EVERYMAN THEATRE SETS THE STAGE FOR A CAPTIVATING PRODUCTION OF CRUMBS FROM THE TABLE OF JOY

THIS MODERN CLASSIC WILL BE EVERYMAN’S FIFTH LYNN NOTTAGE PLAY

   

(BALTIMORE, MD) – Everyman Theatre is thrilled to announce the critically acclaimed play, Crumbs from the Table of Joy, a heartwarming and thought-provoking production written by award-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, onstage from January 28 – February 25. Nottage has received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice: in 2009 and 2017 for her plays Ruined and Sweat. She was the first (and remains the only) woman to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice.

“Lynn Nottage is truly one of the finest playwrights writing in the theatre today,” says Artistic Director Vincent M.Lancisi. This landmark play has become a staple in the American cannon of plays and for good reason.  It moves and engages audiences in so many ways.”

Set against the social politics of the 1950’s, this charming, funny, and moving memory play follows 17-year-old Ernestine Crump as she adjusts to life after the passing of her mother. In search of spiritual answers, Ernestine’s father relocates the family from Pensacola to Brooklyn where the Crumps must navigate a changing family dynamic, and a shifting set of American ideals. It displays the appeal of escapism, the need for love, and the power of everyday hope.

Reginald L. Douglas, Artistic Director of Mosaic Theater in Washington, D.C., will take on the role of Director for Everyman’s production. Joining Resident Acting Company Members Jefferson A. Russell (Jump) as Godfrey Crump and Katie Kleiger (Sense and Sensibility) as Gerte Schulte, is newcomer Mahkai Dominique (The Winter’s Tale at Shakespeare Globe Theatre in London) as Ermina Crump. Returning to the Everyman stage are Deidre Staples (The Skin of Our Teeth) as Ernestine Crump and Myxolydia Tyler (Berta, Berta) as Lily Ann Green.

Douglas states, “I am so glad to be returning to Everyman to direct this beautiful play by the incomparable Lynn Nottage. Having directed other plays by Lynn, it is a special treat to take on this early work and see the seeds of the future Pulitzer Prize winner at work. Lynn’s unique ability to find joy in the face of pain is on full display in Crumbs as we follow a family finding resilience and strength inside of and despite their grief.

Douglas has developed and directed work by Dominique Morisseau, Susan Lori Parks, and Jen Silverman to name a few, and has directed Everyman’s productions of Angelica Cheri’s Berta, Berta, and R. Eric Thomas’s Crying on Television. He has directed work at the Eugene O’Neill Center, TheaterWorks Hartford, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, Weston Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, Ford’s Theatre, Cape Cod Theatre Project, Negro Ensemble Company, Theatre Squared, Cygnet Theatre, Palm Beach Drama Works, Playwrights Center, NNPN Showcase at B Street Theatre, Capital Repertory Theatre, McCarter Theatre, Florida Rep, Third Rail, Luna Stage, Harlem Stage, Wild Project, Signature Center, Drama League, The Lark (where he was the Van Lier Directing Fellow), New York Theatre Workshop (where he was an inaugural 2050 Directing Fellow), and City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh, where he served as the Artistic Producer from 2015-2020.

Alongside Douglas, the creative team also consists of Daniel Ettinger (Set Design), Ivania Stack (Costume Design), Harold F. Burgess, II (Lighting Design), Tosin Olufolabi,(Sound Design), Lewis Shaw (Fights & Intimacy) Denise O’ Brien (Wig Stylist), Gary Logan (Dialects), and Joseph Ritsch (Movement Consultant). The show’s stage management team will be led by Dante Fields.

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There are 31 scheduled performances available to the public, starting with a special Pay-What- You- Choose Performance on Sunday, January 28. Weekday and weekend performances through Sunday, February 25. Tickets start at $29, with accessible Pay-What-You-Choose seats available for every performance.  

Special Opportunities 

• Sunday, January 28 – Pay-What-You-Choose: This final dress rehearsal will be open to the public the Sunday before preview performances begin. General Admission seating is on a first-come-first serve basis. Click here for more information.
• Sunday, January 28 – TNT (Theatre Night for Teens): A social event for high-school aged students who want to see a play and meet other teens interested in theatre. Students in grades 9-12 are invited to join us for dinner, inside access to the show, pre- and post-show discussions with production artists. All TNT events are $20. More details here.
• Sunday, February 4 – Childcare Matinees: The Everyman Theatre Education and Community Engagement staff will provide childcare for children ages 3 – 12 during the show. Pricing starts at only $25 per child. Take a moment to relax and enjoy a show knowing your child is safe and having a wonderful time with an Everyman Theatre Teaching Artist! Learn more about Everyman’s childcare matinee service here.
• Midweek Matinees- Wednesday, February 7: Curtain is at 1pm for this matinee performance.
• Thursday, February 15 – Cast Conversation: Often a popular event, on this date patrons are invited to stay after the performance and meet the cast during a 30-minute facilitated discussion.

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ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

Lynn Nottage is a playwright and a screenwriter, and the first woman in history to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. Her plays have been produced widely in the United States and throughout the world. Recent work includes the book for MJ the Musical (Broadway), the libretto for the Intimate Apparel Opera (LCT), and Clyde’s (Broadway, 2ST, Goodman Theatre), and co-curating the performance installation The Watering Hole (Signature Theatre). Past work includes Sweat, Ruined, the book for The Secret Life of Bees; Mlima’s Tale; By the Way, Meet Vera Stark; Intimate Apparel; Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine; Crumbs from the Table of Joy; Las Meninas; Mud, River, Stone; Por’knockers; and POOF! She has also developed This is Reading, a performance installation in Reading, Pennsylvania. Ms. Nottage is a member of the Theater Hall of Fame, and the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship (among other awards). She is also an Associate Professor at Columbia University School of the Arts and is a member of the Dramatists Guild. www.lynnnottage.com

ABOUT EVERYMAN THEATRE

Crumbs From the Table of Joy is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. Everyman Theatre is a professional Equity theatre company celebrating the actor, with a Resident Company of artists from the Baltimore/DC area. Everyman Theatre is conveniently located in the heart of Baltimore City in the historic Bromo Arts and Entertainment District, near the corner of Fayette and Eutaw and steps away from the historic Lexington Market. 

Founded in 1990 by Vincent M. Lancisi, the theatre’s mission is to provide transformative experiences through professional theatre that are welcoming, relevant, and affordable to everyone. With the values of people, community, and excellence at the core of its programming and operations, Everyman is dedicated to meaningful connections between artists and audiences both on-stage and off, while creating opportunities to sustain artists that are local to the Baltimore/Washington D. C. area. Lancisi partners with Managing Director Marissa LaRose in leading the organization in diverse, equitable, and inclusive storytelling, which is vital to living up to the name, Everyman Theatre.

The 2023/2024 Lead Corporate Partner for Everyman Theatre is Gallagher, Evelius & Jones, LLP. Everyman Theatre is supported in part by grants from Mayor Brandon M. Scott, Baltimore City, and The Mayor’s Office of Recovery, The Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org), The Citizens of Baltimore County, The Shubert Foundation, and the Paul M. Angell Foundation. Everyman Theatre stands in solidarity with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and AAPI (Americans and Pacific Islanders) communities and is committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive atmosphere at every level of our organization.

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EVERYMAN THEATRE • 315 W. Fayette St. Baltimore, MD 21201 • 410.752.2208