A.R.T. Announces C1's WIG OUT At OBERON 4/26 - 5/13

Company One Theatre (C1), in collaboration with American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) presents, Wig Out! by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Previews begin Thursday, April 26, with press opening on Saturday, April 28 at 7pm. Performances continue through May 13 at OBERON (2 Arrow Street, Cambridge, MA). Tickets $25 - $35 are now on sale at americanrepertorytheater.org, by phone at 617-547-8300, an in person at the Loeb Drama Center Ticket Services Office (64 Brattle Street, Cambridge). Group, student, and senior discounts are available.

From the Oscar-winning writer of Moonlight, Tarell Alvin McCraney's Wig Out! is the catwalk showdown of the year! When the House of Light is challenged to a surprise ball by the rival House of Di'abolique, they've got to leave it all on the floor to defend their family's Legendary status. Fueled by a sizzling R&B playlist, Wig Out! is a divine exploration of drag ball culture, chosen family, and the desire to be desired.

A New York Times Critics' Pick, chief theatre critic Ben Brantley described the play as "a galaxy exploding out of a mirrored disco ball" - which makes it a perfect reunion for C1 and A.R.T. at OBERON, following two successful runs of Young Jean Lee's We're Gonna Die in 2016.

It also marks a grand return for the playwright to C1, whose production of McCraney's The Brother/Sister Plays won the 2012 IRNE Award for Best Play. Five years later, McCraney would receive the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Moonlight, which was also recognized as 2017's Best Picture.

"Wig Out! is a portrait of Drag Ball life as I witnessed it in the southern city I grew up in," says McCraney. "It is both an intimate look at what it means to try and be a part of a community and how to find love outside that community."

"Tarell is unapologetically writing about black and brown people who are queer," says Director Summer L. Williams. "We want to be clear, there's a real distinction between the pop-culture version of drag and the ball scene this play welcomes us into. This is not about the hype, but about the heart-this is about people making a home and being free to be who they are."

"This season, all three of our plays explore the black male experience in America," says C1 Artistic Director Shawn LaCount, "and we want to challenge any notion of that as a monolithic experience. Wig Out! is a wildly different play from this winter's HYPE MAN, and we can't wait for you to experience it at OBERON."

Wig Out!'s House of Light is a chosen family, made up of folx who create a space of their own, where they can fully exist on their own terms - until they're challenged to a surprise ball by their rival, House Di'abolique. Former Metro Boston theatre critic Nick Dussault makes a triumphant return to Boston, appearing in this production as Serena, the mother of House of Di'abolique.

"We're thrilled to welcome Nick back to Boston," adds Williams. "He's been deeply invested in C1's work as an audience member and critic for a long time. Having him join this cast of incredible fresh talent has been a real joy and a wild ride!"

"Company One Theatre continues to be one of the most daring and innovative companies in Boston," says Artistic Producer Mark Lunsford. "Its vision and ambition makes it an ideal partner for us OBERON, where A.R.T. incubates local artists pushing the theatrical form and provides space to mount boundary-breaking productions. We're delighted to work with Summer and her exceptionally talented team to bring Wig Out! to local audiences and to continue our artistically rewarding collaboration with our friends at Company One."

Company One Theatre is producing Wig Out! to AMPLIFY:

· Complex narratives centered on young, queer black and brown people

· Safe, self-sustaining spaces nurtured by chosen families
and created specifically for queer black and brown people

· Significant histories of the ball scene,
and their far-reaching influences on American culture

