Photo Flash: Billy Holiday Theatre's RIGHT REVEREND DUPREE

The AUDELCO and Obie Award-winning Billie Holiday Theatre concludes its 39th season and trilogy of new Jackie Alexander plays with the world premiere of The Right Reverend Dupree in Exile. The Equity production will begin previews April 29 and open May 13, running through June 26 at the 200-seat Billie Holiday Theatre, Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn; Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 3:00pm, and Sundays at 4:00pm. Tickets are $15 - $25 and available at (718) 636-0918 or www.thebillieholiday.org.

A lifelong man of faith, Reverend Charles Dupree is being pressured to give up the church he built as he fights a crippling terminal illness. During a self-imposed exile to his lakehouse in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, he and his devoted wife Miriam are briefly reunited with their sons after years of estrangement: Kenny, a professional basketball player, and Brendan, home to introduce his fiancée Olu, a practicing Muslim whose engagement to Brendan, a Christian, has caused her to be disowned from her own father. As each of them is forced to deal with the escalating decline in Dupree's health, they gain strength in their ability to face their own challenges.

The play features an ensemble cast of Ralph McCain, Marcelle Gover, BranDon Jones, Eboni Witcher, and Rege C. Lewis. In addition to playwright/director Jackie Alexander, the creative team includes AUDELCO Award winners Felix E. Cochren (scene design), Helen Simmons-Collen (costume design) and Avan (light design/stage management).

The drama is third in the Billie Holiday Theatre's season of new plays by Jackie Alexander, all which take place in modern-day Louisiana and explore universal African-American themes. Alexander's first two plays received critical acclaim for their thoughtful handling of issues including religion, family, gentrification, and the dichotomy of the individual versus the community.

Now in its 39th season, the AUDELCO and Obie Award-winning Billie Holiday Theatre serves over 30,000 people annually and has garnered a well-earned reputation for providing outstanding professional Theater Productions at affordable prices. Under the leadership of Marjorie Moon, the 200-seat theater has a 40-week season dedicated to producing work relevant to the African-American experience. A training ground for performing artists, notable alumni include Samuel L. Jackson, Debbie Allen, Samm-Art Williams, Weldon Irvine, Tichina Arnold, and more. www.thebillieholiday.org

Photo Credit: Patrick Mitchell

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