Dominique Morisseau's SKELETON CREW Starts Tonight at Atlantic Theater Company

Atlantic Theater Company presents the world premiere of Dominique Morisseau's play SKELETON CREW, directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson and featuring Jason Dirden, Wendell B. Franklin, Lynda Gravatt, Nikiya Mathis and Adesola Osakalumi. SKELETON CREW begins previews tonight, January 6, officially opens Tuesday, January 19, and plays a limited engagement through Sunday, February 14, 2016 Off Broadway at Atlantic Stage 2 (330 West 16 Street).

In Dominique Morisseau's third play in her Detroit trilogy, a makeshift family of workers at the last exporting auto plant in the city navigate the possibility of foreclosure. Power dynamics shift and they are pushed to the limits of survival. When the line between blue collar and white collar gets blurred, how far over the lines are they willing to step?

Playwright Dominique Morisseau is best known for her trilogy of plays about her hometown Detroit. The first installment, Detroit '67 was staged Off Broadway in 2013 and won the 2014 Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History. Her second play, Paradise Blue, debuted at the Williamstown Theater Festival last summer. Her play Sunset Baby had its world premiere at the Gate Theater in London in 2012 before transferring Off Broadway in 2013. In November, she received the prestigious 2015 Steinberg Playwright Award.

Tony and Obie Award winning actor and director Ruben Santiago-Hudson most recently staged the world premieres of Dominique Morriseau's Paradise Blue and his own playYour Blues Ain't Sweet Like Mine. Off Broadway he has directed the Obie and Lortel Award winning production of The Piano Lesson and The Happiest Song Plays Last, My Children My Africa,Seven Guitars and The First Breeze of Summer. His Emmy® and Golden Globe Award®nominated screenplay adaptation of his autobiographical play Lackawanna Blues was awardedThe Humanitas Prize, The National Board of Review Award and the NAACP Image Award.

Jason Dirden appeared in A Raisin in the Sun and Fences on Broadway and received Obie and Theatre World awards for his performance in the Obie and Lortel Award winning production of The Piano Lesson Off Broadway. Wendell B. Franklin's New York credits include Speak Truth to Power, The Desire and Brothers from the Bottom. He was featured in The Lark and Sundance Theatre Lab workshops of SKELETON CREW. Lynda Gravatt has appeared in the Broadway productions of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, King Hedley II and 45 Seconds from Broadway and most recently Off Broadway in The Hummingbird's Tour. Nikiya Mathis has originated roles in the Off Broadway productions of Milk Like Sugar, Fidelis, Seed and co-starred in Lortel Award winning production of The Brother Sister Plays trilogy. Adesola Osakalumi starred in the original Broadway cast, national and international tours of Fela! and has appeared on Broadway inEquus and Off Broadway in Eyewitness Blues and Jam on the Groove.

SKELETON CREW will feature scenic design by Michael Carnahan, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Rui Rita, original music and sound design by Rob Kaplowitz, original songs by Jimmy "J.Keys" Keys, choreography by Adesola Osakalumi and casting by Caparelliotis Casting.

Photo Credit: Ahron R. Foster