TANK STRANGER Cast Announced for World Premiere at True Colors Theatre

True Colors Theatre today announced the cast of its world premiere of 'Tank Stranger,' a new play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, James Ijames, that will be presented Sept. 15 – Oct. 4, 2026, at the Southwest Arts Center in the City of South Fulton, Ga.

Tank will be played by Atlanta actor Justen Ross, who played Riley in this year's revenge thriller, 'Is God Is' and also appeared in 'Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist' television miniseries. Candy McLellen, with television credits including 'Will Trent' and 'The Resident' plays Vonn.

Schelle Purcell, who was in Tyler Perry's 2025 film, 'Straw' and the television series 'Women of the Movement' has the role of Sephine while noted television actress, Kron Moore, who starred in 'The Oval' as well as 'Stargirl' will play Dovie.

'To say we have assembled an outstanding cast for Tank Stranger is an understatement,' said True Colors Artistic Director Jamil Jude who is also directing the play. 'We couldn't have asked for a better group of actors for the first production from our Drinking Gourd initiative to commission new plays by Black playwrights.'

Tank Stranger was written by Ijames, a Morehouse College graduate who wrote 'Fat Ham' which won a 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Best Drama and was nominated for five Tony Awards.

A mystical play that delves into family dynamics and root work, Tank Stranger explores long-buried truths that begin to surface when generations of the Stranger family are drawn back together, blurring the line between ancestry, mythology, and destiny. As Tank searches for where he belongs, he discovers that understanding the future means confronting the past because every family tree has a story.

Tank Stranger is the second 2026 production from True Colors following its highly-successful presentation of Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella earlier this year.

Immediately following the production of Tank Stranger, True Colors will join several theatre companies in the United States in presenting a unique Italian language production of 'Jitney,' written by noted Black American playwright, the late August Wilson. Featuring a cast of Black Italian actors, the play will be performed from Oct. 9 – 11 at Southwest Arts Center.

True Colors is offering a special 'Fall Duo' promotion for theater goers who want to see both productions by purchasing tickets to 'Tank Stranger' and 'Jitney' in the same online order and use promo code FALLDUO20 to receive 20% off your Jitney tickets.

Offer valid through August 31, 2026. Discount applies to Jitney tickets only when tickets to both Tank Stranger and Jitney are purchased in the same online transaction using promo code FALLDUO20. Subject to availability. Cannot be combined with other offers.

For information on single tickets for 'Tank Stranger' or 'Jitney' please visit https://truecolorstheatre.org/event/. For information on True Colors Theatre, please visit https://truecolorstheatre.org.

ABOUT True Colors Theatre COMPANY

True Colors Theatre Company is a nonprofit regional theater company based in Atlanta, GA. True Colors Theatre Company's mission is to celebrate the rich tradition of Black storytelling while giving voice to bold artists from all cultures. We add dimension and relevance to our work on the stage through community events and education programming. The vision of Artistic Director Jamil Jude is for the company to 'thrive at the intersection of artistic excellence and civic engagement.' For more information on True Colors, visit https://www.truecolorstheatre.org/.

ABOUT THE DRINKING GOURD

• The Ensemble Theatre in Houston, TX
• The Hansberry Project in Seattle, WA
• Hattiloo Theatre in Memphis, TN
• Karamu House in Cleveland, OH
• National Black Theatre in New York, NY

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