THE REMARKABLE RESIGNATION OF DR. JOYCELYN ELDERS to Open at The Rep

Tickets are now on sale for The Remarkable Resignation of Dr. Joycelyn Elders, and the fourth and penultimate production in The Rep's 2026 golden SummerStage season. The production will run AUGUST 11-29.

Performances will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.; Fridays at 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are available at TheRep.org or by calling The Rep's Box Office at (501) 378-0405.

Ticket prices range from $25-$70, with discounts available for seniors, students, educators, and active military personnel.

ABOUT DR. JOYCELYN ELDERS

Born in 1933 in rural Schaal, Arkansas, Dr. M. Joycelyn Elders rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential public health leaders in American history. The eldest of eight children born to sharecroppers, Elders grew up working in the cotton fields and did not see a doctor until she was 16 years old. She attended Philander Smith College in Little Rock before earning her medical degree from the University of Arkansas Medical School in 1960. A pioneering pediatric endocrinologist, researcher, and educator, Elders became the first person in Arkansas to become board certified in pediatric endocrinology in 1978.

In 1987, then-Governor Bill Clinton appointed Elders director of the Arkansas Department of Health, where she advocated for expanded prenatal care, childhood immunizations, home-care services, and comprehensive health education. Her willingness to speak candidly about issues often considered controversial—including adolescent health, contraception, teen pregnancy, and substance abuse—became a defining part of her public service. In 1993, President Clinton appointed Elders the 15th Surgeon General of the United States, making her the first African American and only the second woman to hold the position.

As Surgeon General, Elders continued to champion evidence-based public health policies and comprehensive health education, frequently challenging the nation to confront subjects that had long been considered taboo. Her outspoken positions generated national attention and controversy, ultimately leading to her resignation in December 1994 after approximately 15 months in office. Elders returned to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where she became professor emerita, and has continued to advocate for health equity, public health education, and greater representation of Black physicians in medicine. Her remarkable career remains deeply rooted in Arkansas—and her willingness to challenge convention continues to make her story a powerful one for the stage.

ABOUT THE PLAY

From sharecropper's daughter to U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Joycelyn Elders' journey is nothing short of extraordinary. The Remarkable Resignation of Dr. Joycelyn Elders, written and directed by The Rep's very own artistic director Steve H. Broadnax III, creator of last season's hit Me & the Devil, is a world premiere play with music that explores the life, convictions, and remarkable career of an Arkansas woman who refused to be defined by anyone but herself. This isn't a play about controversy. It's a play about courage.

The issues Dr. Elders spoke openly about—public health, education, reproductive rights, healthcare access, and the tension between science and politics—remain deeply relevant today. In a moment when experts are increasingly questioned and truth can compete with ideology, her story asks a timeless question: What does it cost to tell the truth? Through humor and heart, the production looks beyond the headlines to explore the woman behind the public figure and the courage it takes to stand firmly in one's convictions when the stakes are high.

For The Rep, bringing Elders' story to the stage is also an opportunity to claim a piece of Arkansas history that deserves to be celebrated. Theatre allows audiences to sit in the same room with history—to experience another person's life not simply as a collection of facts, but as a human story unfolding in real time. The experience will extend beyond the stage and into the lobby, where a mini historic gallery will invite audiences to explore key moments from Elders' life and career through photographs, archival materials, and historical information. Together, the production and gallery create an opportunity for audiences to learn, feel, and reflect while discovering the remarkable Arkansas woman behind the headlines.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

The Rep's production features a dynamic trio of artists led by Melanye Finister (People's Light in The Woman Question, A Raisin in the Sun, Lettie, Skeleton Crew, All My Sons, Fences, The Winter's Tale, and Seven Guitars, The Wilma Theater in The Snow Queen, A Summer Day, Archduke, The Good Person of Setzuan, Is God Is, and When the Rain Stops Falling, and Theatre Exile in Abandon (2023 Barrymore Award for Leading Actor)) in the title role of 'Dr. Joycelyn Elders'. Joining her are Brian Marable (Steppenwolf Theatre Company in The Book of Grace, People's Light in Skeleton Crew and Thurgood, Baltimore Center Stage in Detroit '67, The Old Globe in Skeleton Crew) as 'Oliver Edwards 'Coach''; and Patrese D. McClain (McCarter Theatre Center, The Old Globe, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the national Broadway tour of Jitney, Fargo (FX), Chicago Med and Chicago Fire (NBC), Sirens (USA), and Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC)) as 'Maya Mitchell, The Journalist'.

The production is written and directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, working alongside André de Castro (Scenic Designer), Yslan Hicks (Costume Designer), Nic Vincent (Lighting Designer), Craig Curtis (Sound Designer), Jenea Jordan (Wig & Hair Designer), Julie Ann States (Dramaturg) and Kaila Madison (Production Stage Manager).

'PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN' NIGHTS FOR THE REMARKABLE RESIGNATION OF DR. JOYCELYN ELDERS

The Arkansas Repertory Theatre is excited to announce The 'Pay-What-You-Can' preview performances for The Remarkable Resignation of Dr. Joycelyn Elders. Patrons are invited to the Tuesday, August 11th and Wednesday, August 12th preview performances by paying any amount they wish for tickets. Tickets must be purchased in person at the Box Office at 601 Main Street on Tuesday, August 11th from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (please note this is a change from previous procedures). For each show, there will be 100 tickets available for purchase across the two performances. Tickets are limited to two per person and are first-come, first-served.

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