Red Bull Theater Presents Reading of Anchuli Felicia King's New Play KEENE

RED BULL THEATER today announced that its fall offerings will continue with the premiere reading of Anchuli Felicia King's new play Keene, concerning the first known African American actor to perform the role of Othello.

It's love at first sight for Kai, a Japanese musicologist, when she spies Tyler, the only student of color in his PhD cohort, at a Shakespeare conference. Each night, while Tyler dreams he is the subject of his thesis: Ira Aldridge, the first black man to play Othello, Kai dreams of Tyler. As dreams start to merge with reality, Tyler and Kai are brought closer together. Yet Tyler, like Ira before him, can not perceive the inevitable betrayal of his closest ally. A heartfelt ode to always being the second-class genius of color, Keene is a playful riff on early-career academia, Shakespeare's Othello, and the power of American pop.

The reading is part of OTHELLO 2020, a multi-program initiative providing an engaging and educational experience for all who are interested in Shakespeare's Othello and its relationship to the world in which we live today.

This event will premiere LIVE at 7:30 PM EDT on Monday, October 19th. A recording of the livestream will be available until 7:00 PM EDT on Friday, October 23 - then it disappears. This is a free event, but advance reservations are recommended.

On Thursday October 22nd at 7:30 PM EDT, there will be a post-performance Bull Session, an interactive online discussion with some of the artists involved and top scholars, including scholar David Sterling Brown, and the company, moderated by Anne G. Morgan. Registrants will receive a link to participate.

Anchuli Felicia King is a playwright, screenwriter and multidisciplinary artist of Thai-Australian descent. As a writer, Felicia is interested in linguistic hybrids, digital cultures and issues of globalization. Her plays have been produced by The Royal Court Theatre (London), Studio Theatre (Washington D.C.), American Shakespeare Center (Staunton), Melbourne Theatre Company (Melbourne), Sydney Theatre Company, National Theatre of Parramatta and Belvoir Theatre (Sydney). As a multidisciplinary artist, Felicia has worked with a wide range of companies, including Punchdrunk, PlayCo, 3LD Arts & Technology Center, Roundabout Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, 59E59, Ars Nova, the Obie Awards, The Builders Association, Ensemble Studio Theater, NYTW, American Shakespeare Company and Red Bull Theater. She is a member of Ensemble Studio Theater's Youngblood Group and Roundabout Theater's Space Jam Program. Formerly based in New York, Felicia continues to work internationally and is based between London, New York and her hometown of Melbourne, Australia.

Continuing through October 28th, the multi-program online-only OTHELLO 2020 initiative also includes a multi-part salon seminar series: Exploring Othello in 2020 that will bring together a group of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) theater artists to read and discuss Shakespeare's Othello with celebrated Shakespeare scholar, Ayanna Thompson.

Red Bull Theater is committed to continuing connection during this historic time. Red Bull's online readings offer the unique opportunity to hear rarely-produced classic plays, and brand new plays in conversation with the classics, performed by the finest actors in New York. All of Red Bull Theater's fall offerings are FREE, but advance reservations are recommended. Tax-deductible donations are encouraged to support Red Bull and invest in the vitality of classical theater for a contemporary audience.

Red Bull Theater wishes to express its gratitude to the Performers' Unions: Actors' Equity Association, AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS, AMERICAN GUILD OF VARIETY ARTISTS, and SAG-AFTRA through Theatre Authority, Inc. for their cooperation in permitting the Artists to appear on these programs.

For more information visit www.redbulltheater.com

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