Emerson Brooks, Gerald Caesar & More to Star in …WHAT THE END WILL BE

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced full casting for the world premiere of ...what the end will be by Mansa Ra, directed by Margot Bordelon. Rehearsals for the play begin today.

The cast includes Emerson Brooks as "Maxwell Kennedy," Gerald Caesar as "Tony Kennedy," Randy Harrison as "Charles," Keith Randolph Smith as "Bartholomew Kennedy," Ryan Jamaal Swain as "Antoine," and Tiffany Villarin as "Chloe."

Following their triumphant 2017 Underground debut, Too Heavy for Your Pocket, Mansa Ra and Margot Bordelon are welcomed back to the Roundabout stage. ...what the end will be is commissioned by Roundabout and apart of Mansa's Underground commitment. This production has been in development since 2017. Margot also comes back to Roundabout after directing Something Clean in 2019. Emerson Brooks is known for his role on the hit TNT drama "The Last Ship" and Netflix's "Uncoupled" with Marcia Gay Harden and Tisha Campbell. Gerald Caesar was recently seen on Broadway in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Randy Harrison is back to the stage after appearing in the off-Broadway production of Atomic A New Musical and Roundabout's national tour of Cabaret. Keith Randolph Smith was last seen on Broadway in 2017 for Jitney in the Manhattan Theatre Club Broadway Production and then in 2019 for the national tour. Ryan Jamaal Swain was recently seen with Billy Porter on "Pose." Tiffany Villarin was seen in 2019 for the Vineyard Theatre New York Premiere of Do You Feel Anger?

...what the end will be begins preview performances on Thursday, May 12, 2022 and opens officially on Thursday, June 2, 2022 at the Laura Pels Theater in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street). This is a limited engagement through Sunday, July 10, 2022.

In this new work commissioned by Roundabout, three generations of men live under one roof and grapple with their own truths of what it means to be Black and gay. It's an exploration of pride, pain, and patience through the unflinching eyes of fathers and sons.

The creative team for ...what the end will be includes: Reid Thompson (Sets), Emilio Sosa (Costumes), Jiyoun Chang (Lighting), and Palmer Hefferan (Sound).

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

...what the end will be plays Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30PM with Saturday matinees at 2:00PM and Sunday matinees at 3:00PM.

The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre opened in March 2004 with an acclaimed premiere of Lynn Nottage's Intimate Apparel starring Viola Davis, directed by Dan Sullivan. Since that landmark production, the center has expanded beyond the Laura Pels Theatre to include the Black Box Theatre and now a new education center. The Steinberg Center continues to reflect Roundabout's commitment to produce new works by established and emerging writers as well as revivals of classic plays. This state-of-the-art off-Broadway theatre and education complex is made possible by a major gift from The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. The Trust was created in 1986 by Harold Steinberg to promote and advance American Theatre as a vital part of our culture by supporting playwrights, encouraging the development and production of new work, and providing financial assistance to not-for-profit theatre companies across the country. Since its inception, the Trust has awarded over $70 million to more than 125 theatre organizations.

A Mimi Commission for Roundabout.+

Roundabout has been working to prioritize and actively incorporate anti-racism, equity, diversity, inclusion and accountability throughout the institution. Read more about the company's social justice progress and timeline at www.roundabouttheatre.org/socialjustice

Roundabout Theatre Company celebrates the power of theatre by spotlighting classics from the past, cultivating new works of the present, and educating minds for the future. A not-for-profit company, Roundabout fulfills that mission by producing familiar and lesser-known plays and musicals; discovering and supporting talented playwrights; reducing the barriers that can inhibit theatergoing; collaborating with a diverse team of artists; building educational experiences; and archiving over five decades of production history.

Roundabout Theatre Company presents a variety of plays and musicals on its five stages: Broadway's American Airlines Theatre, Studio 54 and Stephen Sondheim Theatre, and Off-Broadway's Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, which houses the Laura Pels Theatre and Black Box Theatre.

American Airlines is the official airline of Roundabout Theatre Company. Roundabout productions are supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

Roundabout's current and upcoming productions include: Birthday Candles, by Noah Haidle, starring Debra Messing, directed by Vivienne Benesch; Exception to the Rule by Dave Harris, directed by Miranda Haymon; ...what the end will be by Mansa Ra, directed by Margot Bordelon; the bandaged place by Harrison David Rivers and directed by David Mendizábal; 1776 by Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone, directed by Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus; and The Wanderers by Anna Ziegler, directed by Barry Edelstein.