Victory Gardens' SUCKER PUNCH Begins Tonight

Victory Gardens Theater opens its 41st season with the Midwest Premiere of Sucker Punch by Roy Williams, directed by Dexter Bullard. Sucker Punch runs tonight, September 18, through October 18, 2015 with the press performance on Friday, September 25, 2015, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

"We're thrilled to welcome Roy Willams to our Victory Gardens family as he makes his Chicago debut with Sucker Punch. I first met Roy when he was our guest on a panel of British playwrights of color that Victory Gardens hosted during our 2011 London Trip. I've since been a big fan of his work, especially Sucker Punch in which he masterfully captures the dreams and struggles of the Black British that mirrors our very own contemporary African American experience. I can't wait for Chicago audiences to see this electrifying play and encounter one of Britain's greatest contemporary playwrights," comments Artistic Director Chay Yew.

The cast of Sucker Punch includes Taylor Blim (Becky), Walter Briggs (Tommy), Maurice Demus (Leon), Kenn E. Head (Squid), John Judd (Charlie), Denzel Love (Troy) and André Teamer (Ray).

The creative team includes Tom Burch (scenic), Tif Bullard (costumes), Lee Fiskness (lighting), Christopher Kriz (sound), Jay Tollefsen (props), Ruben Gonzalez (fight choreographer) and Helen Lattyak (production stage manager).

It's the 1980s, Michael Jackson rules the radio waves and Conan the Barbarian is the box office king at the movies. Aspiring black boxers, Leon and Troy, both have promising futures in the ring. When race riots explode in their London neighborhood, these two friends are forced to make a tough decision. Years later, they square off, facing each other and the men they have become. After premiering at The Royal Court in London, award-winning playwright Roy Williams' Sucker Punch received four-star reviews from The London Times, Evening Standard, and The Telegraph and was called a "Knockout Punch" by The Guardian. This fast-paced, triumphant mid-west premiere takes an unflinching look at family, friends and the world of boxing.