BLACK CREEK RISIN' Staged Reading to Feature Guy Lockard at 59E59

The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc., in association with Blackgical Productions LLC and MPTP Productions INTL, will present a special staged reading of Black Creek Risin', a new Southern drama written by New York Times bestselling author and playwright LaDarrion Williams and directed by Marishka S. Phillips. The reading will take place Monday, August 17, 2026, at 7:00 PM at 59E59 Theaters, Theatre B, 59 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022.

Set deep in the Louisiana bayou at the dawn of Prohibition, Black Creek Risin' follows Mama Jakes, a formidable Black woman determined to protect the juke joint she built with her own hands. As Prohibition threatens her livelihood, she turns to bootlegging to keep her family and community afloat. But when old loves resurface, dangerous secrets are revealed, and violence erupts, she must decide whether to continue carrying the weight of everyone around her or finally choose herself.

The staged reading will feature Guy Lockard (Chicago Med), stepping into the role previously announced for Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Keith David. Lockard is best known for his role on NBC's Chicago Med. He has also held recurring roles on NBC's The Village and The Blacklist, and has guest-starred on Chicago Fire, Law & Order: SVU, Kevin Can Wait, Bull, FBI, God Friended Me, and Gossip Girl, among numerous other television credits. Lockard recently returned to the stage in Jelly's Last Jam at Signature Theatre.

Keith David remains attached to Black Creek Risin' as a producer and continues to support the play and its development.

The cast also features Felicia Boswell (two-time Helen Hayes Award winner, Emmy Award winner, Grammy Award nominee), Jason Lyke (Law & Order, American Soul), Nora Love as Hoochie, and Los Angeles-based actress Nicolette Ellis.

Blending Southern Gothic storytelling with the sounds of blues and jazz, Black Creek Risin' is a sweeping story of love, legacy, resilience, generational trauma, forbidden desire, and the enduring spirit of the Black South.