Xavier Pierce News

Emmett, Down in My Heart takes the audience on a haunting journey of race and violence in America. Historical text, music, and immersive staging interweave to tell the story of the horrific murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955 Mississippi. Till's brutal lynching, the acquittal of his killers, and his mother's insistence on an open casket exposed hidden truths of the Jim Crow South and stunned the world, striking a chord in the national conscience.

Olney Theatre Center has finally taken the plunge in their intimate black-box space with their inaugural August Wilson production, 'The Piano Lesson.' Blessed with a talented cast, they should enjoy a prosperous run; and the choice of play is appropriate, given the role that Baltimore's own Charles S. Dutton had in its first production. And the piano of the title, with its unique and bloody history, endures as one of the most powerful stage metaphors of our time.

Actor Sharif Atkins ('White Collar,' 'Hawaii,' 'ER') will star as Clay in the co-production of 'Dutchman' by LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka) by Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre (NBT) and The Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH). The two theater companies are mounting the production 50 years after the March 1964 world premiere of the play at the Cherry Lane Theatre and in tribute to the late theater great Baraka, who died on January 9. Ambien Mitchell stars opposite Atkins as Lula and Lorenzo Scott joins the cast as the Conductor. Previews of the Carl Cofield-directed show begin tonight, April 30 and run through May 2, and performances run from May 3 through May 23 at National Black Theatre in Harlem.

Olney Theatre Center, a Maryland destination for professional theater performance and education, continues its critically-acclaimed 76th Anniversary season with August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama THE PIANO LESSON May 7 - June 1, 2014 in the Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab.

Actor Sharif Atkins ('White Collar,' 'Hawaii,' 'ER') will star as Clay in the co-production of 'Dutchman' by LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka) by Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre (NBT) and The Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH). The two theater companies are mounting the production 50 years after the March 1964 world premiere of the play at the Cherry Lane Theatre and in tribute to the late theater great Baraka, who died on January 9. Ambien Mitchell stars opposite Atkins as Lula and Lorenzo Scott joins the cast as the Conductor. Previews of the Carl Cofield-directed show begin on April 30 and run through May 2, and performances run from May 3 through May 23 at National Black Theatre in Harlem.

Long Wharf Theatre, in co-production with the McCarter Theatre, presents August Wilson's Fences, directed by Phylicia Rashad. Check out a first look below!

Long Wharf Theatre, in co-production with the McCarter Theatre, presents August Wilson's Fences, directed by Phylicia Rashad.

Two River Theater Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, continues its 2012-2013 Season with August Wilson's Two Trains Running, directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. A one-week extension has been added to the run prior to the start of performances, which will begin in Two River's Rechnitz Theater, 21 Bridge Avenue, on Saturday, February 2 and continue through Sunday, March 3. The new press opening is Friday, February 15 at 8pm. Tickets are available from 732.345.1400 or www.trtc.org. This production is sponsored by a grant from the Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation. The lead production sponsor is Wells Fargo and the co-sponsors are Brookdale Community College and NJ Transit.

STG presents BLACK NATIVITY at The Moore Theatre in Seattle on December 8-24, 2011.

STG presents BLACK NATIVITY at The Moore Theatre in Seattle on December 8-24, 2011.

Seattle Theatre Group (STG) presents Langston Hughes' BLACK NATIVITY, a gospel celebration at The Moore Theatre on December 8 - 24, 2011.