JELLY BELLY Opens at Ensemble Theatre, 2/9

A powerful story of a convict returning from a brief prison stay to resume his position as the neighborhood kingpin. Mike is at a crossroads in his life and when Jelly Belly returns, decisions need to be made that will effect these characters for a long time. The Chicago Defender wrote "Employing gritty poetry of the streets, Smith introduces us to Jelly Belly, who attempts to regain the service of Kenny, a former drug runner who has gone straight. Kenny is torn between the hope of prosperity through hard work shared with his friend Mike, or the opportunistic life of a drug pusher Jelly Belly offers." Jelly Belly don't mess with nobody.

This is the 5th collaboration between Smith and Ensemble including the plays Knock Me a Kiss, A Free Man of Color, The Gospel According to James, and Golden Leaf Rag Time Blues.

Charles Smith's plays have been produced Off-Broadway and from coast to coast by theaters such as Indiana Repertory Theatre, Goodman Theatre, New Federal Theatre, The Acting Company, People's Light & Theatre Company, Penumbra, Ensemble Theatre in Cleveland, Crossroads Theatre Company, Penguin Repertory Theatre, Ujima Theatre Company, The Colony Theatre, St. Louis Black Rep, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Jubilee Theatre, Ensemble Theatre in Houston, and Berkeley Repertory Theater. As alumnus playwright of New Dramatists, graduate of the University of Iowa Playwrights Workshop, and one of the founding members of the Playwrights Ensemble at the Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago, he has taught playwriting at Northwestern University, for the Prague Summer Program in Creative Writing in the Czech Republic, and for the Center for Dramatic Art in Groznjan, Croatia. He currently head of the Professional Playwriting Program at Ohio University, Distinguished Professor of Playwriting, and Ohio University Presidential Research Scholar in the Arts and Humanities.

Fridays & Saturdays @8pm. Sundays @2pm. MainstageTheatre.Sunday February 11th performance is SOLD OUT!

With a great CAST of CLEVELAND ACTORS: LaShawn Little as MikeGreg White as Jelly BellyJabri Little as KennyMary Francis Miller as BarbaraRobert Hunter as Bruce.

Tickets $12-$25. Senior, Student, & Group discounts. -Special BOGO for opening weekend. (Except for 2/11)-Pay What YOU Can performance Saturday February 10th!
2843 W. Washington BlvdCleveland Heights, OH 44118

Parking can be found in the Coventry School parking lot to the south of the theatre, also along Washington Blvd and surrounding streets.
216.321.2930 | tickets@ensemble-theatre.orgwww.ensembletheatrecle.org to purchase tickets online!

Please Note: This production does contain STRONG LANGUAGE and THEMES and may not be suitable for younger audiences.