August Wilson's JITNEY Comes to Beck Center for the Arts in April

Beck Center for the Arts has announced August Wilson’s Jitney, directed by Jimmie Woody. Running April 5 – May 5, 2024, in the Studio Theater, this dramatic piece of theater encompasses the 1980s and the African America experience in the United States of America.

In 1979, esteemed playwright August Wilson wrote Jitney, set and produced in 1982 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Jitney became the 2000 Drama Desk Award winner. Eventually, it won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play for capturing the influence of generations of jitney drivers on their communities. 

Jimmie Woody says of his directorial debut at Beck Center for the Arts, “I am humble and proud to stand on the shoulders of a giant within African-American culture. In Africa, Griots were the storytellers and keepers of a village’s culture, August Wilson is a Griot of African-American culture of the 20th century. I love August Wilson because he has an innate ability to capture the soul, the pain, the love, the struggle, the culture, the resilience, and the poetry of the African-American spirit. I am grateful to direct a legend within African-American Culture & American Literature.”

Run dates are April 5 to May 5, 2024 in the Studio Theater in Lakewood. Ticket prices range from $38 (adults), $34 (for seniors 65 and older) $17 for students with valid ID.  A $3 service fee per single ticket will be applied at time of purchase. Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Preview performance is 7:30 p.m. the Thursday before opening night, with general-admission seating for just $10. Smart Seats® are available for each performance at just $10 per person. For more information on Jitney, please visit beckcenter.org.

This play is presented through a special arrangement with Concord Theatricals.

All performances are at theaters inside Beck Center for the Arts located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available. For more information please visit beckcenter.org.

Beck Center for the Arts is proud to be a part of Northeast Ohio’s professional theater landscape, operating under a letter of agreement with Actors’ Equity Association. We are a Small Professional Theater (SPT) based on the number of seats, number of our performances, and the maximum weekly hours of work we provide to actors. We produce every show on our stages, by choosing the play, casting and rehearsing it, building the sets, props, and costumes, directing and performing the live music, and designing lights and sound. We proudly utilize regional resources and talent.

Beck Center for the Arts also offers arts education for all ages, skill levels, and abilities with classes and lessons in music, dance, visual arts, and theater, as well as creative arts therapies. Financial assistance is offered to qualified applicants so that these programs can be enjoyed by all.

Programming at Beck Center for the Arts is made possible through the generous support of the Ohio Arts Council. Beck Center gratefully acknowledges the generous funding provided by the citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. 

 

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