BRING THE BEAT BACK To Open This Week at Otherworld Theatre

BRING the BEAT BACK: a Queer, Black, Sci-Fi, Staged Concert Experience written by Derek Lee McPhatter, Featuring music by Derek Lee McPhatter, Avery R. Young, ALEXA GRÆ, Germono Toussaint, Manchildblack, and DJ Alinka. Directed by Christopher Burris, the show runs September 13th- September 29th, 2019. Press opening is September 13th, 2019 at 3914 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60613 in the Bradbury space within Otherworld Theatre. Tickets to all performances are available at www.OtherworldTheatre.org

BRING the BEAT BACK follows a young man struggling to reconcile his sexuality with his faith. Our hero journeys towards self- acceptance and affirming spirituality as conservative religious authorities and a queer subculture clash over music at the center of his world. Set in a futuristic, groove-centered alternative reality, Bring the Beat Back is inspired by urban gay "ball culture," the evolution of house music and the rich Afro-futurist tradition in popular culture. Bring the Beat Back has been developed with support from Andre Alexander Lancaster's Freedom Train Productions, Earthseed Visions, Hi-ARTS, JACK, DCASE, The Drama League of New York, and the Polyphone Music Festival at the University of the Arts.

The cast features local Chicago talent, including: Donald Fitzdarryl as The Captain, Jasmine Marie Jones as Lady Ace, Bernell Lassai as Raymond Davidson Prescott, Dann R. Lynch as Deputy Deacon Duncan Studness, Tia Pinson as Trudy MacNamara Black, Donovan Session as Dayton MacNamara Black and Alexis Ward as The Baroness

Performances will take place in Otherworld's larger theatre space, nicknamed, "The Bradbury," Septmeber 13th - 29th, 2019; Fri & Sat at 7:30pm, Sun at 2:30pm. Press opening is September 13, 2019. All performances will be at Otherworld Theatre (Bradbury space), 3914 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60613 (Street Parking available; CTA Accessible by Sheridan Red Line / 22 Clark).

Otherworld Theatre is a two-stage facility with a mainstage which boasts a flexible performance and seating area in its larger The Bradbury space, The Alchemist's Lab blackbox space, bar, and lobby located a few blocks north of Wrigley Field. Tickets to all shows are available at www.OtherworldTheatre.org Otherworld maintains mission to keep theatre accessible for all. All mainstage tickets are pay-what-you-can, allowing people of any and all means to experience live performance. Otherworld targets theatre patrons of all ages, genders, and races, with a particular focus on fans of Science Fiction and Fantasy, or "genre" storytelling. This is a large, underserved market, particularly when it comes to live theatre. Otherworld's productions reach a wide ranging audience and multiple fandoms.