Donja R. Love’s SOFT to Receive Immersive Staged Reading in Los Angeles
Presented by Chronicle Theatricals and directed by Cece Suazo, the powerful work will unfold at Thymele Arts.
SOFT, the acclaimed play by Donja R. Love, will receive an immersive staged reading this Saturday, June 28, at Thymele Arts (Shirley Dawn Studio Theater) in Los Angeles.
Presented by Chronicle Theatricals and directed by award-winning artist and activist Cece Suazo, this one-night-only event invites audiences into the emotional heart of a men's correctional facility classroom, where vulnerability, rage, and hope collide.
Set in the classroom of Mr. Isaiah, a dedicated teacher within a men’s correctional facility, SOFT follows six incarcerated men as they navigate their relationships, their pasts, and a system that has labeled them threats. Through Mr. Isaiah’s eyes, however, they are nothing but potential. What happens in the classroom becomes a catalyst for healing, reflection, and lifelong learning.
Leading the cast is BJ Minor, star of Hulu’s MIKE and Peacock’s BEL-AIR, as Dee. The ensemble also features RJ Cortana, Donald "Avi" Stewart, John "JC" Campbell, Angel Miguel Lopez, Brandon King, Danielle Johnson, Ariel Ortega, and Deon L. Jones, Jr. as Mr. Isaiah.
The production marks a reunion for Love and Suazo, who previously collaborated on Sugar in Our Wounds and One in Two. Suazo—a fierce voice for inclusion in American theater—helms the project alongside Angel Miguel Lopez, who is serving as fellowshipped co-director.
Playwright Donja R. Love is one of the boldest voices in contemporary theater. A recipient of the 2021 Terrence McNally Award, 2018 Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Award, and the 2017 Princess Grace Award, Love is known for centering Black queer stories with unflinching truth and tenderness. His groundbreaking play One in Two sparked a national conversation about HIV in the Black LGBTQ+ community, and his newest work When We Were Found premiered earlier this year at Penumbra Theatre.
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