Celebrated choreographer Raja Feather Kelly (A Strange Loop, Lempicka)'s playwriting debut The Fires officially opened at SoHo Rep May 21, and the reviews are rolling in.
The work, which centers on three different men in a South Brooklyn railroad, plays the Off-Broadway venue through June 16. The production began performances May 8.
In 1971, 1998, and 2021, three different men in a South Brooklyn railroad apartment write, read, flirt, eat, and fight at the same time. Kelly directs the piece himself.
The cast includes Beau Badu as Eli, Sheldon Best as Sam,Phillip James Brannon as Jay, Janelle McDermoth as Rowan, Ronald Peet as George/Sean/Kayne, Jon-Michael Reese as Maurice, Jason Veasey as Billy/Reggie, and Tony Award-nominee Michelle Wilson as Leslie.
Read the reviews below.
New York Theater (Jonathan Mandell)
New York Stage Review (Michael Sommers)
*This review may require creating a free account or a paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
The production features music by Emily Wells, dramaturgy by Dominique Rider, scenic design by Raphael Mishler, co-costume design by Naoko Nagata and Enver Chakartash, lighting design by Bryan Ealey, sound design by Salvador Zamora, hair and makeup design by Karine Ivey, intimacy direction by Teniece Divya Johnson, and creative circle by Lauren Morrow and Ayanna Thompson.
The premiere of The Fires arrives during a prolific season for the creative, with Kelly's choreography seen onstage in Teeth at Playwrights Horizons and Lempicka on Broadway.
“I'm an experimental artist, and I believe The Fires is a continuation of my interest in experimentation while also realizing my excitement about creating a proper play. I am equally excited to direct this, to apply the things that are paramount to my vision of the form: I'm so fond of behavior as storytelling—it’s what led me to become a choreographer—and now it’s leading me back to writing and wanting to direct more," said Kelly in a previous statement.
For tickets and more information, visit SoHoRep.org.
Michelle Wilson in The Fires
Phillip James Brannon, Janelle McDermoth, and Sheldon Best in The Fires
Phillip James Brannon, Ronald Peet, Beau Badu, Sheldon Best, and Janelle McDermoth in The Fires
Sheldon Best in The Fires
Sheldon Best in The Fires
Sheldon Best, Beau Badu, and Phillip James Brannon in The Fires
Phillip James Brannon in The Fires
Phillip James Brannon , Ronald Peet, Sheldon Best, and Beau Badu in The Fires
Phillip James Brannon in The Fires
