BOTH AND (a Play About Laughing While Black) Extends at Boston Court Pasadena

Boston Court Pasadena has announced five additional performances of its first in-person, onstage production since early 2020, the world premiere of Both And (a play about laughing while black) by Carolyn Ratteray. Directed by Andi Chapman and performed by Ratteray, the run has been extended through Sunday, May 22. The performance schedule is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm. There will also be an added performance on Monday, May 9, at 8pm.

Through clowning, poetic text, and a tour-de-force performance, Both And deeply investigates the nucleus of Black joy. As her mother is dying, Teayanna finds herself in a netherworld between life and death, struggling to help her mother cross over. The journey reveals the wisdom of the ancestors, invokes the legacy of the Middle Passage, and unfolds the surprising secrets within her mother's purse. This unique and powerful story, rich with humor, raw honesty, and passion, becomes a brilliant meditation on how to reconnect with joy.

Both And has been charming audiences, making them both laugh and cry, since opening last month. It's a smart, funny, tender, and moving 90 minutes for everyone. ColoradoBoulevard.net said, "Ratteray gives a transformational one-woman performance, rich and engaging." And LarchmontBuzz.com called it, "Mesmerizing and magical."

Carolyn Ratteray is an Emmy-nominated actor and director. She has appeared off-Broadway and at regional theatres as well as in television/film/commercials, and voiceovers. Recent credits include Gem of the Ocean (A Noise Within), The Mountaintop (Garry Marshall Theatre), and The Cake (Geffen Playhouse and Echo Theater Company). She has directed By the Way Meet Vera Stark by Lynn Nottage, In Love and Warcraft by Madhuri Shekar, and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. She studied theatrical clown with Philip Gaulier, Chris Bayes, David Bridel, and Angela De Castro. Film and television credits include Snowfall, Riley Parra, Seasons of Love, Castle, NCIS, All My Children, The Young and the Restless, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. She is a resident artist at A Noise Within, a member of Antaeus Theatre Company, and an assistant professor of theatre at Pomona College.

Andi Chapman is a director, actor, and educator. She is associate artistic director of Ebony Repertory Theatre. Directing credits include Native Son (Antaeus and Kirk Douglas Theatre), and The Gospel at Colonus (Ebony Repertory Theatre) which garnered 14 Ovation Award nominations and the 2016 NAACP Theatre Award for Best Production. Other stage directing credits include The Abuelas, Mockingbird, As it is in Heaven, The Ninth Wave, Steel Magnolias, The Dutchman, A Summer Memory, and many others. Film directing credits include Memorial Street, Elijah's Song, and Why? Her television, film, and stage acting credits include How to Get Away with Murder, Criminal Minds, NCIS, SMLF, Chance, Shameless, Dexter, 24, Six Feet Under, Short Cuts, The Lower Depths, and Blood Wedding. She is currently Center Theatre Group Program Advisor/Coaching Artist for the August Wilson National Monologue Competition and is a professor at several universities.

Scenic design is by Ed Haynes Jr., lighting design is by Andrew Schmedake, costume design is by Wendell Carmichael, and sound design is by David B. Marling. Video design is by Shannon Barondeau, properties designer is Kevin Williams, and composer is John Ballinger. Clown consultant is Michelle Matlock, dramaturg is Emilie Pascale Beck, and assistant director is Jessica Williams. Production stage manager is Jessica Moneà Evans and the covid safety manager is Will Block.

The Boston Court production of Both And (a play about laughing while black) is made possible by a generous grant from the LA New Play Project.

All seats are general admission. Ticket prices range from $20-$39 and may be purchased online at www.BostonCourtPasadena.org or by phone at (626) 683-6801. All current covid safety protocols are also available online. Boston Court is located at 70 N. Mentor Avenue in Pasadena, 91106.

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