convergence-continuum to Open 2016 Season with BOOTYCANDY

convergence-continuum opens its 2016 season with the regional premiere of the outrageous, in-your-face satire BOOTYCANDY by Robert O'Hara, directed by Terrence Spivey.

BOOTYCANDY takes a fearless and subversive look at attitudes toward homosexuality in African-American culture in a range of ribald (nudity alert), disturbing, heartwarming and downright hilarious scenes.

BOOTYCANDY, which completed a highly successful off-Broadway run in 2014, is a semi-autobiographical, raucous, hilarious and decidedly un-politically-correct satire that tells the story of Sutter, who is on an outrageous odyssey from the 1970's to the present through his childhood home, his church, dive bars and even a nursing home (plus many more) in a wild series of scenes, sermons and daring meta-theatrics that link up to portray his growing up gay and black in modern America.

I'm excited that convergence would have the courage and the craziness to start their season with BOOTYCANDY and invite Terrence to direct it... I'm sure it will be a lot of folks clutching their pearls up in Cleveland.

"I find it wonderful to have the Artistic Director of a legendary Black Theater and predominately White Theater finding their way into the madness of BOOTYCANDY," playwright Robert O'Hara said.

BOOTYCANDY is directed by guest director Terrence Spivey and features actors Wesley Allen, India Nicole Burton, Rochelle Jones, Michael May and Nate Miller.

BOOTYCANDY opens Fri, March 25 and runs Thu-Sat at 8 pm through April 16 at the Liminis Theater, 2438 Scranton Rd, Cleveland 44113 in the historic Tremont neighborhood. Facilitated talk-backs will be held on Fridays, April 1, 8 and 15. .

Tickets are $15 general admission, $12 seniors (65+), $10 students, except for closing night Sat, April 16 which will be a Save the Liminis Theater benefit night, with tickets at $50 for the show and after-party with the cast and crew. Reservations at convergence-continuum.org or 216-687-0074.

Robert O'Hara received a 2006 Obie Award for his direction of the world premiere production of In the Continuum. He wrote and directed Insurrection: Holding History at the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater. The piece received the Oppenheimer Award for Best New American Play and was subsequently published by both Theater Communications Group and Dramatists Play Service. It has been produced around the country including at Mark Taper Forum and American Conservatory Theater. His play Antebellum was workshopped at the O'Neill Theater Conference; American Ma(u)l was produced by ACT/Magic Theater and The Culture Project; The Spot, produced at Mark Taper Forum and NYSF; Down Low, produced by Mixed Blood Theater. O'Hara has received the NAACP Best Director Award, the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play, the OBIE, and the Oppenheimer Award. He directed the World Premieres of Tarell McCraney's Brother/Sister Plays (Part 2), Colman Domingo's Wild with Happy, and his own plays, BOOTYCANDY and Insurrection: Holding History. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at NYU/TISCH School of the Arts and the Mellon Playwright in Residence at Woolly Mammoth Theater.

BOOTYCANDY was first produced by the Wooly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. in June 2011. It was subsequently produced by the Wilma Theatre Company in June 2013. BOOTYCANDY received its New York premiere at Playwrights Horizons in August 2014, running through October 2014. Since then it has been produced in Seattle, Los Angeles and Boston. The convergence-continuum production of BOOTYCANDY will be its regional premiere, and is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

BOOTYCANDY, convergence-continuum's 72nd production, is the first of six in the 2016 Season (our fifteenth). The company's season runs from February (during which we stage the NEOMFA Playwrights Festival) through December. Many of the cast and crew of BOOTYCANDY have been involved in previous convergence-continuum productions in many and various capacities, while some, we are delighted to say, are newcomers to our boards. The company seeks to create a core ensemble that continues to work together over the long term in exploring and developing its artistic voice, and performance and production practices, to create up-close, environmentally-staged productions that challenge the status quo and extend the boundaries of theatre.

The company's artistic home, in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, is the Liminis, an intimate, versatile, storefront performance space, with maximum seating of 40-50 depending on the set-up for each show. The company produces alternative/experimental theatre work by living playwrights, and completely transforms the Liminis for each show, immersing audiences into the world of the play in up-close productions.

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