· Advocacy programs that protect and support the LGBTQ+ community

· Love is love is love is love is love

Tickets and Performance Schedule

Thursday, April 26 at 7pm - PREVIEW

Friday, April 27 at 7pm

Saturday, April 28 at 7pm - OPENING NIGHT

Sunday, April 29 at 2pm

Tuesday, May 1 at 7pm

Wednesday, May 2 at 7pm

Thursday, May 3 at 7pm

Friday, May 4 at 7pm

Saturday, May 5 at 2pm

Saturday, May 5 at 7pm

Sunday, May 6 at 2pm

Sunday, May 6 at pm

Tuesday, May 8 at 7pm

Wednesday, May 9 at 7pm

Thursday, May 10 at 7pm

Friday, May 11 at 7pm

Saturday, May 12 at 2pm

Saturday, May 12 at 7pm

Sunday, May 13 at 7pm

How to purchase tickets:

• Online at americanrepertorytheater.org
• By phone at 617-547-8300
• In person at the Loeb Drama Center Ticket Services Office (64 Brattle Street, Cambridge)
• In person at OBERON (2 Arrow St, Cambridge) one hour prior to performance

About the Playwright

Tarell Alvin McCraney is best known for his acclaimed trilogy, The Brother/Sister Plays which include The Brothers Size, In the Red and Brown Water and Marcus: Or the Secret of Sweet. Other plays include Head of Passes, Choir Boy and Wig Out!

Tarell's play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue is the basis for the Oscar-winning film Moonlight directed by Barry Jenkins, for which McCraney and Jenkins also won a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. Among its many other honors, the film has won a Golden Globe for Best Drama, Gotham Award for Best Feature, NAACP Image Award for Best Independent Film, WGA Award for Best Original Screenplay, the Human Rights Campaign's Visionary Arts Award, and 6 Independent Spirit Awards including Best Picture and Best Screenplay. Tarell has also worked on TV and film projects with Playtone, HBO, and Disney.

Tarell is the recipient of a MacArthur "Genius" Grant, the Whiting Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, the Evening Standard Award, the New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award, the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, the Windham Campbell Award, and a Doris Duke Artist Award. He was the International Writer-in-Residence for the Royal Shakespeare Company from 2008-2010, and a former resident playwright at New Dramatists. He is an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and a member of Teo Castellanos/D-Projects in Miami.

Tarell is a graduate from the New World School of the Arts, the Theatre School at DePaul University, and the Yale School of Drama, as well as received an honorary doctorate from the University of Warwick. As Professor of Theatre and Civic Engagement at University of Miami, he created a three-year program in partnership with UM, Miami-Dade County and the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center. He was recently named the new Chairman of the Playwriting Department at the Yale School of Drama, as well as Playwright in Residence at Yale Repertory Theater.

About the Director

Summer L. Williams is a Co-Founder and Associate Artistic Director of Company One Theatre in Boston. Her most recent directing credits include Smart People at Kitchen Theatre Company in Ithaca, NY and Geva Theater in Rochester, NY, Barbecue at Lyric Stage Company of Boston, Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. at Company One Theatre, Bootycandy at SpeakEasy Stage Company, An Octoroon and Colossal with Company One Theatre--Winner of the 2016 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director for both productions. Regional credits: Intimate Apparel at Lyric Stage Company of Boston, Shiv as a part of The Displaced Hindu Gods Trilogy, Shelter of Last Resort by Miranda Craigwell as a part of XX PlayLab 2014 and the New England Premiere of Jackie Sibblies Drury's We Are Proud To Present A Presentation About The Herero Of Namibia, Formerly Known As Southwest Africa From The German Sudwestafrika Between The Years 1884-1915, Idris Goodwin's How We Got On and Lynn Nottage's By The Way, Meet Vera Stark at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston, The Brothers Size and Marcus; Or The Secret Of Sweet as part of The Brother/Sister Plays (2012 Elliot Norton Award nominated for Outstanding Production and winner of the 2012 IRNE Award for Best Play), Neighbors, Grimm, The Good Negro, Voyeurs De Venus (Winner of 2009 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director), The Bluest Eye (IRNE and Elliot Norton Award nominated), The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot, Spell #7 (IRNE nominated), Jesus Hopped The A Train (2004 Elliot Norton Award for Best Fringe Production) Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 (IRNE nominated). Ms. Williams has also directed for the Boston Playwrights' Theatre, Clark University, Brandeis University, The Theatre Offensive and Huntington Theatre Company.

