STICK FLY Announced At Writers Theatre

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, continues its 2019/20 Season with Stick Fly, written by Lydia R. Diamond and directed by WT Resident Director Ron OJ Parson. Stick Fly runs February 5, 2020 - March 15, 2020 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The Press Opening is Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.

Sibling rivalries and parental expectations come to a head as family secrets emerge during a weekend away that becomes more "interrogation" than "relaxation" in this witty and moving rollercoaster of a family comedy-drama.

What begins as aa??relaxing summer weekend on Martha's Vineyard escalatesa??when the LeVay brothers bring their newa??girlfriendsa??homea??to meet their affluent and imposing parents. But Mom's not there, and Dad's acting weird. As the newcomers find themselves under familial scrutiny, long-hidden familya??tensions bubble to the surface and by the end of the weekend, almost everyone at the Vineyard finds themselves under a microscope as they grapple with arguments about class, race and cultural expectations.

Lydia R. Diamond (Smart People) brings her gift for sharp dialogue, complex characters and relevant themes back to WT with this look at African-American elite aristocracy, social assumptions and family dynamics. Directed by WT Resident Directora??Ron OJ Parsona??(Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, East Texas Hot Links), this bitingly funny comedy is sure to keep you talking long after the lights have come up.

The cast includes David Alan Anderson (Joe LeVay), Ayanna Bria Bakari (Cheryl), Eric Gerard (Kent), DiMonte Henning (Flip), Kayla Raelle Holder (Kimber) and Jennifer Latimore (Taylor).

The creative team includes Linda Buchanan (Scenic Designer), Caitlin McLeod (Costume Designer), Claire Chrzan (Lighting Designer), Christopher M. LaPorte (Sound Designer), Dominique Nadeau (Dramaturg), Sam Hubbard (Fight Director) and Tristin Hall (Intimacy Director). The Assistant Director is Monet Felton, the Assistant Stage Manager is Rachel Lockett and the Production Stage Manager is David Castellanos.

Artistic Director Michael Halberstam states, "After a highly successful staging of Smart People at Writers Theatre in 2018, audiences told us that they were eager for more from Lydia R. Diamond! Lydia writes about race and class in a deeply sophisticated, generous and provocative way. She empowers audiences to think about paradigms that we take for granted with fresh perspective while writing scintillating dialogue with complex and rich characterizations. This is a rare gift. Furthermore, we are always fortunate to be welcoming Ron OJ Parson back to Writers Theatre. He has staged some of our most successful and beautiful productions in the past decade, and is truly one of the nation's great directors. This play and this team of artists embodies for me the reasons we do what we do-and we are invited once more to lean forward and engage."

Single tickets for Stick Fly are currently on sale, priced $35 - $80 and are available at www.writerstheatre.org, by phone at 847-242-6000 or in person at the box office at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe.