Alliance artistic director Susan V. Booth will stage the play by Pearl Cleage, which is described as an affectionate look at African-American debutante traditions. Nacirema Society will first premiere at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival Sept. 24.

The Nacirema Society will begin performances in Atlanta Oct. 20 and will officially open Oct. 27. Performances will continue through Nov. 14.

Beverly (for colored girls…) will portray matriarch Grace Dubose Dunbar, with Guy (Chicago, Alabama Sky, "A Different World") as New York Times reporter Janet Logan and Frye (Jar the Floor) as Catherine Green.

Complete casting and designers will be announced shortly.

According to the Alliance, "This romantic comedy takes a lighthearted look into one of Southern society’s grandest traditions, the annual cotillion. As the new African-American debutants prepare for their introduction into the exclusive Nacirema Society of Montgomery, Alabama, their strong-willed grandmothers work behind the scenes to manage young love, the revelation of old flames, and the glare of the national spotlight." For tickets phone (404) 733-5000 or visit AllianceTheatre.