Theater Alliance Produces Stage Adaptation Of THE BLUEST EYE

As part of its family-friendly 20th Anniversary Season, Theater Alliance is revisiting a show it produced more than 15 years ago: The Bluest Eye, adapted from Toni Morrison's novel by Lydia R. Diamond.

The production takes a historic lens to issues of loneliness, self-perception, and beauty standards - issues that young people of today continue to grapple with, magnified by the ubiquity of social media platforms.

Eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove, a Black girl in 1940s Ohio, wants nothing more than to be loved by her family and schoolmates. Blaming her dark skin for the ridicule she endures, she prays for blue eyes, sure that love will follow.

The stage adaptation of Morrison's acclaimed novel invites audiences to consider how they have internalized beauty standards, whiteness, and other societal constructs that keep us isolated from one another.

This production features Amiah Marshall, Emmanuel Kyei-Baffour, Pauline Lamb, Melanie A. Lawrence, Tre'mon K. Mills, Khalia Muhammad, Nikki Owens, and Devin Nikki Thomas, under the direction of Otis Cortez Ramsey-Zöe.

This production, which opens on June 2, revisits the celebrated 2006 production directed by David Muse, who now serves as the Artistic Director of Studio Theatre. The earlier production was one of the first to stage Diamond's adaptation, and received both popular and critical acclaim.

"As we mark this anniversary year, we were intentional about wanting to honor our history," says Raymond O. Caldwell, Theater Alliance's Producing Artistic Director. "This was one of the early productions that laid the foundation for what Theater Alliance is today."

Through its Radical Neighboring Initiative, Theater Alliance strives to create a community where everyone feels welcome at the theater. Name Your Own Price tickets are available online for every performance, ensuring that anyone who wants to experience the work can do so.

Season 20 at Theater Alliance is made possible through the support of the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the Share Fund, Prince Charitable Trusts, the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, MidAtlantic Arts Foundation, and the Black Seed Fund. Season 20 is generously sponsored by David and Jean Heilman Grier.

CAST

PECOLA Amiah Marshall
CLAUDIA Melanie A. Lawrence
MRS. BREEDLOVE Nikki Owens
FRIEDA/DARLENE Khalia Muhammad
MAMA Pauline Lamb
MAUREEN PEEL Devin Nikki Thomas
SOAPHEAD Emmanuel Kyei-Baffour
CHOLLY Tre'mon Mills

CREATIVE TEAM

Scenic Design Tiffani Sydnor
Lighting Design John Alexander
Sound Design Justin Schmitz
Costume Design Danielle Preston
Properties Design Martin Bernier
Intimacy Choreographer Tiffany Quinn
Assistant Director Genny Ceperley
Associate Lighting Designer Jerrett Harrington
Production Stage Manager Jared Shamberger

Tickets, including Name Your Own Price, are available for purchase at www.theateralliance.com.

The health and safety of our artists, patrons, and staff are of paramount importance. Theater Alliance is keeping abreast of the latest recommendations from the CDC, as well as the latest safety guidelines put forth by Actors Equity Association. Specific guidance for patrons of each show will be released closer to performance dates to ensure the latest information is taken into account.

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