New Theatrical Work By Claudia Rankine Announced At The Shed

The Shed presents the world premiere of Help, a new theatrical work by acclaimed author and poet Claudia Rankine (Citizen: An American Lyric) and directed by Obie Award-winner Taibi Magar (Is God Is, Soho Rep) on March 10 through April 5, 2020 at The Shed's Griffin Theater.

Help stars Roslyn Ruff (Theater: Fairview; Film: Marriage Story; TV: Divorce, Pose) as the Narrator, embodying Rankine's own experience, who reckons with white men she encounters in transitional, liminal spaces like airports and airplanes, asking them exactly what they think of their privilege. Tracking how these conversations go right or wrong, or lead to further discussions, Help centers whiteness in order to engage it.

The newly commissioned script for Help derives from Rankine's own deep inquiry and ongoing investigation into white male privilege, elements of which were shared in her recent, widely read New York Times Magazine essay, "I Wanted to Know What White Men Thought About Their Privilege. So I Asked."

Rankine's past work, for which she has been awarded MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships among other awards, crosses lyric poetry and prose essay to navigate questions of race, healthcare, loneliness, and what it means for a life to matter in American society today.

With movement choreography by Shamel Pitts, set design by Mimi Lien, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by John Torres, sound design by Mikaal Sulaiman, and original music composition by Jerome Ellis; Casey Llewellyn, dramaturg.

Tickets are on sale now. Tickets start at $35 and are available at theshed.org or by phone at (646) 455-3494.