*EDITOR’S NOTE: STICK FLY PERFORMANCES Jan 19-23 HAVE BEEN RESCHEDULED. In the interest of health and safety due to COVID exposure and incoming winter weather, PlayMakers has postponed the performances of “Stick Fly.” The on-stage performances will begin on Tuesday, Jan 25.*
The “dramedy” explores the timeless theme of family ties that challenge, delight and frustrate as the LeVay brothers return to the family beach house with their new girlfriends. All performances are at a capped capacity, with added socially distanced dates.
PlayMakers Repertory Company proudly presents Stick Fly, Lydia R. Diamond’s “dramedy” exploring the timeless theme of family ties that challenge, delight and frustrate, all because they are so essential to who we are. The production runs from Jan.19 to Feb.6 and is directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams in her Paul Green Theatre stage directorial debut.
Since March 2020, PlayMakers’ priorities have been the health and safety of patrons, artists and staff, and giving its company the chance to return to work safely, following all state, industry and University safety guidelines. As part of that commitment, PlayMakers is capping all performances of Stick Fly at a 300-person capacity and has designated 10 performances as socially distanced. In addition, health & safety measures will be increased, including enforcement of mask wearing in all spaces, more frequent testing of the fully vaccinated company, the use of added HEPA filtration units and touchless ticketing, among others. A full list of PlayMakers health & safety guidelines can be found at: https://playmakersrep.org/21-22-season-faqs/.
“When we were planning our 21/22 season, Kathy Williams recommended Lydia R. Diamond’s astute jewel box of a play, and we immediately agreed that this was the moment PlayMakers had to produce it — and that Kathy was the perfect director to bring this story to life” said Vivienne Benesch, producing artistic director. “We were thankful to be able to safely reopen our theatre doors in November 2021 and are implementing as many safety measures as we are able to keep producing great theatre, because our communities need the arts right now. During hard times as we’ve been experiencing, the ability to share – safely – common experiences and laugh together is powerfully healing. With Kathy Williams at the helm, and her talented cast and crew of artists, this production is a bright spot for PlayMakers and, I hope, our audiences.”
Stick Fly brings us into the LeVay beach house, where brothers Flip and Kent have brought their new girlfriends to meet the parents. When they get there, mom is MIA and dad’s acting weird. Tensions erupt at the dinner table, as old family secrets and new arguments about class, race, and family expectations are served up.
“This play has long been a favorite of mine. I love ‘Stick Fly’ because it has the power to speak to the tender moments a lot of us are living through right now, and the power to bring us forward to a place of healing,” said director Williams. “I also believe in this play because it shows us a viewpoint, namely affluent Black America, that our media doesn’t often show, and at the same time, there are shared truths to Lydia’s writing that make you see yourself, your siblings, your parents in these exchanges! Families fights and secrets strike deep, and sometimes the more fiercely you love, the more fiercely you fight. When secrets are uncovered it makes the journey towards reclaiming love that much harder.”
Stick Fly is on stage at PlayMakers Jan. 19 to Feb. 6. Pending licensing approval, information on streaming a recording of this production will be shared at www.playmakersrep.org.
Stick Fly marks the PlayMakers debut of Oscar Best (“Henry V” at The Pacific Residence Theatre, “Victor/Victoria” at Malibu Stage Company). The production also features Anthony August (“The Skin of Our Teeth,” “Everybody”), Tori Jewell (“The Skin of Our Teeth,” “Julius Caesar”), Khalil LeSaldo (“Dairyland,” “Julius Caesar”), AhDream Smith (“Julius Caesar,” “The Skin of Our Teeth”), and Omolade Wey “The Storyteller,” “The Skin of Our Teeth”).
The Creative Team of Stick Fly includes: Kathryn Hunter-Williams (Director; “Count,” “No Fear and Blues Long Gone: Nina Simone”), Anita Tripathi (Scenic Designer; “Bright Star” at PlayMakers’ Summer Youth Conservatory), Pamela Bond (Costume Designer; PlayMakers debut, “Dreamgirls” at Justice Theatre Project), Latrice Lovett (“As You Like It”), Michael Betts (Sound Designer; PlayMakers debut), Jacqueline Lawton (Dramaturg; “Disgraced,” “Ragtime”), and Elizabeth Ray (Stage Manager; “Tartuffe,” “Into the Woods”).
This play is rated PG-13; we encourage patrons to use their own discretion in determining the age appropriateness of the material. Please contact our Box Office for more details.
For information and to purchase tickets, call 919.962.7529 or visit www.playmakersrep.org. Individual ticket prices start at $20.
Performance and Special Event Schedule:
- January 21, 6:00 p.m. — “The Vision Series,” a virtual behind-the-scenes preview with members of the creative. Location: Facebook Live @playmakersrep
- January 19-21, 7:30 p.m. — Preview performances.
- January 22, 7:30 p.m. — Opening Performance & Press Opening.
- January 25, 7:30 p.m. — All-access performance for attendees with special needs, with sign language interpretation and audio description.
- January 30, 2:00 p.m. — Open captioned performance, with dialog, stage direction, and sound effects communicated on a “universal access” live caption unit.
- SPECIAL SOCIALLY DISTANCED PERFORMANCES – January 19, 20, 21, 25, February 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 @ 7:30 p.m.; February 6 @ 2:00 p.m.