BLACK CYPRESS BAYOU Chicago Premiere is Coming to Definition Theatre
The cast features Taysha Hunter, LadyBird Manifold, RaeMeka Manifold-Baler and Vernita Manifold.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jan. 23, 2026
Definition Theatre will present the world premiere of Black Cypress Bayou, a bold darkly comic new play by playwright Kristen Adele Calhoun and directed by Ericka Ratcliff, Black Cypress Bayou will run from February 13 to March 15, 2026 at Definition @ 55th with a press opening on Thursday, February 19 at 7:30pm. Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now.
On a sweltering Texas night, Vernita Manifold summons her daughters back to the family bayou after the richest man in East Texas turns up dead—his severed head delivered to her back porch. As buried truths rise from the swamp and ancestors hover in the mist, the Manifold women must decide whether this moment is finally theirs. Wickedly funny and razor-sharp, Black Cypress Bayou is a haunting reckoning where justice, legacy, and survival collide.
The cast features Taysha Hunter (Jyreika Guest), LadyBird Manifold (Michelle Renee Bester), RaeMeka Manifold-Baler (Rita Wicks), and Vernita Manifold (RjW Mays).
The production team includes Production Manager Brianna Parry, Stage Manager LJ Littlejohn, Scenic Designer Alyssa Mohn, Costume Designer Janelle Smith, Lighting Designer Conchita Avitia, Sound Designer Willow James, Props Designer Jamie Auer, and Dramaturg Lydia Moss.
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