Tag Archives: Falcon Theatre

Elliott Young as Frederick Douglass & Cat Cook as Susan B. Anthony. Photo by Kristy Rucker.

For forty-five years, they agitated the nation and each other. They met in the 1840’s as young abolitionists, full of hopes and sharing a common purpose. They became cultural and historical icons. They were Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Their tempestuous decades-long friendship is the subject of THE AGITATORS by playwright Mat Smart, the fourth production of Falcon Theatre’s 30th Anniversary season, opening March 20, 2020.

Anthony and Douglass found a common cause in the abolition of slavery, though each came at the subject from a different standpoint. She was white, a Quaker. He was black, an escaped slave. Both used their gifts as writers and orators, along with their shared passion for equality to forge an unlikely friendship. When slavery ended after the Civil War, the two focused on what they hoped would be universal suffrage. Their friendship and alliance became strained with the proposal of the 15th Amendment, which would grant voting rights to black men, but not to women of either race.

Playwright Smart sees the story of the pair as timely for 21st Century America. “The distance between people in this country seems to be growing greater and greater,” Smart says. “And something that is so inspiring to me about Susan and Frederick was their ability to have a healthy, hard dialogue with the people they disagreed with…with the people who hated them. So I hope a lesson we can take from them is how we can better listen to people who believe different things than we believe, and how we may better agitate the people who disagree with us to change their thinking. Or vice versa.”

The Gazette calls THE AGITATORS “…theater at its best. Teaching us, challenging us, reminding us of where we’ve been, where we are, and how far we still have to go.” The St. Louis Post-Dispatch calls it “theater at its most provocative and enlightening.” The Democrat & Chronicle says “THE AGITATORS opens a window into two extraordinary lives while also holding up a mirror to all of us. It portrays the gift of friendship, while reminding us we need to pass the olive branch along.”

Falcon’s production is directed by Darnell Pierre Benjamin and features Cat Cook as Susan B. Anthony and Elliott Young as Frederick Douglass. Performances are at 8 PM on March 20, 21, 26, 27, and 28 and on April 2, 3, and 4, 2020. Tickets prices are $25 for adults and $15 for students with ID. Patrons enjoy a $5 discount for Thursday performances. Visit falcontheater.net for tickets.

R. DeAndre Smith as Guy, Bryana Bentley as Angel & Elliot Young as Leland. Photo by Kristy Rucker.

Falcon Theatre’s third production of its 30th anniversary season is Pearl Cleage’s BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY. The play is a brutally honest and candid examination of an array of issues–including race, gender, sexuality, and cultural intolerance–in the historical context of the Harlem Renaissance and the early years of the Great Depression. The production, directed by Torie Wiggins, opens January 24, 2020.

The story is set in Harlem, New York in 1930. The euphoria and nonstop party of the Roaring Twenties have given way to the harsh realities of rampant joblessness and Jim Crow laws. The tale takes on the theme of hopeful dreams in hopeless times; it chronicles the aspirations and adversity of five characters whose lives tragically converge during an eight-week period. The names and spirit of Harlem Renaissance artists such as Langston Hughes and Josephine Baker hover throughout the play, but the story focuses on struggling artists whose dreams must be put on hold to face economic survival.

Director Wiggins says Blues has been on her bucket list of plays to direct ever since she played the lead role of Angel in a production at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in the 1990s. “This is a story that needs to be told,” says Ms. Wiggins. “It’s a story that resonates with themes that are as relevant as they have ever been. Culture. Relationships. Sexism. Racism. And features some of the most memorable characters that audiences will ever encounter.”

Ms. Wiggins also says that she is excited about working in Falcon’s intimate space for the first time. The stage and its proximity to the audience will be a real challenge for her actors. “This is a theater that was made for actors and for this play,” she says. “When I first walked into the theater, I thought, ‘Wow. The actors will really need to be camera-ready from the opening curtain.”

The Chicago Tribune calls Blues for an Alabama Sky “ebullient, musical, (and) highly enjoyable.” The Guardian says the play “…offers a riveting picture of Harlem at a moment of historic transition.” The Washington Post calls it “…lively and heartfelt.”

Falcon’s production features Bryana Bentley as Angel, Keith Holland as Sam, R. DeAndre Smith as Guy, Elizabeth Taylor as Delia, and Elliot Young as Leland. Performances are at 8 PM on January 24, 25, 30, and 31 and on February 1, 6, 7 and 8.  Tickets prices are $25 for adults and $15 for students with ID. Patrons enjoy a $5 discount for Thursday performances. Visit falcontheater.net for tickets.