Wings Theatre's production of Clint Jeffries' new drama The Jocker will open on May 21st. The show, which began its limited engagement May 11th and runs through June 9th, was previously awarded First Prize in the John Gassner Memorial Playwriting Awards, and was a finalist in both the Pacific Northwest Writer's Conference Competition and the South Carolina Playwrights' Festival.
Press notes state, "Based on historical fact,
The Jocker explores relationships between men riding the rails during the great depression. It is 1931. In a hobo jungle near Flagstaff, Arizona, hobos and tramps begin to congregate, lured by the promise of work on a nearby rail spur. Early arrivals include Biloxi Billy, a tramp in his late 40's, and Nat, around 16 -- a Jocker and his 'Gunsel,' (combination servant, apprentice and catamite, a common and amazingly well documented relationship among hobos and tramps of the period.) They soon encounter 'Bama Boy and Shakespeare, two men in a very different sort of sexual relationship. It's the men's conflicting and ever-changing dependence on one another that help them survive – but when Nat makes a desperate move to get away from his abusive jocker, he sets in motion a devastating chain of events that leaves two dead and other lives shattered. Nat may ultimately get what he wished -- but not at all in the way he could of imagined."
Directed by Jeffrey Corrick, the Wings Theatre production stars Stephen Cabral, Jason Alan Griffin, Michael Lazar, Nick Matthews, Terrence McCrossan, and Stephen Tyrone Williams. The creative team includes set design by Bill Ward, costume design by Laura Kleeman, lighting design by Eric Larson, and fight choreography by Kymberli E. Morris.
Performances are Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Monday evenings at 8PM, with Sunday matinees at 3:30PM. Wings Theater is located at 154 Christopher Street, between Greenwich & Washington Streets. All seats $20.00. Students and Seniors with current ID may purchase a ticket for only $16. Tickets are available online at
www.wingstheatre.com or by phone at 212/627-2961.
