Jade Jones, Kyle Beltran and More to Star in WE ARE GATHERED at Arena Stage

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater has revealed the full cast and creative team for Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney’s new play We Are Gathered. Queer love shines in this contemporary twist on Shakespearean wedding plays from the screenwriter of Moonlight. Directed by Kent Gash, We Are Gathered will run May 16 – June 15, 2025, on Arena Stage’s in-the-round Fichandler Stage. Press Night will be held on May 22. 
 
“The celebration and honoring of love, sexual expression, freedom, and Black excellence in We Are Gathered is a wedding invitation and another collaboration with this genius that I am thrilled to accept,” shared Gash. “Do Free and W. Tre, our protagonists, make it to the altar? For the answer, you'll have to see Tarell’s We Are Gathered. SAVE THE DATE!”
 
A wildly funny and irresistibly steamy romance, We Are Gathered follows the relationship of Free and W. Tre. Who knew when they met in a shadowy park looking for a good time—they’d stumble into love, laughter, and a whole lot more heat than they bargained for? As they approach a milestone anniversary, they wonder if they’ve met Mr. Right or had a long one-night stand with a lovely Mr. Maybe. With a little support and a lot of confusion from family, friends, and a stranger in the dark, the question remains: will Free and W. Tre find their way together, or will they let fear and a secret lead them apart?
 
“Tarell Alvin McCraney has crafted a magical and deeply human story that invites us to reflect on what it means to love bravely,” said Arena Stage Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif. “We Are Gathered dissects the beauty and vulnerability of commitment. It asks us to be seen fully, to give fully, and to trust that love, in all its forms, is worth the leap.”
 
At the culmination of each performance, audience members are invited to participate in Love Takes Center Stage—a one-of-a-kind immersive experience where real couples will get the chance to step into the spotlight and honor their love. Whether planning to say “I do,” renew vows, or surprise a loved one with the declaration of all declarations, this theatrical celebration embraces it all. Every love story is welcome. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. 
 
Joining the previously-announced Kyle Beltran (Netflix’s Inventing Anna) as W. Tre; Nic Ashe (Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar) as Free; and Nikkole Salter (Arena’s Stick Fly) as MS MS/Punkin, the cast of We Are Gathered will include Jade Jones (The Muny’s Les Misérables), Kevin Mambo (Broadway’s The Color Purple), Craig Wallace (Arena’s The Great Society), Prince Bajon (Studio Theatre’s The Scenarios), Jason B. McIntosh (Studio Theatre’s Clyde’s), and Jasmine Joy (Arena’s Tempestuous Elements).
 
Gash leads a world-class team of creatives that includes set designer Jason Sherwood (Off-Broadway’s Drag: The Musical), Costume Designer Kara Harmon (Arena’s John Leguizamo’s The Other Americans), lighting designer Adam Honoré (Broadway’s Purlie Victorious), two-time Tony-nominated sound designer Lindsay Jones (Broadway’s Slave Play), composer Tre'Von Griffith (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’s Side by Side by Sondheim), and wig, hair, and makeup designer J. Jared Janas (Broadway’s John Proctor is the Villain). Dramaturgy is by Avon Haughton, New York casting is by The TRC Company/Tara Rubin, CSA, and DC casting is by Raiyon Hunter. The stage manager for We Are Gathered is Christi B. Spann and the assistant stage manager is Jamie Berry.