AFRICAN STEW At Lorraine Hansberry Theatre Announces Cast And Creative Team

Lorraine Hansberry Theatre has announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere of African Stew, a satirical new comedy by the nationally acclaimed, award-winning playwright Lisa B. Thompson.
 
When an African American woman and a Nigerian man announce their engagement after a swift courtship, their families gather for a meal in Oakland — and what begins as a celebration soon simmers with tension as cultural differences, familial expectations, and questions of identity bubble to the surface. At a time when so much centers on who belongs and who doesn't, this deeply human comedy asks what it actually takes to build a family across class, across culture, and across generations. This poignant exploration marks the return of one of Lorraine Hansberry Theatre’s most celebrated collaborators in Thompson, whose 2024 The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body, as well as 2019's Single Black Female, were met with critical and popular acclaim.
 
The cast of African Stew includes (in alphabetical order): Sundiata Ayinde (Julie "Jules" Lawson); Ron Chapman (Harold “Harry” Lawson); Carla Gallardo (Patricia “Trish” Lopez); Margo Hall (Diana “Didi” Lawson); Jeunée Simon (Titilola “Lola” Ogunde); ShawnJ West (Babatunde “Baba” Ogunde); and Titus VanHook (Ken Ogunde)
 
Written by Lisa B. Thompson, the creative team for African Stew includes: Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe (Director); Jenny Bachofer (Lighting Design); Alexis Brooks & Ray Archie (Sound Design); Pamela Peniston (Scenic Design); Jamila Ring (Scenic Build); Andre Harrington (Costume Design); and Taylor Mendez (Stage Manager).

Lorraine Hansberry Theatre's production is the first in a rolling world premiere that will bring African Stew to stages across the country in the coming months—arriving at a moment when its story could not be more resonant, and its questions more urgent.