Berkeley Rep Stages the West Coast Premiere of HEAD OF PASSES, Now thru 5/24

Berkeley Repertory Theatre proudly welcomes MacArthur "Genius" Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney for the West Coast premiere of Head of Passes, a poignant and poetic story about the journey of family and faith, trial and tribulation.

In a dilapidated house near the ever-shifting mouth of the Mississippi, Shelah's family gathers on a stormy night for her birthday -- bringing ghosts and secrets of the past with them. As her roof buckles under the weight of the rain, Shelah's convictions begin to wash away, leaving her to excavate the truths buried below.

Directed by Tina Landau, the riveting Head of Passes comes to the Bay Area straight from its critically lauded world premiere in Chicago. Head of Passes is a co-production with the Public Theater in New York. It begins previews on Berkeley Rep's intimate Thrust Stage tonight, April 10, opens on Friday, April 17, and runs through Sunday, May 24, 2015. Press night for Head of Passes will be held on Friday, April 17, 2015. Individual tickets start at $29 and can be purchased by phone at (510) 647-2949 or online at berkeleyrep.org.

"We're delighted to present Head of Passes, a new play penned by Tarell Alvin McCraney," says Michael Leibert Artistic Director Tony Taccone. "Tarell is a wonderful writer who we've been yearning to work with for a long time. Head of Passes chronicles a day in the life of this African American family that has to endure an unbearable amount of suffering. It's not about insurmountable loss but incomprehensible loss and unrelenting faith. We're thrilled to have Tina, a formidable director who helmed the world premiere at Steppenwolf, mount the production here."

"I'm thrilled to be making my debut at Berkeley Rep," remarks McCraney. "For Head of Passes I was taken with the idea behind unyielding faith and how we hold on to it. In theatre I found so few people willing to talk about the bedrock of faith being a sort of human need. My experience of faith in the African American culture is with women, and so I chose to center the drama around a single female character. This play is about a literal discourse in faith, and I hope others join the conversation."

Tarell Alvin McCraney's plays include The Brothers Size, In the Red and Brown Water, and Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet. His other plays include Choir Boy and Wig Out!. He is the recipient of the Whiting Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, the Evening Standard Award, The New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award, the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, the Windham Campbell Award, a 2013 MacArthur "Genius" Grant, and a Doris Duke Artist Award. McCraney is a graduate from the New World School of the Arts, the Theatre School at DePaul University, and the Yale School of Drama. He is an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, a resident playwright at New Dramatists, and a member of Teo Castellanos/D-Projects in Miami.

Tina Landau is a writer and director and an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where her directing credits include The Wheel, Head of Passes, Hot L Baltimore, The Brother/Sister Plays, Superior Donuts, The Tempest, The Time of Your Life (also at Seattle Repertory Theatre and American Conservatory Theater), The Diary of Anne Frank, The Cherry Orchard, Space (also writer, Mark Taper Forum and the Public Theater), and Charles Mee's Berlin Circle and Time to Burn. Her New York credits include Paula Vogel's A Civil War Christmas (New York Theatre Workshop), Tarell Alvin McCraney's Wig Out! (the Vineyard Theatre) and In the Red and Brown Water (the Public), Bill Irwin/David Shiner's Old Hats and Mee's Big Love and Iphigenia 2.0 (Signature Theatre Company), Tracy Letts' Superior Donuts (Broadway), Bells Are Ringing (Broadway), Floyd Collins (also bookwriter, Playwrights Horizons), and Dream True (also lyrics/bookwriter, the Vineyard Theatre). Her regional credits include Beauty (also writer, La Jolla Playhouse), Antony and Cleopatra (Harford Stage), and A Midsummer Night's Dream (McCarter Theatre Center and Paper Mill Playhouse). Landau teaches regularly and has co-authored, with Anne Bogart, The Viewpoints Book.

Head of Passes features a multi-talented ensemble of accomplished actors -- many of whom make their Berkeley Rep debut with this production:

Francois Battiste (Aubrey) makes his Berkeley Rep debut. He has been seen on Broadway in Bronx Bombers (Circle in the Square), Prelude to a Kiss (Roundabout Theatre Company), and Magic/Bird (Longacre Theatre). His off-Broadway credits include Detroit '67 (the Public Theater), Broke-ology (Lincoln Center), The Good Negro (the Public, Obie Award, Lortel nomination), The Merchant of Venice and The Winter's Tale (New York Shakespeare Festival at the Delacorte), among others. Battiste has also appeared in shows at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Sundance, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the Goodman Theatre, and Victory Gardens Theater.

Cheryl Lynn Bruce (Shelah) makes his Berkeley Rep debut. She premiered in The Gospel of Lovingkindness (Victory Gardens Theater), Tarell Alvin McCraney's Head of Passes (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), and Danai Gurira's The Convert (McCarter Theatre Center, the Goodman Theatre, the Kirk Douglas Theatre). Her performances earned a Joseph Jefferson nomination and an Ovation Award nomination and a NAACP Theatre Award in Los Angeles. Bruce's regional credits include Harriet Jacobs and Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Kansas City Repertory Theatre), Gem of the Ocean (Ensemble Theatre Company), and The Story (Milwaukee Repertory Theater).

