Syracuse Stage Will Premiere THE BLACK NATIONALS by Resident Playwright Kyle Bass
The new play explores Syracuse's championship-winning NBA team in Bass's 6th world premiere at the theatre
Syracuse Stage, in collaboration with Resident Playwright Kyle Bass, will continue the company's longstanding commitment to developing original theatrical work with “The Black Nationals,” a fast-paced and imaginative new play premiering in the 26/27 season.
An accomplished playwright, screenwriter and educator, Bass has played a pivotal role in helping shape the artistic identity of Syracuse Stage over the past 30 years. He spearheaded the creation of the company's new play festival and debuted five world premieres at the theatre, including "Possessing Harriet” and “Cry for Peace: Voices from the Congo” with Ping Chong. He became the first resident playwright of Syracuse Stage in 2022; “The Black Nationals” will mark the end of his tenure as he steps away from the role at the conclusion of the 26/7 season.
In order to meet the unique demands of creating a world premiere production, Syracuse Stage has reallocated additional artistic resources for “The Black Nationals” from the Julie Lutz New Play Development Fund.
“The Julie Lutz New Play Development Fund was created and endowed to support new work at Syracuse Stage,” said Artistic Director Robert Hupp. “It seems fitting that as we celebrate his final season as an integral member of our artistic team, the Lutz Fund will honor Kyle's powerful and poetic vision for community-centered original work, right here in Central New York.”
The previously announced 26/27 edition of The Julie Lutz New Play Festival, historically supported by the fund, will return as part of an upcoming season.
Inspired by the Syracuse Nationals, Syracuse's own professional basketball team, and its 1954-55 championship season, “The Black Nationals” tells the story of the team's two African American players, among the first Black athletes to compete professionally, as they fight to leave their mark on the history of the game at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement. Directed by Gilbert McCauley, the world premiere will run April 7 through 25, 2027.
1950s Syracuse: The Nationals represent the city in the fledgling NBA while the team's two African American players, among the first Black athletes to play professionally, navigate the sport's color barrier and new rules as they fight to leave their mark on the court and on the history of the game. Inspired by the true story of “The Nats” and their championship season, Kyle Bass' “The Black Nationals” is a fast-paced, imaginative new play that celebrates a defining moment of Central New York history at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement and invites us to consider a world where, in the game of life, everyone has a fair shot.
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