The Robey Theatre Company to Stage A HEATED DISCUSSION

A Heated Discussion by Levy Lee Simon, based on an idea by Ben Guillory is set to run at the Los Angeles Theatre Center from April 7th through May 14th. The production is produced and directed by Ben Guillory and presented by The Robey Theatre Company. The show is to take place in Theatre Four, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013.

Half-priced previews are on Thursday, April 7 and Friday, April 8 at 8:00 p.m. The show opens onSaturday, April 9, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. Regular show times for Thursday through Saturday are at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. The run closes on Sunday, May 15..

Tickets are $35, except for Saturday, April 9, when all seats will be $50 (includes reception). Tickets for previews (April 7 and 8) are $17.50. Reservations can be made by calling (213) 489-7402, and tickets can be purchased online at http://therobeytheatrecompany.org or by emailing office@therobeytheatrecompany.org.

A Heated Discussion reunites the creative duo of award-winning playwright Levy Lee Simon (The Magnificent Dunbar Hotel; For the Love of Freedom: The Haitian Trilogy) and acclaimed director Ben Guillory (who is also Co-founder and Producing Artistic Director of The Robey Theatre Company).

A trio of Orishas (entities of the spirit world), dismayed and enraged at the state of the world today and the fates of African Americans in particular, convenes the spirits of famous departed Black iconic figures (among them Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Ida B. Wells, James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, Maya Angelou, Richard Pryor, Tupac Shakur, Nina Simone, and more).

What follows is A Heated Discussion. Viewpoints, comments, and solutions are as diverse as the individuals comprising this combustible mix of personalities.

What do our iconic Black men and women (and the spirit entities) conclude? You'll have to witness A Heated Discussion to find out. The cast includes Toni-Ann Hampton, David Bollar, Ayonna Michelle, Tiffany Coty, LaShada Jackson, Kimberly Bailey, Rosie Lee Hooks, Quonta Beasley,  Alex W.S.T. Chumley, Kyle Sparks, Julio Hanson, Garret Davis, Vanja Renee and Ben Guillory.

Producer: Ben Guillory. Associate Producer: JC Cadena. Video Production/Associate Producer: Jermaine Alexander. Production Stage Manager: Crystal Nix. Assistant Stage Manager: Christina Childress. Music Director/Composer: Cydney Wayne Davis. Graphic Design: Jason Mimms. Costume design: Naila Aladdin Sanders. Set design: Evan A. Bartoletti.

The Robey Theatre Company is a nonprofit developmental theatre organization. Please feel free to make a donation to support our programming at http://therobeytheatrecompany.org/donate

Covid-19 safety protocols in effect on the days of performance will be observed. As of this writing, it means that audience members must be masked and show proof of vaccination (vax card or digital record).

This new production of a play by an important Black playwright marks the return of The Robey Theatre Company to live, in-person staging following a pandemic hiatus. The opening date coincides with the birthday of actor/singer/activist Paul Robeson (1898-1976), for whom The Robey is named.