Southern CA Premiere of KILL MOVE PARADISE by James Ijames is Coming to the Odyssey

Odyssey Theatre Ensemble will present the Southern California premiere of Kill Move Paradise, a humorous, uplifting, powerful new drama by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames (Fat Ham). Gregg T. Daniel directs for an eight-week run, September 14 through November 3, at the Odyssey’s venue in West L.A. Three low-priced previews are set for September 11, 12 and 13.

Four Black men, torn from the world without warning, find themselves stuck in a cosmic waiting room in the afterlife. As they attempt to make sense of their new paradise, Isa (Ulato Sam), Daz (Ahkei Togun), Grif (Jonathan P. Sims) and Tiny (Cedric Joe) play, sing, tease and uplift one another, even as they’re forced to confront how they arrived in this unearthly place. Inspired by the ever-growing list of slain Black men and women and the fear and threat of death they continue to face daily, Kill Move Paradise is an electrifying reminder of our collective humanity.

“I wanted to create a space in which the humanity of the people on stage is undeniable,” Ijames said in an interview. “These characters embody all the ways in which we try to be human. They are jealous, they are kind, they are maternal and paternal, they are pushed physically to the edge of something and then fall. I always say that I hope this play becomes obsolete one day. That’s like a crazy thing for a playwright to say. But I hope one day that people will say we don’t need to do this play anymore because we are different. We are better.”

“Kill Move Paradise deals with ongoing violence against Black and Brown people in a highly original and unique way,” says Daniel. “The audience will laugh… while also feeling invested in the pain our heroes are feeling. We relate to these four young men as they find the humor in their situation, celebrate their culture, and revel in one another. It’s hard to hate someone when you get to know them. This is a kind of politically motivated theater I haven’t seen in some time.”

The Odyssey’s creative team includes scenic designer Stephanie Kerley Schwartz; ramp designer Mark Mendelson; lighting designer Donny Jackson; composer and sound designer David Gonzalez; costume designer Wendell C. Carmichael; choreographer Toran X. Moore; and graphic artist Luba Lukova. The stage manager is Jenny Nwene. Sally Essex Lopresti produces for Odyssey Theatre Ensemble.

Performances of Kill Move Paradise take place on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. from September 14 through November 3. There will be two additional weeknight performances, onWednesday, Sept. 25 and Wednesday, Oct. 16, each at 8 p.m. and each of which will be followed by a post-show discussion: Three previews take place September 11 through September 13, also at 8 p.m. The third Friday of every month is “Wine Night”: enjoy complimentary wine and snacks and mingle with the cast after the show.

The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles, 90025. Tickets range from $20 to $40, with an additional $3 per ticket fee if using a credit card. “College Nights” on Friday, Sept. 27 and Friday, Oct. 18 are Pay-What-You-Can (reservations open online and at the door starting at 5:30 p.m.). 

For more information and to purchase tickets, call (310) 477-2055 or go to OdysseyTheatre.com.

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