Jonathan Burke (Crier) makes his Berkeley Rep debut. He was most recently seen as David Heard in Tarell Alvin McCraney's Choir Boy at the Studio Theatre. His national tour credits include Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Zebulun; u/s Judah; u/s Joseph), Mary Poppins, A Christmas Story: The Musical, and Cats (Mungojerrie). Burke was seen off Broadway in the world premiere of Langston in Harlem (Junior Addict) at Urban Stages, as well as in Jazz A La Carte at the Apollo Theater with Savion Glover. Regionally his work includes Amazing Grace at Goodspeed Musicals, Hairspray at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, and Rent at the Hangar Theatre, among others.

James Carpenter (Dr. Anderson) last appeared at Berkeley Rep in Pericles, Prince of Tyre and has performed in over 30 productions at the Theatre during his 12-year tenure as an associate artist. His other Bay Area credits include American Conservatory Theater, Aurora Theatre Company, Cutting Ball Theater, Magic Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, and TheatreWorks. He is currently in his 12th season as an associate artist with California Shakespeare Theater. His other regional credits include work at Arizona Theatre Company, the Huntington Theatre Company, Intiman Theatre, the Old Globe, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Yale Repertory Theatre.

Brian Tyree Henry (Spencer) makes his Berkeley Rep debut. He appeared in Tarell Alvin McCraney's trilogy The Brother/Sister Plays at McCarter Theatre Center, and The Brother/Sister Plays: The Brothers Size at the Public Theater, the Studio Theatre, and the Alley Theatre. He also appeared at the Public in The Fortress of Solitude and the Public/New York Shakespeare Festival in Romeo and Juliet and Talk About Race. Henry's Broadway credits include The Book of Mormon, and other regional credits include A Civil War Christmas at Long Wharf Theatre.

Sullivan Jones (The Angel) makes his Berkeley Rep debut. He most recently appeared in Center Stage's production of One Night In Miami as Cassius Clay, a role which he originated at Los Angeles' Rouge Machine Theater (LA Drama Critics' Award and NAACP Award). His other regional credits include Clementine in the Lower Nine at TheaterWorks (Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award nomination), Twelfth Night and Cinderella at African-American Shakespeare Company, and Intimate Apparel and References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot at AlterTheater.

Nikkole Salter (Cookie) makes her Berkeley Rep debut. Salter is an Obie Award-winning actress and playwright. Her off-Broadway credits include Tough Titty (the Paradise Factory), Inked Baby (Playwrights Horizons), and In the Continuum (Primary Stages). Nikkole's regional credits include Stick Fly (Arena Stage/the Huntington Theatre Company), Gee's Bend (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and Kansas City Repertory Theatre), Luck of the Irish (the Huntington), The Old Settler (Luna Stage), Jitney (the Studio Theatre), and more.

Kimberly Scott (Mae) makes her Berkeley Rep debut. She most recently played Anne in the world premiere of Familiar by Danai Gurira at Yale Repertory Theatre. She also appeared at Yale in Death of a Salesman as Linda Loman, and as Molly Cunningham in August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations on Broadway). Scott spent five seasons at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, playing Mama Nadi in Ruined, Mistress Quickly in Henry IV, Part 2, and creating roles in American Night: The Ballad of Juan José by Culture Clash, Party People by UNIVERSES, and The Liquid Plain by Naomi Wallace, all part of American Revolutions: The United States History Cycle. Her off-Broadway credits include Mabou Mines' Lear and The Gospel at Colonus.

Michael A. Shepperd (Creaker) makes his Berkeley Re debut. He is currently the co-artistic director of Los Angeles' multi-award-winning Celebration Theatre (celebrationtheatre.com), where his producing, directing, and acting credits include The Color Purple, Four, The Women of Brewster Place, Take Me Out, Coffee Will Make You Black, [title of show], and numerous others in his nine years with the company. Other credits include Choir Boy, Master Harold and the Boys (NAACP Theatre Award), Steel (John Henry, Ovation Award), and Intimate Apparel (NAACP Theatre Award for Supporting Actor). Shepperd's Broadway, off-Broadway, and other credits include Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan; Little Shop of Horrors; Caroline, or Change; and Five Guys Named Moe.

The creative team for Head of Passes includes G.W. Skip Mercier (scenic designer), Toni-Leslie James (costume designer), Scott Zielinski (lighting designer), and Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen (sound designers). The stage manager for Head of Passes is Leslie M. Radin.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre has grown from a storefront stage to an international leader in innovative theatre. Known for its core values of imagination and excellence, as well as its educated and adventurous audience, the nonprofit has provided a welcoming home for emerging and established artists since 1968. In four decades, four million people have enjoyed more than 300 shows at Berkeley Rep. These shows have gone on to win five Tony Awards, seven Obie Awards, nine Drama Desk Awards, one Grammy Award, and many other honors. In recognition of its place on the national stage, Berkeley Rep received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 1997. Its bustling facilities -- the 600-seat Roda Theatre, the 400-seat Thrust Stage, the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, the Osher Studio, and a spacious new campus in West Berkeley are helping revitalize a renowned city.

Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow

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