed to wait under a tree on a Saturday for a man named Godot. It appears they do not remember the man named Godot very well, but they think he was going to give them an answer to a question that they don't know," state press notes.
Wendell Pierce will play the role of Vladimir. He appeared in CTH's production of
The Cherry Orchard, and is best known for his leading role as Detective William "Bunk" Moreland on HBO's "The Wire." J. Kyle Manzay, who will play Estragon, won an OBIE Award for CTH's
The Blacks and is currently appearing in Melvin Van Peebles'
Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death at T New York. Chris McKinney will play the role of Pozzo. McKinney's film credits include
Cradle Will Rock, (directed by Tim Robbins),
Beirut, and most recently, Sidney Pollack's
The Interpreter. New York stage credits include
Light Raise the Roof at New York Theatre Workshop. Rounding out the cast is Billy Eugene Jones as Lucky; Jones appeared on Broadway in
Gem of the Ocean and the recent revival of
A Raisin in the Sun.
"Waiting for Godot is considered by many to be one of the most important works of our time. It revolutionized theatre in the twentieth century and had a profound influence on generations of succeeding dramatists. April 13th would have been Beckett's 100th birthday. CTH is proud to present this work so close to the Beckett centennial."
.The Classical Theatre of Harlem is a dynamic and unique theatre company dedicated to producing the classics for a new, young, and culturally diverse audience. Their numerous awards and honors include a 2004 Drama Desk Award (as well as several nominations), 12 AUDELCO Awards (along with 77 nominations) for Excellence in Black Theatre, and five OBIE Awards, off-Broadway's most prestigious honor.
Performances will be Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00pm, with Sunday matinees at 3:00pm. Tickets will be $35.00 for all seats; student and group discounts are available. Tickets may be purchased by calling (212) 868-4444 or visit
www.smarttix.com.
