Magic Theatre Presents One Night Only Event HOUSE OF THOMPSON

Magic Theatre will present the special one night only event HOUSE of THOMPSON, with the Thompsons- father and daughter, Black creatives, Marc Anthony and Tessa Thompson. Join in for this special night, in the intimacy of the Magic Theatre, on the set of Marc Anthony's premiere play. One and only true stars of music, film, television, and of course stage - the Thompsons- Marc Anthony and Tessa - will delve into personal and professional conversations around Black Art, family, creativity, culture - and focusing on the aesthetics and ideas inside the new play The NI¿¿ER LOVERS by Marc Anthony. This benefit for the Magic Theatre will be a chance to really spend time with two great artists, multi-dimensional creators, and family members. This evening will culminate the opening week of the premiere of Marc Anthony's play, The NI¿¿ER LOVERS "a new amerikkkan musical" with songs written by the acclaimed musician Marc Anthony.

The Magic Theatre's own Lead Director- and co-director of the play- Sean San José will introduce the event and a short Q&A. Tickets are $100 and are on sale now at www.magictheatre.org. Tickets are $100 for thise event, and do NOT include tickets to the show on Sunday at 3PM. This is one of one of a few select benefit events for the Magic Theatre- to support the Magic Theatre's new and robust Residency Program. Last year's Special Benefit Valentine's with Colman Domingo- featured the Magic's Board Member and collaborator Colman Domingo. The larger annual Gala Benefit event, which last year featured Ed Harris and Kathy Baker reuniting with the original cast of Sam Shepard's Fool for Love, will this year be August 10, 2023- you never know who will show up!

This event is the kind of gift and generosity that is part of the Thompson's ethos and expansive art focus - a celebratory event that supports theatre! The evening will catch both of these artists flying high: Marc Anthony with his premiere play, the rejuvenation of his classic Black Music album featured in New York magazine; and Tessa Thompson readying for new film version of Hedda Gabler, while her production company, Viva Maude grows, and she shines as the face of Giorgio Armani Beauty. All this and more inside of this special talk with these two.

This special and intimate talk will consist of three parts:

+ The Thompsons delving into the ideas, themes, development, and production of Marc Anthony's new play- running Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm from May 3rd-21st. Engage deeper in the conversation with Marc Anthony and Tessa by experiencing the play, tickets are available at magictheatre.org

++ Reflecting and recalling growing up in a world of Black Art and continuing to create Black Art across titling, mediums, categorizations, and aesthetics.

+++ Marc Anthony and Tessa will then spend time sharing some new works they are dreaming of and also actively developing for concert, television and film, both as performers, but also as creators and producers- from Marc Anthony's music and performance to Tessa's next films and projects.

* The talk will open and close with a brief Q&A with the Magic Theatre's Lead Director- and the play's co-director- Sean San José.

The onstage event with Marc Anthony and Tessa Thompson will run approximately 60 minutes with no intermission. The event follows the 3 p.m. matinee performance of Marc Anthony Thompson's The NI¿¿ER LOVERS, on the same stage.

This Special Benefit Event is happening in the midst of our first full fledged Programming Year in this New Age at the Magic Theatre. The year began with the deeply impactful world premiere of Luis Alfaro's The Travelers in February and March, and will continue with Resident Playwright Star Finch's new play Josephine's Feast, along with a jam-packed year of collaborations. This event is in conjunction with the world premiere of the World Premiere of Marc Anthony Thompson's The NI¿¿ER LOVERS, the new play which Marc Anthony and Tessa discussed throughout its creation and is the centerpiece of this talk.

The Magic Theatre is pleased to be premiering Marc Anthony Thompson's The NI¿¿ER LOVERS during this same week. Directed by the Author with Sean San José, The NI¿¿ER LOVERS will perform from May 3 - May 21, 2023 at Magic Theatre's Fort Mason location (Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd., Building D, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94123). Opening week will take place on Wednesday May 03 through Saturday May 6, 2023 at 8:00 p.m and the same day of the event Sunday May 07 at 3 p.m. Much of the discussion will focus on the play's creation and the ideas that inspired its creation. Tickets for the play are available at: https://magictheatre.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/events/a0S6e00000jLoh2EAC

*From the creator Marc Anthony Thompson:* The more I began to think about this historical story, the more I realized that the current climate of gender fluidity, fascination with antebellum times, stagnant civil rights progress and my tendency to lean into farce - made this the time for me to corral my thoughts and humor into an evening of musical/theatre/creation. I wanted to see history played out- today. I needed to not only look at history and the known racism. But I had to look deeper. Back to me, my family. If I was going to look at the past-I had to look at the future- or at least the now. My kids live in a different world- and in a different way. What identity is, what sexuality is- and still what Blackness is.

*From the Magic Theatre's Lead Director Sean San José:* We are honored to have two of the genius Thompson creators in this special event. Marc Anthony Thompson is the rare creative who knows no bounds artistically, stylistically, politically, and emotionally. He is amazingly true to his band name- Chocolate Genius Inc. No mere braggadocio- but an articulation of his artistry and output. His stories, his music- epic and at the same time ultra-personal; cosmic and somehow confrontational; heartache and humor; race, rioting, revolution, righteousness. Now hear him in a personal and special talk with his eldest daughter, Tessa Thompson. Tessa Thompson is the rarest of artists- crossing genres, mediums, styles, and cultures- managing to be a genius performer while also holding space and empowerment for social, cultural, and political movements. A gift to have shining stars as these to glow their genius in these special gems of benefit events.