Photo Flash: First Look at American Blues Theater's FLYIN' WEST

American Blues Theater announces the cast for its 2018-2019 season opener, Flyin' West, written by Pearl Cleage and directed by Artistic Affiliate Chuck Smith. Flyin' West features Sydney Charles (Fannie Dove), Wardell Julius Clark (Frank Charles), Tiffany Renee Johnson (Minnie Dove Charles), Joslyn Jones (Miss Leah), Tiffany Oglesby (Sophie Washington) and Henri Watkins (Wil Parish).

The creative team includes Grant Sabin* (Scenic), Lily Grace Walls (Costumes), Jared Gooding* (Lighting), Ricks Sims* (Sound), Kevin Rolfs (Props), and Shandee Vaughan* (Production Manager).

*American Blues Theater Artistic Affiliates.

Flyin' West runs October 5 - November 3, 2018 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. The press opening is Thursday, October 11, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased at www.AmericanBluesTheater.com and box office, 773.654.3103.

Following the end of the Civil War, many former slaves took advantage of The Homestead Act and went West to build new lives for themselves and their families. Many of these homesteaders were black women who overcame tremendous odds to work their own land and make a place for themselves in an often harsh and forbidding environment. Set in 1898, Flyin' West is the story of some of these African-American female pioneers who settled, together, in the all-black town of Nicodemus, Kansas.

Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow