The world premiere of Donja R. Love's play Fireflies, directed by Saheem Ali, opens October 15 at Atlantic Theater Company. Set in the Jim Crow South, the new play tells the story of young married couple Charles and Olivia; she, a fierce speech writer and he, the leader of a movement to galvanize people to march towards freedom.
Fireflies began performances September 26 and stars Khris Davis and DeWanda Wise as Charles and Olivia, respectively.
The new play is the second part of Love’s trilogy, which began with Sugar in Our Wounds, recently seen at Manhattan Theatre Club (also directed by Ali).
Fireflies features scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by David Weiner, sound design by Justin Ellington, projection design by Alex Basco Koch, and casting by Telsey + Company: Adam Caldwell, CSA; Will Cantler, CSA; Karyn Casl, CSA.
The limited engagement is scheduled to run through November 11.
Love is a poet, filmmaker, and playwright. He is The Lark's 2016 Van Lier New Voices Playwriting Fellow, The Playwrights Realm's 2016-2017 Writing Fellow, the 2016 Arch and Bruce Brown Playwriting Award recipient, a Eugene O'Neill 2017 National Playwrights Conference finalist, and the recipient of the Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Award. His plays include The Love Plays (Sugar in Our Wounds, Fireflies, in the Middle) and Soft; Or the Dead N---- Poem.
