The Desire, written and directed by Jackie Alexander (Primary Stages' Plenty of Time, feature film Joy), will begin preview performances at the Billie Holiday Theatre, Saturday, April 28th at 3PM. Starring Wendell B. Franklin, Heidi Kristoffer, Kellie E. McCants, Kerri Miller, Anthony Sandkamp, and Shane Taylor, the show will open Sunday, May 6th at 4PM.
Taking place four days after Hurricane Katrina destroys the Gulf Coast, press releases describe
The Desire as the story of "Willie Jenkins, a storm survivor, seeks refuge at the summer home of his cousin, Ty, in East Hampton, New York. Having grown up together in The Desire Projects, a drug and crime ridden housing development now buried beneath ten feet of water in New Orleans' ninth ward, the two men's lives have taken drastically different paths. Ty is a confident professional with all the trappings of success, while Willie's life resembles the bleak world of his childhood. Despite these differences, Ty reluctantly takes Willie into his home. The reunion proves hilarious and heartbreaking, as both men, each running from a past they fear will forever define them, struggle to find redemption."
Performances run Thursdays through Saturdays at 8PM, Saturdays at 3PM, and Sundays at 4PM through June 24th. Special performance times are Saturday, May 5th at 2PM and 8PM, Sunday, May 13th at 2:3OPM and 6:15PM, and Saturday, May 19th at 2:30PM and 5:30PM. Ticket prices range from $15-$20; Mother's Day, May 13, all tickets $25. For reservations, call (718) 636-0918. The Billie Holiday Theatre is located at Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn. For more information, visit
www.thebillieholiday.org.
