Bird of Pray at The Brick Theater

The Brick Theater Inc. presents BIRD OF PRAY by Darrel Alejandro Holnes

BIRD OF PRAY - Shaquille's attempt at suicide is disrupted when Jem, the ghost of a fellow soldier killed for being gay, suddenly appears and makes a proposition: Shaq must share his body with Jem's soul instead of sacrificing it to the vultures in exchange for absolution. With an impending hurricane forcing his hand, Shaquille must quickly choose between saving a fellow soldier he failed to save at war or escaping his worldly problems by starting over in the afterlife.

This theatrical journey into PTSD explores the hidden corners of American history and the legacy of Don't Ask Don't Tell through magical realism, dialogue, and dance.

Bird of Pray is the first chapter in Darrel Alejandro Holnes' Sandstorm Cycle, a series of plays based on Holnes' interviews with African American veterans of recent US wars in the Middle East and elsewhere abroad.

Mimi Barcomi directs this dynamic festival premiere with movement by Jonathan González. The play is produced by Margaret Champagne and features Cornelius Davidson in the role of Shaquille and DeVante Lewis in the role of Jem. The production stage manager is Nat DiMario. The play was developed in residency at The Collective NY with the support of the Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation and various private donors.