Sometimes what separates us, in the end, brings us together. Broken love. Moral shortcomings. A wedding threatened by the past. The piecemeal life of an ex-con. Can tragedy and opportunity coexist? These stories and their characters are on a journey to find out.
HOLD ON!
By Paul Webb (World Premiere)
Directed by Ron Himes
Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, discrimination was still rampant in certain areas, making it difficult for Blacks to register to vote. In 1965, an Alabama city became the battleground for suffrage. “Hold On!,” the inspiration behind the award-winning 2014 feature film “Selma,” explores the conflict between two extraordinary men, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Lyndon Baines Johnson. Both brilliant leaders, their personal battle, like the battle on the streets of Selma, is ultimately decided by King’s greater moral courage.
Sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and Washington University in St. Louis, with casting support from Peter and Susan Tuteur.
JANUARY 10 - 28, 2024
INTERGENERATIONAL MATINEE DATE:
JANUARY 17, 2024
Edison Theatre at Washington University in St. Louis
TIMBUKTU!
Book by Luther Davis, music and lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest
Directed by Ron Himes
Opulent beyond man’s dreams, travelers died crossing the Sahara in search of Timbuktu! Set against this exotic locale is the story of the Poet, his beautiful daughter, Marsinah; an evil Wazir of Police; his restless Wife of Wives, Lundanda; and The Mania of Mali, Bobo. While wandering incognito, Bobo meets Marsinah and instantly falls in love. Still, the twisted twine of fate must unravel in many thrilling and exciting ways before the two lovers can finally tie the knot.
May 15 - JUNE 9, 2024
INTERGENERATIONAL MATINEE DATE:
MAY 22, 2024
Edison Theatre at Washington University in St. Louis
FLY
By Joseph L. Edwards
Premiering off-Broadway in 1997, this one-person dramatic comedy received three AUDELCO awards for excellence in Black theatre and has had a limited tour in the years since. The story centers around an African American man who believes he will receive the power to fly on the night of a special celestial event. As he prepares for the event on a Brooklyn rooftop, he shares the comic, dramatic and tragic experiences that have pushed him to the edge of reality.
FEBRUARY 14 - MARCH 10, 2024
INTERGENERATIONAL MATINEE DATE:
FEBRUARY 21, 2024
Hotchner Studio Theatre at Washington University in St. Louis
KING HEDLEY II
By August Wilson
Directed by Ron Himes
Peddling stolen refrigerators hoping to open a video store one day, King Hedley, an ex-con, toils with self-worth. Getting, spending, killing, and dying in a world where getting is hard and killing is commonplace are threads woven into this 1980s installment in the author’s renowned cycle of plays about the Black experience in America. Drawing on characters established in “Seven Guitars,” “King Hedley II” shows how shadows of the past can darken the present as King seeks retribution for his mother’s lies.
Sponsored in part by the Whitaker Foundation.
JUNE 19 - JULY 14, 2024
INTERGENERATIONAL MATINEE DATE:
JUNE 26, 2024
Edison Theatre at Washington University in St. Louis
WEDDING BAND
By Alice Childress
Directed by: Geovonday Jones
Alice Childress’ unforgettable drama about the romance between Julia, a Black seamstress, and Herman, her white lover, searingly addresses prejudice and ignorance in early 20th-century America. Set in the Deep South at the end of World War I during the flu epidemic, it is one of American drama’s most mercilessly revealing tales of interracial love. The play traces a devoted couple’s caustic confrontations with anti-miscegenation laws, family racism, community disapproval, and their own long-buried feelings.
Sponsored in part by the Sophisticated Ladies Giving Initiative and Caleres.
MARCH 13 - 31, 2024
INTERGENERATIONAL MATINEE DATE:
MARCH 20, 2024
Berges Theatre at COCA
SEASON TICKETS
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Includes all five productions at a discounted rate along with reserved seating and exchange privileges all year long. Best deal for consistent reserved seats.
Dear Friend of The Black Rep,
We’ve all felt the tug and pull of separating forces. Maybe it was a reckoning with a divisive past, an embattled love story, or cultural currents out of control. Explore the journey these expanses take us on in this vibrant lineup for Season 47.
In the world premiere of Hold On!, the moral characters of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Lyndon Baines Johnson find their way onto the tension-filled streets of Selma, Alabama. In Fly, an African American man hopes in celestial wonder. In Wedding Band, two lovers navigate cultural forces prohibiting their life together in the Deep South. In Timbuktu!, the story of “Kismet” meets a West African setting accentuated by a score featuring such Broadway hits as “Stranger in Paradise” and “And This is My Beloved.” And in our final play, King Hedley II, August Wilson turns our gaze onto an ex-con, working to defy the cultural influences surrounding him.
Filled with stories new and old, Season 47 is part of an ongoing movement you don’t want to miss. Tickets can be purchased by phone at (314) 534-3810, at the link above, or at our box office. A season subscription is the best way to ensure the best seats at the best prices. Group sales and individual tickets are also available.
I hope you join us in continuing our legacy.
See you in the lobby,
Ron Himes
Founder/Producing Director
