A little amuse bouche made on a rainy quarantine day with friend and frequent collaborator Kate Cortesi. Enjoy!
A little amuse bouche made on a rainy quarantine day with friend and frequent collaborator Kate Cortesi. Enjoy!
Recently the team from the 2016 production of The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World got back together with Signature to participate in a reunion reading of Susan Lori Parks‘s timeless piece. On Tuesday the 27th at 6pm the reading will air and become available on demand until the 31st at 6pm. There will be a live talkback with Susan Lori Parks, Lileana Blain Cruz and the cast following the initial airing. More information and free tickets here.
Today I’m doing a reading of Carl Holder’s Goldberg Award winning play Until You Come Back To Me for NYU. It’s very dark, very funny and frighteningly relevant. Best of all I get to play with my bright dear friend April Matthis and lots other talented actors. Show’s free and starts at 7. Link is here!
UPDATE: Platonic was well received! Thank you to everyone who streamed it! Lauren Messman wrote in the NYT that it “feels like a bite-size version of ‘Girls’ or ‘High Maintenance.'” You can watch the entire thing and find all kinds of info here. I’m in episode 3 but good actors abound in it so expect to be drawn in…
In other news, I now live in the place where self tapes are made. It’s a total grind but I can’t deny that all the effort and multiple hat wearing has sharpened both my skills and point of view. So there’s that to be grateful for. If 2020 has taught me anything it’s to practice gratitude and that there’s always much much more to come. So take care of yourselves, be good to each other and VOTE. Hope to see your faces IRL again soon!
What a ride the latter half of 2019 was! Doing 3 shows back to back was as exhausting as it was rewarding–and playing Fefu in Fornez’s complex and iconic work was a crowning experience. To lead such an impeccable cast in the midst of such distinct, detailed and delicious design was a dream come true. Director Lileana Blain-Cruz and I have collaborated enough now that we’ve reached this wonderful place of trust and respect that invite another layer of bravery and richness into our work together. I can’t get enough of being in the room with her and am endlessly grateful for her vision and support.
So far 2020 has been busy with auditions, a reading at EST and Clubbed Thumb’s Winterworks. I did a gem of a little play called Panopticon by Gracie Gardner. Directed by smarty Caitlin Sullivan with a sweet little cast it was quick, dirty and fun. I also shot a few scenes for a digital series Platonic created by Erin C. Buckley. The process was comfortable, focused and easy so I’m excited to see how it all turned out…
Lots of irons in the fire so more soon! In the meantime, here are some of the looks from Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins’s Girls at Yale Rep. And if you missed Fefu be sure to check out my press page!
After closing American Son on Broadway, we packed everything up and took it to Brooklyn to shoot for Netflix. Watching our show be tailored to fit a new medium was equally informative and fascinating. I was chest deep in a robust pilot season at the time so it felt especially fortunate to be able to work with such an incredible team in the mornings and then go straight to read for the networks in the afternoons.
Also: Screening Alert! I’m one of the leads in a short titled Remedial Love that just made it into the Manhattan Film Festival! It’s world premiere will be here in NYC at Cinema Village on Friday April 26th at 9pm. Watch a clip here and get tickets here.
This fall I have the distinct pleasure of understudying Kerry Washington in American Son on Broadway! Steven Pasquale, Jeremy Jordan and Eugene Lee round out an impressive cast that’s helmed by Kenny Leon’s deft hand. I have no idea if or when I might go on for Kerry but I can say that I’m honored to be her lady-in-waiting (of sorts). Watching her work every day has been a profoundly unique and fortunate learning experience. You have until January 27th to see Kerry (or myself!) and the rest of this incredible company chew up the stage in this provocative and timely play! Do. Not. Miss. This.
2018 has been fantastic so far! I shot an episode of Elementary (CBS) a few weeks ago and have been lucky enough to be very busy this pilot season.
I’m also in rehearsals for a gorgeous new musical The Lucky Ones at Ars Nova. If you’re at all familiar with Shawn and Abigail Bengson then you know what incredible musicians and composers they are. This score is certainly no exception. The story we’re telling is epic and Sarah Gancher’s done a beautiful job collaborating with the Bengson’s to write the book. Sonya Tayeh’s stunning choreography and Annie Kaufman’s obvious intelligence have only stoked the fire! Every day I feel lucky to be a part of this room. We’ll be in performances at The Connelly from March 19th until April 21st and the first couple weeks are already sold out so get tickets here soon. This show is a special one. Don’t miss it!
I’m so excited to share that I’m in the American premiere of On The Shore Of The Wide World. Our playwright Simon Stephens’s work (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) has been celebrated around the world and I can tell you the hype is well deserved. Led by the smart and engaging Neil Pepe, our stellar cast is having a wonderfully tender time exploring the depths of the world Simon created. It’s a gem of a play, The Atlantic is an institution and the house is fairly small so I expect we’ll sell well and quickly. Get more information and tickets here. Hope to see you at the theater!