4th Wall Theatre Company to Present FAIRVIEW Beginning in May

4th Wall Theatre will close its 2022-2023 season with the Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece, FAIRVIEW from May 26 - June 17, 2023. The NY Times calls it"...a glorious, scary reminder of the unmatched power of live theatre to rattle, roil and shake us wide awake." FAIRVIEW, which ran at Theatre for a New Audience in NYC to SOLD OUT audiences and with multiple extensions can FINALLY be seen right here in Houston, TX at the home for "Extraordinary performance, up close," 4th Wall Theatre Company.

Winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, FAIRVIEW begins with The Frasiers, a middle-class American family preparing for a dinner party. However, this seemingly typical family drama soon takes a turn into a metatheatrical roller coaster ride that ultimately confronts the audience with their own assumptions and biases. The recipient of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, FAIRVIEW offers a powerful commentary on race, identity, and the complexities of representation in America. "Fairview argues for the possibility of people of color representing themselves, onstage and off, without an overlay of white perception, judgment, and narrative. It gently body-checks privilege." Timeout

Jackie Sibblies Drury, winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for FAIRVIEW and the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, Ms. Sibblies Drury is one of the countries most prolific and important voices in American theatre today. Her work on race in America is revolutionary and groundbreaking in ways this country hasn't seen since Suzan Lori-Parks delivered TOPDOG/UNDERDOG or Brandon Jacob-Jenkins OCTOROON. In 2019 she was awarded the prestigious Stenberg Playwright award; she has also been a recipient of the Windham Campbell prize and the Jerome Fellowship and has had her plays celebrated and produced all over the world, winning countless awards and accolades.

To meet this challenge 4th Wall has amassed a powerhouse of award-winning talent to bring this exquisite piece of theatre to its fullest potential for Houston audiences. Leading this group of tremendous talent is director Aaron Brown, with a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from Baylor, Aaron brings a level of professionalism and expertise to this project directly in line with 4th Wall's aesthetic and principles of acting. He has worked on several premieres and original works. The stellar acting troop is comprised of 4th Wall regulars; Wesley Whitson fresh off the smash hit at Houston's Ensemble Theatre CLYDE'S by Lynn Nottage and recently seen at 4th Wall in his award-winning performance in our smash success, GLORIA.

Other 4th Wall regulars, Drake Simpson, THE REALISTIC JONESES, TRUE WEST, Courtney Lomelo THE THIN PLACE, MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and Faith Fossett, THE THIN PLACE and THE GLASS MENAGERIE. New to the 4th Wall's pool of actors are the amazingly talented Shawanna Renee Rivon, Playwright/actor of the recent smash Stages Theatre hit, YOU'RE CORDIALLY INVITED TO SIT-IN, Ciara Anderson, Jasmine Renee Thomas, and Derrick Brent. All extraordinary Houston artists who have been seen regularly on many of our fair cities performing stages, will be making their 4th Wall Theatre company debuts.

The design team is composed of some of Houston's finest talent; Nicholas Graves, Scenic Design, 4th Wall regular and Houston favorite Robert Leslie Meek, Sound Design, 4th Wall regular and award-winner Christina Giannelli, Lighting Design, Samantha Hyman, Properties Design, and Stages Theatre In-house Costume Designer Leah Smith, Costume Design. The cast and crew will be led by 4th Wall's in house company Stage Manager, Kalin Menzel and Christian Tannous will join the team as Assistant Director.

FAIRVIEW (Houston Premiere)

FAIRVIEW is presented by special arrangement with Dramatist Play Service, Inc. in New York.

Written by: Jackie Sibblies Drury
Directed by: Aaron Brown
Featuring: Ciara Shabree, Shawanna Renee Rivon, Derrick Brent II, Jasmine Renee Thomas, Wesley Whitson, Courtney Lomelo, Faith Fossett, and Drake Simpson
Dates: May 26 - June 17, 2023
(7:30pm evening performances; 3:00pm Sunday matinees)
Duration: Performance runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission
Location: Spring Street Studios, 1824 Spring Street, Studio 101, Houston TX 77007
Tickets: $17 - $53; purchase online at www.4thwalltheatreco.com or call (832) 767-4991

Special Performances:
Preview: Thursday, May 25, 2023 at 7:30pm
Opening Night: Friday, May 26, 2023 at 7:30pm
Open-Caption/Talkback: Sunday, June 4, 2023 at 3:00pm
Pay-What-You-Will: Monday, June 12, 2023 at 7:30pm

About 4th Wall Theatre Company:

4th Wall Theatre Company is a professional Equity theatre in Houston, TX, founded in 2011 by Philip Lehl and Kim Tobin-Lehl. 4th Wall maintains an eclectic range of programming, producing standards by Shakespeare and Strindberg, American classics and several regional premieres.

The mission of 4th Wall is to produce extraordinary professional theatrical experiences and to set a high standard for excellence in acting, direction, and design. 4th Wall believes that the highest quality theatre promotes an aesthetic of performance that is truthful, and that only by paying artists a fair wage can Houston grow and sustain its community of professional theatre artists.

The company has garnered many accolades, including the Houston Press's "Mastermind Award" as well as four "Best Production" citations in the annual Houston Theater Awards (GOD OF CARNAGE in 2013, LOBBY HERO in 2017, JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN in 2019, THE REALISTIC JONESES in 2020). The Artistic Directors have been nominated several times for the "Best Artistic Director" award, winning once. 4th Wall is a registered 501(c)(3) with the IRS.

Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury (Photography by Gabriella Nissen)

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