Angels Theatre Company continues their Salon Reading Series this Sunday, November 3, at Turbine Flats, with a staged reading of Blacktop Sky by Christina Anderson. The Salon Reading Series consists of monthly staged readings of plays that embody the season’s theme. The 2019-2020 theme, in conjunction with the Lincoln Theatre Alliance, is “Breaking Boundaries.” The readings are free to the public (donations accepted) and followed by a talkback discussion with the cast and director. Sunday’s reading is at 2pm at Turbine Flats (2124 Y Street). Check out the Facebook event here.
According to Director Jillian Carter, “Blacktop Sky shows what happens when people push and break the boundaries between bystanders and active participants, between ourselves and ‘others,’ and what happens when what we don’t do and say pushes our story further than the things we actually do.”
Cast:
Klass: Drew Wicks
Ida: Deirdre Jackson
Wynn: Walter J. McDowell III
Thick Necks/Stage Directions: Tim Coleman
About the play:
The play centers around Klass, a homeless young Black man, who sets up residence in the courtyard of the housing project where Ida Peters lives. Triggered by a fatal confrontation between a local street vendor and the police, Klass and Ida quickly develop a precarious bond against the backdrop of a restless neighborhood. Inspired by the Greek myth Leda and the Swan, Blacktop Sky examines the intersection of love, violence, and seduction.
“Christina Anderson’s Blacktop Sky serves as a mirror for issues in our society surrounding homelessness, police violence, relationships and above all, empathy.” – San Diego Voice and Viewpoint
“[…] as compelling and persuasive as it is adroit.” – San Diego Story
“A searing exploration of poverty, homelessness, and social disquietude.” – San Diego Gay and Lesbian News
About the playwright:
Christina Anderson’s work has appeared at The Public Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Penumbra Theatre Company, Playwrights Horizons, and other theaters in the United States and Canada. Awards and honors: Inaugural Harper Lee Award for Playwriting, two PONY nominations, three Susan Smith Blackburn nominations, and Woursell Prize Finalist. Christina obtained her B.A. from Brown University and an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama’s Playwriting Program. She’s a resident playwright at New Dramatists, Epic Theatre Ensemble, and a DNAWORKS Ensemble member. Currently, she’s the interim Head of Playwriting at Brown University.
Director’s note:
“Working with this talented cast has re-energized me as a director and a writer, and helped me remember why I do the things I do. The passion each person brings to their role and to the play as a whole is palpable and something Angels audience members won’t soon forget.” -Jillian Carter
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