The Eclipsed playwright walks the line between tradition and assimilation in the Playwrights Horizons production.
The New York premiere of Familiar, by Eclipsed playwright Danai Gurira, officially opens March 3. The play, about tradition and assimilation, is set to run through March 27 at Playwrights Horizons’ Mainstage Theater.
Performances began Off-Broadway February 12 with a cast led by Tamara Tunie from the long-running TV series Law & Order: SVU, Roslyn Ruff ( All The Way) and Broadway vet Myra Lucretia Taylor.
The complete cast, helmed by Rebecca Taichman, also includes Ito Aghayere, Joby Earle, Melanie Nicholls-King, Harold Surratt and Joe Tippett.
Here’s how the theatre bills the new work: “It’s winter in Minnesota and a Zimbabwean family is preparing for the wedding of their eldest daughter (Ruff), a first-generation American. But when the bride insists on observing a traditional African custom, it opens a deep rift in the household. Rowdy and affectionate, Familiar pitches tradition against assimilation, drawing a loving portrait of a family: the customs they keep, and the secrets they bury.”
The production features scenic design by Clint Ramos, costume design by Tony winnerSusan Hilferty, lighting design by Tyler Micoleau, sound design by Tony winner Darron L West and hair and wig design by Cookie Jordan. The production stage manager is Cole P. Bonenberger.
Familiar had its world premiere at Yale Repertory Theatre in February 2014. Gurira’s Eclipsed, starring Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, is now running on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre.
Tickets to the New York production of Familiar may be purchased online via TicketCentral.com, by phone at (212) 279-4200 or by visiting Ticket Central Box Office, 416 West 42nd St., Manhattan.
