City Theatre to Present Dominique Morisseau's SUNSET BABY

City Theatre continues its season with the Pittsburgh premiere of Sunset Baby in the Hamburg Studio, November 7 - December 13, 2015. The play is written by Dominique Morisseau and is directed by Jade King Carroll.

The New York Times called Sunset Baby "a smart and bracing new play about two generations of urban outlaws struggling to stay afloat."

The play follows Nina, a smart and sexy hustler who has rejected everything her parents fought for in the black liberation movement. When her estranged father wants to reconcile-but then tries to run a hustle of his own-negotiating her past and present becomes a revolutionary act. From one of the most exciting young voices in the American theatre, this dynamic new play about fathers and daughters sears with wit and wisdom and the brutal politics of freedom.

"I am always drawn to the words and worlds that Dominique Morisseau creates," says director Jade King Carroll. "I was particularly drawn to Sunset Baby because this play deals with legacy, love, and self-realization in such an unexpected way. The scope of these characters is so boundless-Dominique allows us to experience all of their many facets: their pain, their danger, their love, their brutality, and their joy. I'm also delighted to be back in Pittsburgh, a city that I love, and it is an honor to be working at City Theatre. I have admired City for many years and now that I'm finally working here it feels like home."

Jade King Carroll recently served as Associate Director of The Gin Game on Broadway, directed by Leonard Foglia and starring Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones. She will direct August Wilson's The Piano Lesson at the McCarter Theatre in January 2016. Playwright Dominique Morisseau is an alumnus of the Public Theater Emerging Writer's Group and two-time recipient of the NAACP Image Award. Her 3-play cycle, entitled "The Detroit Projects" include Detroit '67, Paradise Blue, and Skeleton Crew. Paradise Blue premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in July 2015, starring Blair Underwood and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson.

Sunset Baby marks the City Theatre debuts of actors Joniece Abbott-Pratt, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Keith Randolph Smith. The creative team includes Tony Ferrieri (scenic design), Andrew David Ostrowski (lighting design), Angela M. Vesco (costume design), Joe Pino (sound design), and Calleri Casting (casting).

New community partnerships for Sunset Baby include Kente Arts Alliance and Vibrant Pittsburgh. Partner 1Hood Media will host a post-show discussion, "What We Do for Love: Black Mothers & Their Daughters," following the Wednesday, December 2 performance. In partnership with Pittsburgh Filmmakers, the documentary The Amazing Nina Simone will be screening as part of the Three Rivers Film Festival on Saturday, November 7 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 8 at 2:00 p.m. City Theatre is also partnering with The Alumni Theatre Company and other youth groups to provide subsidized student tickets to select performances.

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