Cast

House of Light

LUCIAN: Juan Carlos Pinedo (he/him/his)

REY-REY: Sidney Monroe (he/him/his)

WILSON AKA MS. NINA: Miles Jordan (he/him/his)

VENUS: Dev Blair (they/she)

DEITY: Trinidad Ramkissoon (he/him/his)

The Fates (3)

FAY: Krystal Hernandez (she/her/hers)

FATE: Ally Dawson (she/her/hers)

FAITH: Aliyah Harris (she/her/hers)

House of Di'Abolique

SERENA: Nick Dussault (he/him/his)

LOKI: Shawn Verrier (he/him/his)

ERIC: Deen Rawlins (he/they)

Production Team

Scenic & Properties Designer: Jessica Pizzuti

Costume Designer: Tyler Kinney

Lighting Designer: Justin Paice

Sound Designer: Sharath Patel

Vocal Director: David Freeman Coleman

Choreographer: Alexander Davis

Co-dramaturg: Ilana M. Brownstein

Co-dramaturg: Francisca Da Silveira

Assistant Director: Sloth Levine

Stage Manager: John Meredith

Assistant Stage Manager: Ashmita Malkani

Wardrobe Supervisor: Julia Fioravanti

Wig Designer: Amber Voner

Assistant Production Manager: Beverly Diaz

About Company One Theatre

For just under two decades, Company One Theatre has situated itself as a home for social and artistic liberation by working to unite the city's diverse communities through socially provocative performance and by facilitating the emergence of civically engaged artists.

By establishing a dedicated space for marginalized and alternative narratives to thrive, Company One has become a leader in the ongoing conversations that continue to define the era of social change in contemporary America. Consistently recognized for groundbreaking artistic excellence and for championing What's Next in American theatre, Company One has been instrumental in attracting audiences that reflect the ever-evolving face and rich diversity of our society.

"To attend one of their performances is often to feel yourself immersed in exuberance, with waves of energy pouring from the stage, usually reciprocated by an avidly enthusiastic audience that is far younger and more diverse than the Boston theater norm." - The Boston Globe

About American Repertory Theater: A.R.T.

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University is a leading force in the American theater, producing groundbreaking work in Cambridge and beyond. Under the leadership of Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus and Executive Producer Diane Borger, the A.R.T. seeks to expand the boundaries of theater by programming events that immerse audiences in transformative theatrical experiences. Since 2012, A.R.T.'s productions of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, All the Way, The Glass Menagerie, Pippin, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, and Once have garnered nineteen Tony Awards. A.R.T. collaborates with artists around the world to develop and create work in new ways, including a collaboration with Harvard's Center for the Environment that will result in the development of new work over several years.

As the professional theater on the campus of Harvard University, A.R.T. catalyzes discourse, interdisciplinary collaboration and creative exchange, acting as a conduit between its community of artists and the university. The A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University, run in association with the Moscow Art Theatre School and the Harvard Extension School, offers graduate training in acting, dramaturgy, and voice. A.R.T. also plays a central role in Harvard's newly launched undergraduate Theater, Dance, and Media concentration, teaching courses in directing, dramatic literature, acting, voice, design, and dramaturgy. A.R.T. actively engages more than 5,000 community members and local students annually in project-based partnerships, workshops, conversations with artists, and other enrichment activities both at the theater and across the Greater Boston area.

Under Paulus's leadership, A.R.T.'s Second Stage and club theater, OBERON, has attracted national attention for its innovative programming and business models. It serves as an incubator for local and emerging artists pushing the theatrical form and host to some of A.R.T.'s most innovative productions.

Through all of these initiatives, the A.R.T. is dedicated to producing world-class performances in which the audience is central to the theatrical experience.

For more information visit americanrepertorytheater.org.

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