My Dying City Vol. II was developed through a fellowship at The Action Lab and supported by an Artist Advancement Grant from the Venturous Theater Fund.
Kangalee Arts Ensemble will present the world premiere of My Dying City Vol. II (The Social Justice Suicide Hour), written and directed by Dennis Leroy Kangalee, at the American Theatre of Actors. The limited engagement will run January 15 through January 25, 2026, at the theatre’s West 54th Street location in Manhattan.
The chamber drama follows two veteran left-wing activists, former hosts of a radical radio program, as they confront the aftermath of their son’s suicide. Through their personal loss, the play examines grief, political disillusionment, and the erosion of collective hope in an increasingly polarized society.
My Dying City Vol. II was developed through a fellowship at The Action Lab and supported by an Artist Advancement Grant from the Venturous Theater Fund. The production continues Kangalee Arts Ensemble’s focus on politically engaged work that combines poetic structure with psychological realism.
The cast includes Che Ayende, Ward Nixon, Brandon Geer, Melissa Roth, and Shannon Mastel.
Ayende, a co-founder of Kangalee Arts Ensemble, has worked extensively in classical theatre and Black Arts Movement works on and off Broadway. Nixon brings more than three decades of experience as an actor, director, and educator. Geer is a multidisciplinary artist whose recent stage work includes productions at the John Cullum Theatre and Rising Sun Performance Co. Roth is a classically trained actor with theatre, film, and television credits, while Mastel makes her Kangalee Arts Ensemble debut following regional and classical theatre performances across the country.
Performances will take place at the American Theatre of Actors, located at 314 West 54th Street in New York City. Tickets for the January 15–25 engagement are available through the American Theatre of Actors box office.
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