21

August
A Black actress makes her 1955 Broadway debut in a backstage story crackling with wit and startling revelations. 

Trouble in Mind

By Alice Childress
Directed by Dawn M. Simmons
2023/24 Season Sponsors:
Paul Kastner
G. Lee & Diana Humphrey
Production Sponsors: Joseph Richard & Rene Morrissette

Summary

It’s 1955, and after enduring indignities and lost opportunities, Wiletta Mayer, a seasoned Black actress, is finally making her Broadway debut. Written by a white playwright, her star vehicle is the allegedly progressive “Chaos in Belleville,” which turns out to be anything but. Leading a cast of both younger and experienced actors, Wiletta challenges not only the soft racism of her white director but also the veiled prejudice that limits her aspirations and success. With warmth, humor, and sharp insight, this moving backstage look at identity and stereotypes cracks open searing truths about the American theater that remain heartbreakingly contemporary.

Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States 
** Represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 of the IATSE
° Stage Directors and Choreographers Society