CPH Presents Dark Comedy, BLACKADEMICS By Idris Goodwin

Cleveland Play House presents its final virtual play for the 2020/21 theatrical season, Blackademics, a dark comedy written by Idris Goodwin. This raucous satire about two college professors navigating success and racism as Black women features Northeast Ohio actors, Mariah Burks, Colleen Longshaw, and Lisa Marie Schueller.

Directed by Ansley Valentine, Blackademics can be streamed virtually May 22-26, 2021. Tickets to all virtually streamed performances are $10 and are available exclusively at www.clevelandplayhouse.com.

A select table reserved at an exclusive café inspires a ravenous appetite from African-American professors Ann and Rachelle. From seed to slaughter, their host, Georgia, has the evening fully planned - down to the last chair. Blackademics is a comedic culinary celebration that quickly turns from crudité to cruelty as our scholars banter, debate, and battle each other to claim their literal seat at the table.

Nationally acclaimed playwright Idris Goodwin is renowned for his literary works tying in cultural and systemic issues with hip hop and breakbeat music. CPH produced Goodwin's breakbeat play How We Got On in 2014 and in 2019 commissioned Goodwin to pen Jacked!, inspired by the classic tale "Jack and the Beanstalk." Blackademics was first developed and produced by MPAACT in Chicago 2013. It was remounted at Theatre on the Lake and was further developed and produced by Crowded Fire in San Francisco in 2015.

The cast of this outrageous one-act features Northeast Ohio actors, including Mariah Burks as Rachelle (CPH's Clue: A New Comedy, The 25th Annual...Spelling Bee, Shakespeare in Love, and She Stoops to Conquer; and Cain Park's Ragtime); Colleen Longshaw as Ann (CPH's The Piano Lesson, Great Lakes Theater's A Christmas Carol, Dobama Theatre's Made in America, Porthouse Theatre's Sister Act, Karamu House's Fences, and Ohio Shakespeare Festival's Twelfth Night); and Lisa Marie Schueller as Georgia (Coach House Theatre, Ohio Shakespeare Festival, Porthouse Theatre, Cleveland Theatre Company, Carousel Dinner Theatre, and Playhouse Square).

CPH Artistic Director Laura Kepley says, "This season, CPH produced 13 virtual productions that explored very human and topical issues while creatively experimenting with this new way of storytelling. Featuring three smart, dynamic, and very funny women and the excellent direction of Ansley Valentine, Blackademics, uses humor, satire, and absurdism to grapple with questions of equity and inclusion."

Director Ansley Valentine says, "Blackademics spoke to me on many levels. As a Black professor in academia, I closely identified with the experiences of the two main characters. It will be an interesting journey to turn such a physically active and engaging play into a piece of virtual theater."

Ticket buyers are also invited to a free live roundtable with director Ansley Valentine and guest panelists via ZOOM on Monday, May 24, 2021 at 7 PM EDT.

An ASL-interpreted performance will be available to patrons who are deaf. For further details, please visit www.clevelandplayhouse.com.

The virtual performance runs approx. 75 minutes without an intermission.

The play contains strong language and physical violence.

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