New City Players To Celebrate and Explore Haitian Culture and History In Upcoming Production of “Cry Old Kingdom”
New City Players will continue their seventh season of programming with a production of the play Cry Old Kingdom. Written by Jeff Augustin, a Haitian playwright with Miami roots, the play takes place in 1964 Haiti, during the reign of tyrannical dictator Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier. This repressive regime has forced once-successful artist Edwin into hiding, turning him into a walking ghost. When Edwin finds a young man building a boat to escape to America, and persuades him to pose for a painting, he finally feels alive again. But with cries for revolution resounding through the nation and the regime’s death squads on the prowl, no one’s life is safe.
In telling this story, the play explores powerful ideas about history, art, revolution, war-time trauma, the power of the press, repressed homosexuality, marriage, justice, and what hope for a better future can look like. Cry Old Kingdom will be directed by NCP ensemble member Marlo Rodriguez, who is of Haitian descent herself and said about the show:
This play is a beautiful, mystical and tragic unveiling of the dichotomy between our dreams & the reality of revolution and freedom. Does one pull us away from the other? Can we have both? Based on real events that occurred in Haiti, this story is an unraveling of three people’s lives, navigating what is worth more: to dream or to survive.
The play will be assistant directed by our Associate Artistic Director Elizabeth Price, and the cast will include local actors Odlenika Joseph, Denzel McCausland, and TJ Pursley. It will preview on April 13 and run from April 14-30, 2023 (Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm; Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm) and will be held at Island City Stage (2304 N. Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, 33305).
Tickets are $35 for adults, $30 for seniors (65+), and $20 for students (under 25 with ID), with the exception of Thursday night performances, on which $25 tickets will be available for all, and opening night, on which an additional $5 per ticket will include a post-show reception. They can be purchased at www.newcityplayers.org/season or by calling (954)-376-6114.
In conjunction with the production, the company will also be hosting weekly post-show talkbacks after every Sunday show that further explore the themes of the play. They will also be hosting a free ‘Forum’ event titled Artists in Resistance, which will allow audience members to share dialogue on these issues with local experts on Haitian culture and history (April 25th, Island City Stage), a free ‘City Speaks’ storytelling event encouraging audiences to share their own stories inspired by these ideas (May 11th, Perry Wings), a free screening of short film by Haitian filmmakers (May 9th, Pompano Beach Cultural Center), and a free NCPLab event for playwrights (May 22nd on Zoom). With these community engagement efforts, the company hopes to enhance our audience’s understanding of that history, as well as to celebrate the culture of the Haitian people and their contributions to our region.
New City Players is a not-for-profit, ensemble-based, professional theatre company in Fort Lauderdale. Our mission is to create community through transformative theatre.
