A Host Of People Presents World Premiere Of Original Play CLEOPATRA BOY; Receives National Theater Project Creation & Touring Grant For Production

Cleopatra Boy is an original play that uses the history of Cleopatra combined with music, choreography, bold design, and spoken word to illustrate how women, POC, and LGBTQIA+ individuals in positions of power risk losing control of their own images against the dominance of white patriarchy, resulting in false narratives and misrepresentations. The piece also pulls from restorative justice practices in order to reveal the motives of the Western tellers of Cleopatra's story and address some of that misinformation, in service of a celebration of women, POC, and queer leaders-past, present, and future. Cleopatra Boy debuts September 13-28th, 2019 at Andy in Detroit.

Devised theater ensemble A Host of People has a reputation for creating theater that is as challenging as it is inviting, and they continue to produce work that celebrates identity, self-expression, and the complex nature of the human experience in this contemporary moment. Their latest original work, Cleopatra Boy, is supported, in part, by New England Foundation for the Arts' prestigious National Theater Project Creation and Touring Grant. This national recognition comes after previewing Cleopatra Boy at FURY Factory Festival Of Ensemble And Devised Theater in San Francisco, Cleveland Public Theatre's Test Flight and the 7th Annual Sidewalk Festival Detroit.

A Host of People plan to continue their fearless exploration of identity and allyship into 2020 with a national tour of Cleopatra Boy featuring art & restorative practice workshops as an educational companion to the show.

Cleopatra Boy is conceived and directed by Sherrine Azab and Jake Hooker with performers Torri Lynn Ashford (voiceover), Aja Salakastar Dier, Morgan Hutson, Costa Kazaleh Sirdenis, Chris Jakob, Eleni Theodora Zaharopoulos; and designers/production team Rebecca Lister (Stage Manager), Dorothy Melander-Dayton (Set & Costume Designer), Chantel Gaidica (Producer & Lighting Designer), Charlie Gaidica (Technical Director), Jake Hooker (Projection Designer) Maddy Rager (Dance Director), Aaron Fox (Assistant Stage Manager), Kamelya Omayma Youssef (Contributing Writer). In addition, the show features original music by Costa Kazaleh Sirdenis and vocal arrangements by Aja Salakastar Dier and Morgan Hutson.

All performance will be at Andy art center, 3000 Fenkell Ave, Detroit, MI 48238Shows are September 13-28, 2019, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 pmSpecial pay-what-you-will performance Tuesday, September 24, 2019, at 8 pm. Tickets range from $5.00-$20.00 and are available at www.ahostofpeople.org