The Nebraska Repertory Theatre, Nebraska’s Actors’ Equity Association professional regional theatre, continues its 50th Anniversary season with DUTCHMAN by LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka.
A conversation on a subway turns vicious as DUTCHMAN’s two passengers, a white woman named Lula and a young black man named Clay, flirt with race and rage. Amiri Baraka’s Obie-winning drama exerts an incendiary power as it dares to uncover the anger and fear buried below polite American decorum. Produced in partnership with the Lied Center for Performing Arts. DUTCHMAN was a momentous play in 1964, not only in American culture, but in Mr. Baraka’s career. The original run coincided with the escalation of the civil rights movement and the content helped expose tensions in American race relations. It was at this point that Mr. Baraka, dubbed the “father of the Black Arts Movement” of the 1960s, changed his name from LeRoi Jones, under which this play was originally written, to Amiri Baraka. “Known as brilliant, audacious, inflammatory, seditious, bigoted, and a luminary, Baraka was a man who made art on his own terms and who spoke truth to power. DUTCHMAN will take you on a provocative, startling journey,” (Penumbra Theatre Company)
DUTCHMAN is directed by Ron Himes.* Scenic design by Jeff Stander*, lighting by Jordan Taylor Thomas, costumes by Kendra Johnson,* and sound by Emily Callahan. Kasey Dunaski stage manages. Eugene H. Russell IV* plays Clay and Emily Raine Blythe plays Lula. Other cast members include: Alejandro Alarcon, Godelyn Anghay, Travis Banks, Tatianna Nicholle Davis, Clayton Edward, Danny Fisher, Jazmine Huertas, Shannon Jowers and Aguel Lual. *(guest artist)
“In February, we honor Black History Month by producing Amiri Baraka’s DUTCHMAN,” said The Rep’s Artistic Director Andy Park. “This riveting play first premiered in 1964 and remains shockingly relevant. Nebraska Rep is proud to announce that Ron Himes, producing director and founder of The Black Rep, will direct. The Black Rep is the largest professional African-American theatre company in the nation, and we are honored to welcome Mr. Himes.”
Performances are:
February 13 and 14 at 7:30 pm (preview performances)
February 15 at 7:30 pm (opening night)
February 19, 20, 21, 22 at 7:30 pm
February 16, 23 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
February 17, 24 at 2:00 pm
Performances, which will include a post-show conversation, are in the Temple Building’s Studio Theatre, 12th & R Streets, Lincoln. Tickets are available by contacting the Lied Center Ticket Office at 402.472.4747 or 800.432.3231 or at the ticket office window at 301 North 12th Street Lincoln NE between the hours of 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets are available online 24 hours at liedcenter.org.Individual tickets are $30, $15 for students/OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) members. Subject matter may be challenging and not suitable for all audience members. Please visit nebraskarep.org for more information.
As always, if you like this story and want to see more content like it, subscribe to our email list (on the right side of your screen) and like us on Facebook!