McCarter Presents Dominique Morisseau's DETROIT '67

It's the summer of 1967, and the songs of Motown are breaking records and breaking barriers. Chelle and her brother, Lank, are running an unlicensed after-hours juke joint out of their basement-risky business-especially during a brutal police crackdown that sets off riots throughout the city. When Lank offers refuge to a mysterious stranger, he and Chelle clash. Pent-up emotions erupt, and they must navigate the chaos both outside and within.

Detroit '67 is directed by Jade King Carroll (The Piano Lesson, Intimate Apparel at McCarter) and runs October 9 - 28 in the Matthews Theatre. Press opening is Saturday, October 13 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $25. The play is produced in association with Hartford Stage.

Detroit '67 is a part of Morisseau's "Detroit Project," plays focusing on the complicated yet hopeful history of her hometown. The Huffington Post called Morisseau "a direct heir to Hansberry, Williams, and Wilson. You feel the pulse and vibrations of her characters." Morisseau's skillful focus on interpersonal dynamics is of particular interest to director Jade King Carroll, who sums up the production's story saying "No matter what is happening outside, you always have your family."

The cast consists of five artists making their McCarter debuts, including Detroit natives Nyahale Allie (Unspeakable at the Apollo Theater) as Bunny and Will Cobbs(Broadway's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) as Sly, alongside Helen Hayes Award Winner (Superior Donuts), Johnny Ramey as Lank, Ginna Le Vine (Picnic at The Transport Group) as Caroline, and Myxolydia Tyler (A Raisin in the Sun at Arkansas Rep.) as Chelle.

The design team includes a collection of returning McCarter artists, including Tony Award nominee Riccardo Hernandez (sets, McCarter's Twelfth Night; Fetch Clay, Make Man), Nicole Pearce (costumes, McCarter's Intimate Apparel), Dede M. Ayite (lighting, McCarter's Fences), Karin Graybash (sound, McCarter's Mrs. Warren's Profession), and Leah J. Loukas (hair and makeup, McCarter's A Night with Janis Joplin).