Hotel Berry at Tantrum Theater @ Ohio University

Tantrum Theater is pleased to announce our first commissioned work live on stage and with live streaming available!

Developed in partnership with Mt. Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, and written by award winning playwright Jacqueline E. Lawton, Hotel Berry brings to stage a bustling hub of life and culture in early 20th century Athens, Ohio.

“As the only Black business owners in the booming town of Athens, Edward and Mattie Berry have established one of the finest hotels in all of Ohio. People from all over the country stop in to dine on Edward's famous fried oysters and Mattie's homemade pies. So, it is no surprise when Theodore Roosevelt decides to stay at the Berry Hotel on his whistle stop tour through Ohio. While a visit by a former president, particularly one as popular as Roosevelt, should be a moment of pride and joy, this Bull Moose Republican has a racist record that still haunts him. The Black community has not yet forgiven him for discharging the Black infantrymen who were set up by Brownsville city officials. Roosevelt will find himself at odds with the city's most prominent Black citizens, and so will the Berrys if they choose to let him stay the night. This presidential visit unleashes scandal, political upheaval, and a menu to rival that of the finest of restaurants in all of Europe!”

Directed by JaMeeka D Holloway, Hotel Berry will perform November 17th through December 3rd, tickets on sale now and include 5 live streamed shows with a three camera professional crew. Ticket prices are $10-20