Cal Shakes Completes Season with Return of BLACK ODYSSEY

California Shakespeare Theater announced today the cast of the return engagement of its record-breaking hit play black odyssey, playing September 25 through October 7, 2018 at the Bruns Amphitheater. The 2017 Northern California premiere of black odyssey marked the Cal Shakes debut of Oakland native Marcus Gardley (The House That Will Not Stand at Berkeley Rep), and was the second production ever of the play, which was re-set in Oakland for Cal Shakes. The music-filled journey through African-American folklore garnered box office records, critical acclaim, sold-out houses, and standing ovations during its initial August 2017 run. The production and artistic company garnered a collective sixteen Theater Bay Area Award nominations, including nominations for Outstanding Ensemble, Production, and Direction. Tickets for the return engagement ($20 - 97, subject to change) are available at calshakes.org or 510.548.9666.

After he is lost at sea and presumed dead, American soldier Ulysses Lincoln struggles to find his way home to his wife and son. But manipulating his journey are a host of gods: the dignified Deus and the scheming Paw Sidin, playing with Ulysses' fate like a game of chess, and the radiant Aunt Tina, who has her own reasons for setting her sights on the wandering warrior. A fable about confronting the burdens of one's past before you can truly find "home," the return of this lyrical epic will be one of the theatrical events of the season.

"I'm thrilled to bring Marcus' enthralling journey back to the Bruns," says Artistic Director and black odyssey director Eric Ting. "We're celebrating this homecoming in a few special ways. Marcus was the recipient of our annual Guiding Star award earlier this year, and the City of Oakland surprised him at the awards ceremony with the proclamation of Marcus Gardley Day on the re-opening of the production, September 26, 2018."

In addition to Marcus Gardley Day, Cal Shakes is presenting several other special events. A Pay What You Can performance will be held on Tuesday, September 25.Tickets will be available starting at 10am on the day of the show through TodayTix and the Cal Shakes Box Office at 510.548.9666. On Sunday, September 30, Cal Shakes will host a Second Line lesson and parade with black odyssey co-choreographer Latanya D. Tigner for community partners and audience members in conjunction with the 4pm performance (lesson starts at 3:15pm). Second Line is one of the cornerstones of the New Orleans parade tradition, and is featured in black odyssey. The afternoon will feature a live New Orleans-style band playing before and after the show, an opportunity to learn the steps together, and will end that day's performance with a Second Line parade celebrating our community. The event is included in that day's ticket price.

Original cast members returning to the Bruns for the remounted production include Aldo Billingslea as Great Grand Paw Sidin (The War of the Roses, Othello andFences); Margo Hall as Great Aunt Tina (Fences, Twelfth Night, A Raisin in the Sun), Safiya Fredericks as Benevolence Nausicca Sabine (Much Ado About Nothing, The Hard Problem at A.C.T., Aubergine at Berkeley Rep), Michael Gene Sullivan Artez Sabine (San Francisco Mime Troupe, Berkeley Rep, Marin Theater Company, among many others), and Michael Curry as Malachai (Topdog/Underdog and dance of the holy ghosts at Ubuntu Theater Project). Joining the black odyssey cast for the first time are Velina Brown as Alesendra Sabine (San Francisco Mime Troupe, American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Rep, among others); Santoya Fields as Nella Pell (Whiteat Shotgun, A Streetcar Named Desire at African American Shakespeare Company) JD Mollison as Ulysses Lincoln (X: or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation at The Acting Company, Venice at The Public Theater, A Civil War Christmas at New York Theater Workshop, among others); Tony award-winner Cleavant Derrick as Great Grand Daddy Deus (Broadway's Dreamgirls and television shows Sliders and many others); and Oakland-native jazz drummer Ruthie Price, who has performed with Van Hunt, Ed Kelly, Etta James, and Marcus Shelby, among many others.

Black odyssey's creative team includes the return of Scenic Designer Michael Locher (whose previous designs for Cal Shakes include Fences, Spunk, and The Winter's Tale, Costume Designer Dede M. Ayite (who designed the set for Cal Shakes' production of A Raisin in the Sun and has also designed for Playwright's Horizons, the Public, and Lincoln Theater Center, among others), Lighting Designer Xavier Pierce (whose work has been seen in Cal Shakes' productions of Everybody, The Glass Menagerie, and Fences), and Sound Designer T. Carlis Roberts (who has designed for Steppenwolf, Arena Stage, San Jose Rep, and Lookingglass Theatre, among others), and Movement Choreographers Latanya D. Tigner (who choreographed A Winter's Tale at SF Shakes and Dance of the Holy Ghost at Ubuntu Theatre, among others) and Kendra Kimbrough Barnes (founder and director of K-STAR-PRODUCTIONS and co-presenter of the Black Choreographers Festival: Here & Now).

California Shakespeare Theater (Cal Shakes), under the leadership of Artistic Director Eric Ting and Managing Director Susie Falk, is now planning for its 44th season as a nationally-recognized leader in drawing on the power of authentic, inclusive storytelling to create more vibrant communities. Serving more than 43,000 people annually, Cal Shakes invites people from all walks of life to make deeply-felt connections with our shared humanity through its work onstage, in schools, and with people in non-traditional settings throughout the Bay Area who have little or no access to theater. For more information, visit www.calshakes.org.

Photo Credit: Kevin Berne

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