Dominique Morisseau's PIPELINE Up Next At Everyman

Award-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau's riveting and emotionally powerful Pipeline is next up on the production calendar at Everyman Theatre.

Directed at Everyman by Associate Artistic Director and Resident Company member Paige Hernandez, the play streams into homes for six weeks, from Monday, May 31 through Sunday, July 11, 2021. The 90-minute play is recommended for audiences age 14+.

Originally premiering Off-Broadway at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater on July 10, 2017, Pipeline tells the story of one mother's hopes for her son, which clash against systemic racism and an educational system that's rigged against him. Nya, an inner-city high school teacher, is committed to her students and her community, but is also desperate to give her son, Omari, opportunities he'll never have. With compassion and lyricism, this play delves into some of the most urgent issue facing families in American cities today, leaving us to question the structures that trap young men of color.

"Dominique Morisseau gives us a family story about a caring, educated, and responsible mother and father doing everything to provide for their son to keep him safe in school and in the world," says Lancisi, "The son tries to navigate an environment where the odds are stacked against him. The ever-looming pipeline from schools to prison is a huge problem in cities all over our country, cities just like Baltimore. This play shows us, in one vivid and personal story, how despite this family's Herculean efforts, such an unjust system impacts so many creating a pathway to incarceration."

The cast for the Everyman Theatre production of Pipeline features Eleasha Gamble as NYA, Dylan Fleming as OMARI, Bekah Zornosa as JASMINE, Everyman Resident Company member Jefferson A. Russell as XAVIER, Kimberly Schraf as LAURIE, and Everyman Resident Company member Yaegel T. Welch as DUN.

According to Hernandez, "Pipeline was the perfect production for this cast and creative team to re-enter into an "in person" creative process. You'll see and hear touches of Baltimore and our own lived experiences with a stellar cast and an exceptional design. This story and its potential impact resonated so deeply with all of us. We put a tremendous amount of thought and care into each aspect of this production especially with our virtual audiences in mind -- we thought about them every step of the way. This story is for all those who believe in being heard, having second chances, and breaking the systems that oppress us. We all make each other stronger."

Dominique Morisseau is the author of The Detroit Project (A 3-Play Cycle), that includes Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company), Paradise Blue (Signature Theatre), and Detroit '67 (Public Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem and NBT). Other noted plays include: Sunset Baby (LAByrinth Theatre); Blood at the Root (National Black Theatre) and Follow Me to Nellie's (Premiere Stages). She was also the Tony-nominated book writer for the Broadway musical Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations (Imperial Theatre). She most recently served as Co-Producer on the Showtime television series Shameless (3 seasons). Her awards include: Spirit of Detroit Award, PoNY Fellowship, Steinberg Playwright Award, NBFT August Wilson Playwriting Award, Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama, Obie Award (2), Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, Variety's Women of Impact for 2017-18, and a recent MacArthur Genius Grant Fellow.

Streaming access to Pipeline is $30 per household, allowing for unlimited viewing at each home. For additional information on the organization's safety plan, Frequently Asked Questions about returning to live theatre, or other classes and events, call 410.752.2208 or visit everymantheatre.org.

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