Read on for some recent theatre headlines you may have missed in today's news.
Jack Holden Stars in His New One-Person Play, Cruise
West End veteran Jack Holden (War Horse, Ink) will star in the world premiere of his one-person play with live music, Cruise. Set in London's Soho in the late 1980s, the play tells the story of what "should be" Michael's last night on Earth, after being given an HIV diagnosis and four years to live. Cruise is inspired by a true story Holden was told when he volunteered for Switchboard, an LGBTQIA+ listening service. Aria Entertainment and Lambert Jackson Productions, in association with Shoreditch Town Hall produce the event. The play will be filmed and available for streaming on Stream.Theatre April 15-25.
The Wilma Theater Presents World Premiere of James Ijames’ Fat Ham
Philadelphia's Wilma Theater will present the world premiere of the digital production Fat Ham, a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet set in the American South. The work is written by James Ijames and directed by Morgan Green, both in their first season as co-artistic directors of the Wilma. In creating the play, Ijames asked himself, “What does the Hamlet narrative look like if it's queered, and if it's infiltrated and taken over by people of color?" Fat Ham stars Brennen S. Malone as Juicy with Taysha Marie Canales, Kimberly S. Fairbanks, Jennifer Kidwell, Anthony Martinez-Briggs, Brandon J. Pierce, and Lindsay Smiling. The play is being filmed on location in Virginia, and shot as a one-take film to retain the real-time storytelling of a play. It will be available for streaming March 25–April 10. For more information or ticketing, visit WilmaTheater.org.
Efflorescence, A Serial Songspiel From La MaMa and Talking Band
La Mama Experimental Theatre Club and Talking Band, an interdisciplinary avant-garde theatre company, are presenting the world premiere of Efflorescence, a seven-episode serial songspiel. The work is written and composed by Ellen Maddow and directed by Paul Zimet, both founding members of Talking Band. Audio segments will release daily from March 29–April 4, culminating in an April 6 event premiering the full piece with a post-show conversation with the artists. "Efflorescence tells the story of six disparate people who have been living together for a year in an old farm house in the Catskills that has been transformed into a safe haven for Vulnerable Expendables. Each night they take a turn telling stories...The first episode begins on a night when a mysterious stranger arrives." For more information or for ticketing, visit LaMaMa.org.
