Blackbird at The Robert Mello Studio Blackbox

Tony-Nominated Broadway Drama Blackbird Comes to Atlanta this August, The Walking Dead Star Jayson Warner Smith to Headline the Production, Marc Gowan to Direct, and Heather Rule to Co-Star

Right On Productions is staging the play in conjunction with Frat Pack Productions; the performance will run from August 3-19 at The Robert Mello Studio Blackbox

ATLANTA, June 20, 2018… Blackbird, a taut emotional drama the New York Times described as “intensely powerful” is coming to Atlanta this summer. Native Atlanta actor Jayson Warner Smith, who starred as Gavin in seasons 7 and 8 of AMC’s post-apocalyptic hit television series The Walking Dead, will return to the stage this summer as Ray in David Harrower’s story. The Atlanta adaptation, mounted by Right On Productions for which Smith serves as co-artistic director along with castmate Heather Rule, will run at The Robert Mello Studio Blackbox in Doraville, GA, from August 3-19. Tickets are available at https://blackbird.bpt.me/.

Written in 2005 by Scottish playwright David Harrower, Blackbird won the Olivier Award in London for Best New Play in 2007. It had a critically acclaimed remount on Broadway in 2016 with Jeff Daniels and Michelle Williams, which received Tony nominations for Best Revival of a Play, Best Actor, and Best Actress. The story follows Ray and Una meeting after Una surprises Ray at his office. Fifteen years before the meeting takes place, a 35-year-old Ray was convicted of sexually assaulting 12-year-old Una. After serving his prison sentence, Ray changed his name, moved away, and started a new life. Una, still haunted by her past, stumbles across a recent photo of Ray and decides to confront him at his workplace.

“Blackbird is a raw, powerful and, unapologetic piece of theatre that we feel strongly obligated to produce and share with the Atlanta community,” said Smith and Rule, Smith is also known for his role as Wendall Jelks on SundanceTV’s Rectify. “This gripping story of love, loss, and the struggle to move on has left a mark on our team since the first read, and we believe it has the power to do the same to others.”

Blackbird will be directed by Marc Gowan, who has worked as an Atlanta actor for over thirty years and also starred in The Walking Dead as Percy. Gowan formerly served as artistic director of OnStage Atlanta where he directed a host of productions, including Hot L Baltimore, Looking Glass, and Equus. He has also directed the Atlanta premiers of Breaking the Code, Arcadia, Starting Monday, and ER: Emergency Room.

“As artists, we must be proactive about creating the opportunities we want,” said Gowan. “ We owe it to ourselves and the world around us to share this story.”

The role of Una will be played by Heather Rule, who graduated from Auburn University with a BFA in Theatre and has been involved in the Atlanta theatre community since 2010.

Right On Productions funded the production by raising $9,000 through an Indiegogo campaign. The team hit the fundraising goal and is focused on bringing current and future donors a show to remember. For those interested in backing, there are a range of perks are available including: a playbill credit or social media shout out for contributions of $5.00 or $10.00 respectively; a personalized video posted on social media of choice from Smith for $25.00; or a producer or sponsor credit for contributions of $500.00 or $1,000.00 respectively. Backers can contribute at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/blackbird-at-the-robert-mello-studio-blackbox.

Authors

• David Harrower

Tony Awards and Nominations for Blackbird