Stylized digital illustration featuring a silhouette of a person with a messy hairdo, holding a yellow pencil with a rainbow-colored stripe, against a turquoise background with concentric circles. Text overlay reads "ASTRANGE LOOP" in large white font.

APRIL 26TH-MAY 25TH

A STRANGE LOOP

A CO-PRODUCTION WITH SPEAKEASY STAGE
BY MICHAEL R. JACKSON
DIRECTED BY MAURICE EMMANUEL PARENT
MUSIC DIRECTED BY DAVID FREEMAN COLEMAN

“A dazzling ride.  No measure of praise could be too much.” – The New York Times

Winner! 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and 2022 Tony Award for Best Musical!  Michael R. Jackson’s blisteringly funny masterwork exposes the heart and soul of a young artist grappling with desires, identity, and instincts he both loves and loathes. Meet Usher: a Black, queer writer writing a musical about a Black, queer writer writing a musical about a Black, queer writer.  Hell-bent on breaking free of his own self-perception, Usher wrestles with the thoughts in his head in an attempt to capture and understand his own strange loop.

Summary

Cast & Creative Team

Playwright: Michael R. Jackson
Director: Maurice Emmanuel Parent
Music Direction: David Freeman Coleman
Choreography: Taavon Gamble
Stage Manager: Elizabeth Yvette Ramirez
Asst. SM: Ashley Pitchford
Costume Designer: Becca Jewett
Props Designer: Emme Shaw
Asst. Director: Jalen Bunch
Scenic Designer: John Savage
Intimacy Coordinator: Greg Geffard
Lighting Designer: Brian J. Lilienthal
Sound Designer: David Remedios
Produced by: Front Porch Arts Collective and Speakeasy Stage

Close-up of a woman with short hair, wearing a white shirt with gold patterns, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression.
Close-up portrait of a young Black man with braided hair and bare shoulders against a dark background.

Kai Clifton
Usher

Grant Evan*
Thought #1

Portrait of a serious-looking Black man with short hair and a beard, wearing a dark shirt, against a beige background.
Close-up portrait of a young man with short dark hair, dark eyes, and a serious expression, wearing a black jacket.

De’Lon Grant*
Thought #5

Jonathan Melo
Thought #3

A smiling young African American man with natural hair, wearing a green shirt and a necklace, against a neutral background.
Close-up of a man with a beard and short curly hair, wearing a black shirt, looking at the camera with a slight smile.

Zion Middleton
Thought #6

Davron S. Monroe
Thought #2

Close-up portrait of a young man with short hair, a mustache, and goatee, wearing a dark green shirt and a small hoop earring on his left ear, against a plain gray background.

Aaron Michael Ray
Thought #4

A Co-Production with Speakeasy Stage and Front Porch Arts Collective.

SHOW DATES

April 26th-May 25th

LOCATION

The Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA