Brandon J. Dirden & Merritt Janson to Lead World Premiere of Ruben Santiago-Hudson's YOUR BLUES AIN'T SWEET LIKE MINE at Two River Theater

Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, announces the cast and creative team for its production of Your Blues Ain't Sweet Like Mine, written and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. The production will run April 11-May 3, 2015, with the opening night on April 17, 2015. Single tickets starting at $20 are now available from 732.345.1400 or tworivertheater.org. Your Blues Ain't Sweet Like Mine is sponsored by lead sponsor WBGO Jazz 88.3FM and WBGO.org.

Brandon J. Dirden and Merritt Janson will star as Zeke and Judith in Two River's commissioned world-premiere drama about America's relationship to race-and the power of hope and possibility in all of our lives. Zeke is a highly educated, once-homeless man who describes himself as a "walking outburst." Judith, a self-described "seeker of knowledge," is a writer who decides that his life would make a great feature for The New York Times Magazine. As the story progresses and their worlds collide, Zeke and Judith discover the price of history, sacrifice, and legacy.

Brandon J. Dirden (Zeke) most recently appeared on Broadway as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. opposite Bryan Cranston's LBJ in All the Way. His other New York theater credits include Clybourne Park and The Piano Lesson; at Two River Theater, he starred in Jitney and Topdog/Underdog. His television credits include The Americans and The Good Wife.

Merritt Janson (Judith) was most recently seen in Theatre for a New Audience's production of Tamburlaine the Great and The Last Will with Abingdon Theatre Company. She has appeared in numerous productions with Shakespeare & Company, American Repertory Theatre, and the Moscow Art Theatre.

Also featured in the cast are Andrew Hovelson (Broadway's Lucky Guy and An Enemy of the People) as Randall, Judith's boyfriend; Roger Robinson (Tony Award winner for August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Two River's Trouble in Mind) as Zebedee, a recluse who has chosen to live for the past 40 years in a book-lined room under Grand Central Station; and Roslyn Ruff (Two Trains Running at Two River Theater, Lortel Award winner for The Piano Lesson at Signature Theatre, All the Way on Broadway) as Janeece, Judith's best friend.

Ruben Santiago-Hudson's directing credits include August Wilson's Jitney and Two Trains Running at Two River Theater and The Piano Lesson for Signature Theatre. He won an Obie Award and critical acclaim for his solo show Lackawanna Blues, and his screenplay for the HBO adaptation received the Humanitas Prize and other honors. As an actor, his credits include August Wilson's Seven Guitars, for which he received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play; August Wilson's How I Learned What I Learned at Signature Theatre; and the feature film Selma.

The creative team for Your Blues Ain't Sweet Like Mine includes scenic designer Michael Carnahan, costume designer Karen Perry, lighting designer Driscoll Otto, and sound designer Robert Kaplowitz. The production will feature original music by Bill Sims Jr. The fight director is Thomas Schall, the casting is by Heidi Griffiths and the production stage manager is Laura Wilson.

Two River Theater is supported in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a division within the Department of State and a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Stone Foundation of New Jersey, Monmouth University, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Durso Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley, Investors Bank, Unterberg Children's Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center, Brookdale Community College, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, William T. Morris Foundation, Springpoint Senior Living Foundation at the Atrium at Navesink Harbor, , and many other generous foundations, corporations and individuals.

Photo by Walter McBride

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