Black Rep Kicks Off Their 33rd Season with ROMEO AND JULIET Jan 13

The Black Rep kicks off their 33rd season with Romeo and Juliet.

The summer of love gives way to a summer of hate as two families fight to rule the streets. Inspired by social movements and popular music of the late '60's, The Black Rep's dynamic production of Romeo and Juliet follows the Montagues and Capulets in their tragic dance with honor and destiny. And in the middle of it all, the world's most famous couple reminds us that love is the real revolution.

One of The Black Rep's most popular young performers, Sharisa Whatley, stars as Juliet. Whatley played the title role in the sensational production of Sarafina! that garnered five 2009 Kevin Kline nominations, including her nomination as Best Actress in a Musical, winning three of the five Kevin Kline awards. She was half of the two-woman cast In the Continuum, which traveled to the National Black Theatre Festival in 2009. Nic Few is honored to make his debut with The Black Rep as Romeo. He is a recent Graduate of  Brown University where he earned his MFA in acting and directing, and Clark Atlanta University MA in Education Admininstration.

Chris Anthony, who directed Othello returns to adapt and direct the production. Ms. Anthony, a native of St. Louis, is a director, teacher and actor specializing in community-based art creations. She graduated from St. Louis University and began her professionl career as an intern with The Black Rep. She has a MFA from the California Institute of the Arts and has worked with The Actor's Gang, Cornerstone Theatre, Watts Village Theatre., and several others. As a Director of Youth & Education at Shakespeare Festival/LA, she oversees the acclaimed, national-model Will Power to Youth program.

Performance Schedule:

Thursday performances at 7:00pm

Friday and Saturday performances at 8:00pm

Saturday and Sunday matinee performances at 3:00pm

Student Matinee performances January 20, 2010 & February 10, 2010 at 10:00am

"Our second grant from the NEA's Shakespeare in America program supports our continued work into this rich canon." Himes said. "We are fortunate to receive this kind of support from such a prestigious program."

The cast for Romeo & Juliet includes Ron Himes, Khnemu Menu-Ra, Jonathan Ellison, Andrea Frye, Chauncy Thomas, Erik Kilpatrick, Patrese D. McClain, Tim Norman, Kevin Bailey, Dominic Richardson, Sean Walton, Drummond Crenshaw, Robert A. Mitchell, and Linda Kennedy.

Production staff: Chris Anthony, Director, Jim Burwinkel, Set Design, Jennifer (J.C.) Krajicek, Costume Design, Sean Savoie, Lighting Design, Heather Beal, Choreography, Andrew Keller, Fight Choreography, and Richard Agnew, Stage Manager.

For ticket information for Romeo & Juliet, contact The Black Rep at 314-534-3810.

The Black Rep is the country's largest and premier professional, African-American theatre, providing platforms for interpretation of theatre, dance and other creative expressions from the African-American perspective. The Company is committed to entertaining diverse audiences, educating promising youth and enriching our community through its mainstage productions and educational programs that touch the lives of more than 150,000 people each year. The Black Rep receives sustaining support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Missouri Arts Council, Regional Arts Commission, and the Arts and Education Council. For more information call 314.534.3810 and www.theblackrep.org.

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