Bryan-Keyth Wilson's LUV NO LIMIT/ a luvrz ballad is Coming to The Downtown Urban Arts Festival

The Downtown Urban Arts Festival will present the world premiere of LUV NO LIMIT / a luvrz ballad, the latest choreopoem by award-winning playwright and director Bryan-Keyth Wilson.

LUV NO LIMIT / a luvrz ballad is the second installment in Wilson’s acclaimed FOR COLORED BOYZ choreopoem series, and it delivers a raw, sensual, and heart-wrenching journey through love, loss, and identity. Set in the heat of Houston, Texas, this choreopoem follows Antwan and Ramón—two men who meet by chance and fall hard, caught in the pull of first glances and whispered truths. But Antwan, an artist and activist reeling from the death of Tyre Nichols, carries a deep mistrust of law enforcement. Ramón, a detective with the Houston Police Department, hides his badge behind a tender smile and quiet longing. As their relationship blossoms, so do the secrets—and when truth erupts, so does the question: Can love survive betrayal?

Their story is driven by four personified emotions—Luv, Fear, Passion, and Joy—who serve as narrators, disruptors, and witnesses to their journey. These emotions don’t just influence the characters—they control the narrative, giving voice to the inner battles we all face when navigating intimacy and trauma. This poignant work explores themes of racial trauma, the fetishization of Black queer bodies, internalized fear, and what it means to love out loud in the South. LUV NO LIMIT / a luvrz ballad asks us to reconsider how we love, who we fear, and whether true connection can transcend even the deepest divides. “With LUV NO LIMIT / a luvrz ballad, I wanted to explore how love can be both sanctuary and battlefield—especially for Black queer men in the South,” says Wilson. “This piece is about the beauty and burden of vulnerability, the collision of identity and intimacy, and the power of truth to heal or destroy. Antwan and Ramón’s story is personal, political, and deeply human. My hope is that audiences walk away questioning how we love, who we fear, and what it truly means to be seen,” said Bryan-Keyth Wilson.

The production features a dynamic ensemble including T.M. Pride as Antwan, Kene Chello Ortiz as Ramón, PiLar as Luv, Milo Longenecker as Fear, Sky Pasqual as Joy, and Andrew Junek as Passion. Shantez Tolbut serves as Dramaturg, Nia Deonna Benn serves as Production Stage Manager. The choreopoem is brought to life with powerful movement and visual storytelling choreographed by Elijah Alhadji Gibson. “The choreography in this piece is not just about movement,” says Gibson. “It’s about embodying emotion—using the body to say what words cannot. Each gesture, each step, reveals the internal battles these characters face and the freedom they’re fighting for.” 

DUAF’s legacy continues to uplift bold new work like LUV NO LIMIT, aligning with its mission to spotlight groundbreaking stories from America’s vibrant multicultural landscape. Since its inception, DUAF has been a vital platform for over 200 writers and artists, echoing the true spirit of urban life while revitalizing the downtown New York theatre scene.

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