Cast, Creative Team Announced for La Jolla Playhouse's THE LAST TIGER IN HAITI

La Jolla Playhouse announces the cast and creative team for its world-premiere production of The Last Tiger in Haiti, by UC San Diego MFA playwriting alumnus Jeff Augustin, directed by UC San Diego MFA directing alumnus Joshua Kahan Brody. A co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Last Tiger in Haiti runs June 28 - July 24 (press opening: Friday, July 8 at 8:00pm). Tickets are available at LaJollaPlayhouse.org or by calling (858) 550-1010.

In tent shack in Haiti, the sounds of kanaval fill the air as a group of restaveks - child slaves - spend the night trading fantastic folktales until the line between reality and fiction blurs. At daybreak, the oldest plans to break free for a new life, but discovers the story of his future and past is in the hands of someone else. The Last Tiger in Haiti is an unforgettable new play that weaves Haitian lore into a contemporary narrative of survival and betrayal.

The Last Tiger in Haiti had its first reading during the 2015 DNA New Work Series, one of the Playhouse's signature play development programs, and Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley was so moved by the piece, he programmed it as part of the 2016/17 subscription season.

"The Last Tiger in Haiti is a beautiful example of storytelling. It not only conveys a haunting, compelling story, the characters themselves use storytelling as a type of currency with which they can establish their worth," said Ashley. "Deeply influenced by his Haitian heritage, Jeff Augustin is a writer whose facility with subtext, language and imagery evokes a world that is both utterly real and remarkably fantastical."

The cast features Brittany Bellizeare as "Rose," Clinton Roane as "Emmanuel," Andy Lucien (DNA New Work Series) as "Max," Jasmine St. Clair (Sideways) as "Laurie" and Reggie D. White as "Joseph."

The creative team includes Takeshi Kata (Guards at the Taj), Scenic Designer; Dede Ayite, Costume Designer; Alexander Nichols, Lighting Designer; Nick Drashner (UC San Diego MFA alumnus; POP Tour productions of Suzette Who Set to Sea and A Lonely Boy's Guide to Survival (And Werewolves)), Sound Designer; Gabriel Greene, Dramaturg; Telsey + Company, Casting and Matthew Melchiorre, Stage Manager.

Jeff Augustin's (Playwright) The Last Tiger in Haiti was developed during La Jolla Playhouse's DNA New Work Series. His play, Little Children Dream of God, received its world premiere at the Roundabout Underground, where he was the inaugural Tow Foundation Playwright-in-Residence. His plays have also been produced at Actors Theatre of Louisville (Cry Old Kingdom, Humana 2013; That High Lonesome Sound, Humana Apprentice Anthology 2015), and Western Washington University (Corktown). His work has been developed at La Jolla Playhouse, Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference, The Ground Floor at Berkeley Rep, American Conservatory Theater and Seattle Rep. He is the Shank Playwright-in-Residence at Playwrights Horizons; a member of The Working Farm at SPACE on Ryder Farm and the Rita Goldberg Playwrights Workshop at Lark. He is the recipient of the Barrie and Bernice Stavis Playwriting Award, Lorraine Hansberry Award, and was a New York Theatre Workshop 2050 Fellow. He is currently under commission from Manhattan Theatre Club and the Roundabout Theatre. He received his B.A. from Boston College and his M.F.A. from UC San Diego.

Joshua Kahan Brody (Director) is currently in residence at La Jolla Playhouse with a 2015 Princess Grace Award Apprenticeship (Faberge Theater Award). He directed the DNA New Work Series reading of The Last Tiger in Haiti. His recent directing work includes King of the Yees at New Stages (Goodman Theatre), True Believer (TheaterLab, NY); Fourteen Flights (Award for Excellence in Directing, NY Fringe Festival); Pericles (UMKC); Titus Andronicus, Little Children Dream of God, The Dybbuk, The Santa Barbarians and A Man, His Wife, and His Hat (UC San Diego). At La Jolla Playhouse, Brody has worked as an assistant director on The Nightingale and The Who & The What, and as an actor in the 2013 WoW Festival production of Our Town. He is co-founder of THE TRIP, a San Diego-based performance group, for which he recently directed Three Plays in a Tattoo Shop. He received his M.F.A. from the UC San Diego Department of Theatre & Dance and his B.A. from Yale University.

Brittany Bellizeare's (Rose) regional credits include: Camae in The Mountaintop (Northern Stage); Ruby in Seven Guitars (Two River Theatre); educational touring show Sunjata Kamalenya (McCarter Theater); the one-act musical Archy & Mehitabel (The Yard). She has participated in various festivals in NYC including The NY Fringe and 48 Hours in Harlem, as well as performed at The Cell, Gallery Players in Brooklyn and The Public Theatre. Her TV credits include: Eye Candy (MTV); The Knick (Cinemax); Facing Trauma (Discovery Health); Carol's Daughter - Do It Yourself (HSN). She received her M.F.A from The New School for Drama and her B.S. in Mathematics from Spelman College. www.brittanybellizeare.com

Andy Lucien's (Max) off-Broadway credits include The Qualms (Playwrights Horizons), City of Conversation (Lincoln Center) and The Last Seder (Theater Three at the Mint). Regional and international theater credits: Cry Old Kingdom, 27 Ways I Didn't Say Hi to Laurence Fishburne (Humana Festival: Actors Theater of Louisville), Clybourne Park (Dorset Theater Festival/ Barrington Stage), Revenge of a King (Grahamstown, South Africa). His film and television appearances include: Elementary, Token web series, BE web series and Seven Lovers.

Clinton Roane (Emmanuel) appeared in The Scottsboro Boys on Broadway and in London. Regional credits include: Five Guys Named Moe (Arena Stage, Cleveland Playhouse); The Scottsboro Boys (Philadelphia Theatre Company - Barrymore Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, Old Globe, American Conservatory Theatre, Ahmanson); Hello! My Baby (Goodspeed); My One And Only (Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre); Dreamgirls (North Shore Music Theatre); Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Radio City Music Hall). Education: CAP 21 and B.F.A. from Howard University. www.clintonroane.com.

Jasmine St. Claire (Laurie) appeared in La Jolla Playhouse's 2013 production of Sideways. UC San Diego credits include Little Children Dream of God (Sula), Cry Old Kingdom (Judith), In the Red and Brown Water (Shun). Regional credits include: Danielle in Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea (Skylight Theater). TV credits: Shameless. Film: Daddy and Me (Tasha). She received her M.F.A. from UC San Diego.

Reggie D. White (Joseph) appeared off-Broadway in Troll, I & You, For the Last Time, The Snow Queen and Dogsbody. Regional credits include: I & You (Merrimack Rep); Party People (Berkeley Rep); Hundred Days (Z Space); Crime & Punishment (San Jose Rep); The Last Election (SF Mime Troupe). He is currently a TCG Fox Fellow with Berkeley Rep and is the recipient of the Theatre Bay Area TITAN Award, as well as the RHE Foundation's Artistic Fellowship. Education: Cal State Hayward, Atlantic Theater School.

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