Donja R Love News

PrideArts will conclude its 2021-22 season with the Chicago premiere of TOMMY ON TOP – a comedy that premiered in London’s West End at the Above the Stag Theatre last summer. PrideArts Artistic Director Jay Españo made the announcement today.

This free festival, running May 16–22, explores and celebrates new voices in American Theater. With workshops, a panel discussion, and talk-backs—both in-person and online—the New Work Festival strengthens TheaterWorks Hartford’s commitment to the development of important new plays.

TheaterWorks Hartford is thrilled to present the 2022 edition of its New Work Festival. This free festival, running May 16–22, explores and celebrates new voices in American Theater. With workshops, a panel discussion, and talk-backs—both in-person and online—the New Work Festival strengthens TheaterWorks Hartford’s commitment to the development of important new plays. Participants include playwrights Brooke Berman, Melissa Crespo & Sarah Saltwick, Terry Guest, and James Anthony Tyler who are joined by directors Shariffa Ali, Michael Barakiva, Mikael Burke, and Caitlin Sullivan. Reservations are required and can be made at www.twhartford.org.

Philadelphia Theatre Company has announced the second winner of the revived Terrence McNally Award. In 2021, the theatre awarded the first of the newly reinstituted award to Donja R. Love. This year the recipient is Montgomery County Stephanie Kyung Sun Walters (she/her) for the final part of her Koreatown Trilogy, Acetone Wishes and Plexiglass Dreams.  

 This month marks the launch of New Black Fest at the Apollo, a festival celebrating contemporary Black playwrights from across the nation. On April 22, 23, and 25 at 7pm, audiences will have the opportunity to see original works by 18 playwrights, each commissioned by the Apollo and New Black Fest co-founder Keith Josef Adkins. 

MCC Theater has announced the complete casting for the World Premiere production of soft by Donja R. Love (one in two). Directed by Whitney White (On Sugarland), soft will begin previews on Thursday May 12, 2022 in the Susan & Ronald Frankel Theater at The Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space (511 W 52nd Street New York, NY 10019).

The Playwrights Realm will present the 2022 INK’D Festival of New Plays, bringing the festival of readings culminating the organization’s Writing Fellowship program back live in person after holding it online last year.

Richmond Triangle Players continues its 29th season with Donja R. Love's powerful and evocative Sugar in Our Wounds. The show will preview on Wednesday and Thursday April 20 and 21st, open on April 22, and will run through Saturday May 14. 

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced full casting for the Roundabout Underground world premiere of Exception to the Rule by Dave Harris, directed by Roundabout Resident Director Miranda Haymon.

MCC Theater announced that after two years of digital performances, UNCENSORED will return to in-person performances at the Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space in the Susan and Ronald Frankel Theater on April 22-24, 2022. 

Aging, beauty, hypocrisy, greed, sexual repression and cannibalism drive Island City Stage’s production of Tennessee William’s gothic mystery Suddenly, Last Summer, running through April 17, 2022. Suddenly, Last Summer is part of the award-winning theater company’s 10th Anniversary 2021-22 South Florida Season.

Previously titled Here She Is, Boys, Which Way to the Stage will begin previews in the Newman Mills Theater at MCC Theater (511 W 52nd Street New York, NY 10019) on Thursday April 14 and open on Tuesday May 10 for a limited engagement through May 22, 2022.  

MCC Theater (Bob LuPone, Bernie Telsey, Will Cantler, Co-Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) announced today that Oscar and Grammy Award-winning music and culture journalist Cameron Crowe (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Almost Famous) will moderate Behind the Lyrics, a special one-night event that will take a deep dive in to the songwriting process for Space Dogs. 

The World Premiere of i need space, a new digital series written, directed and created by Donja R. Love (Sugar In Our Wounds, one in two) and presented by The New Group Off Stage in association with John Ridley’s NŌ Studios and Frank Marshall will begin streaming March 8, 2022, exclusively on the new streaming platform, Broadstream. 

MCC Theater announced today that Space Dogs, a new musical written by and starring Van Hughes (Burn All Night) and Nick Blaemire (Glory Days) has been extended for a second time. Directed by Ellie Heyman (amfAR’s Angels in America), Space Dogs will now play through Sunday March 20, 2022 at MCC Theater (511 W 52nd Street New York, NY 10019).

The Black Rep announced the extension of Fireflies by Donja R. Love for an additional week, through March 6. Directed by Atlanta-based actor and director Andrea Frye, and featuring Zahria Moore and Eric Conners, the courageous work takes an intimate approach to exploring personal aspects of the Civil Rights Movement.

'A perfect storm of anguish in the Jim Crow South' 'Fireflies' opens at St. Louis Black Rep

Paying homage to one of America's most celebrated playwrights during his birthday month, Island City Stage will present its debut of Tennessee William's gothic mystery Suddenly, Last Summer, March 17 – April 17, 2022. Suddenly, Last Summer is part of the award-winning theater company's 10th Anniversary 2021-22 South Florida Season.

The St Louis Black Repertory Company continues its 45th Anniversary Season with Fireflies by Donja R. Love. Fireflies opens on February 11, 2022 at at the 125-seat Hotchner Studio Theatre on Washington University’s campus. Previews begin on February 9, 2022.  The show is directed by Atlanta-based actor and director Andrea Frye, featuring Zahria Moore and Eric Conners. The courageous work takes an intimate approach to exploring personal aspects of the Civil Rights Movement.

Racism, homophobia and self-hatred seethe through Island City Stage's world premiere of Andrew Kramer's political mystery thriller, Armature, on stage now through February 27. Armature is part of the award-winning theater company's 10th Anniversary 2021-22 South Florida Season.