The national tour of the 2017 Broadway production of August Wilson's Jitney kicks off at the Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Washington, D.C., September 13.
Tony winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson again directs the Wilson drama, the recipient of the Tony for Best Revival of a Play. Performances of Jitney, which opens Arena Stage’s August Wilson Festival, are scheduled through October 20 in the Kreeger Theater. The tour will subsequently play Detroit November 12–16, Los Angeles November 22–December 29, San Diego January 18–February 23, 2020, and Seattle February 28–March 29.
The production features several cast members from the 2017 staging, including Harvy Blanks (Toni Stone) as Shealy, Tony nominee Anthony Chisholm (Radio Golf, Gem of the Ocean) as Fielding, Keith Randolph Smith (Fences, King Hedley II) as Doub, and Ray Anthony Thomas (The Crucible, Race) as Turnbo.
Also making their Arena debuts are Francois Battiste (Magic/Bird, Bronx Bombers) as Booster, Amari Cheatom (On the Levee, The Book of Grace) as Youngblood, Steven Anthony Jones as Becker, Nija Okoro as Rena, and Brian D. Coats (Luke Cage, Invisible Man) as Philmore.
Set in the early 1970s, Jitney follows a group of men trying to make a living by driving unlicensed cabs. The dramatic story of a Pittsburgh jitney station becomes a symbol of stability as the drivers resist powerful forces while coming to grips with their pasts to fulfill their own hopes and dreams for the future.
The creative team also includes set designer David Gallo, costume designer Toni-Leslie James, lighting designer Jane Cox, co-sound designers Darron L West and Charles Coes, composer Bill Sims Jr., and fight director Thomas Schall.
Click Here to See a Full List of Announced and Upcoming National Tours
“Arena has a long love affair with August Wilson’s work, going all the way back to 1987 and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. Wilson is one of our most-produced playwrights, so it felt celebratory to mark our 70th Anniversary Season with a season-long festival highlighting his work and the impact he has on the American theatre,” said Artistic Director Molly Smith in an earlier statement. “What a thrill to have Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s award-winning production of Jitney kick off a national tour from Arena to other theatres around America. Each of Wilson’s plays tackle deep human relationships, and Jitney will take us on an emotional journey.”
Michael Potts, Anthony Chisholm, and Keith Randolph Smith in Jitney
