Raven Theatre Extends 'DIRECT FROM DEATH ROW'

Direct from Death Row The Scottsboro Boys (An Evening of Vaudeville and Sorrow), which on Monday, June 6 was honored for "Outstanding Ensemble" at the annual Jeff Awards (Non-Equity Branch), has extended its previously announced remount by one week, with a new closing date of August 27, 2016. The entire Jeff award-winning all-African-American cast of the production will return for the run from July 21 through August 27, 2016.

Originally produced at Raven Theatre last fall, the production earned rave reviews and was additionally nominated for Jeff Awards for Production of a Play, Director and Artistic Specialization. It won the BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards for Best Revival, Best Director and Best Actor (Andrew Malone) and became one of the largest selling hits in Raven Theatre Company's 32-year history.

Mark Stein's play with music and dance is a satirical retelling of the true story of nine African-American teenagers falsely accused in 1931 of raping two white women on a train in Alabama. Frederick Harris is again providing musical direction and onstage piano accompaniment for the score by Harley White Jr. Kathleen Dennis returns as choreographer. Previews will be Thursday, July 21 and Friday, July 22 with the press opening Saturday, July 23. The regular run will be July 23 - August 27, 2016. Tickets may be purchased online at www.raventheatre.com or by phone at 773-338-2177. The production will be a separate offering from the company's 2016-17 season, which will begin in September with the first Chicago production of Lolita Chakbrarti's Red Velvet.

The cast of six men and three women boasts extensive credits from companies throughout the Chicago theatre community and all but one of the performers will again play multiple roles. Kevin Patterson will play Haywood Patterson and Andrew Malone will play the defendant Charlie Weems as well as the attorney Sam Liebowitz. Breon Arzell will play the accused Willie Roberson and also attorney Joe Brodsky. Semaj Miller will be both the "Scottsboro Boy" Olen Montgomery and General Knight. Brandon Greenhouse will be Andy Wright and NAACP leader Walter White. Tamarus Harvell will play the accused Clarence Norris as well as Judge Horton.

The women in the cast will play three of the "boys," the women they were accused of attacking and some of the boys' mothers. The female cast members include Katrina D. Richard as Eugene Williams, Victoria, Old Victoria and a mother; Charli Williams as Leroy Wright and a mother and Anna Dauzvardis as Ozie Powell, Ruby Bates and a mother.

Longtime Raven designer Ray Toler, who in 2015 won a Jeff Award for his scenic design of Raven'sVieux Carré, designed the set for Direct from Death Row The Scottsboro Boys. Properties design and set dressing are by Mary O'Dowd. Sarah Jo White is creating the costumes and masks will be designed by David Knezz. Diane D. Fairchild is Lighting Designer and Joe Court is Sound Designer.

Not to be confused with the musical The Scottsboro Boys, which ran on Broadway in late 2010, Direct from Death Row The Scottsboro Boys is a play by Mark Stein with songs by Harley White Jr. that premiered at River Stage in Sacramento, California and enjoyed a subsequent production at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles in fall of 2002.

Raven Theatre is located at 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. There are a limited number of free parking spaces available in the parking lot adjacent to the theatre, and free on-street parking is available nearby.

Photo by Dean La Prairie

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