Test Flight Week #5: Jacket of Blue
Playwright, Composer & Music Director Obediya Jones-Darrell
Directed by Tara Taylor
February 23, 2023 - February 25, 2023
7:30pm, Thu/Fri/Sat, James Levin Theatre.
EVERY TICKET is “Choose What You Pay” and will be offered online, over the phone, and at the Box Office.
Set in the golden era of rail, Jacket of Blue is a play with music about the struggles faced by Black train porters in the 1920’s. With original music inspired by Ragtime, Jazz, Folk, Gospel, and Broadway traditions, the story follows a dignified and conflicted porter who must face the best and worst humanity has to offer during a journey across generations that transcends culture.
Featuring: Wesley Allen, Madelyn Hayes, Avery LaMar Pope, Beau Reinker (understudy), Casey Venema
Content Warning: This production includes discussions and depictions of racism, discussion of addiction, and suicide.
Click here for COVID-19 Safety Protocols. (New! Thursday Covid-Conscious performances)
The James Levin Theatre is ADA-compliant featuring a patron elevator and an all-gender, wheelchair-accessible restroom.
The Creative Production Team Includes:
Sound Design: Obediya Jones-Darrell
Costume Designer: Inda Blatch-Geib
Set Design: Jeremy Paul & Tim Collingwood
Assistant director: Zyrece Montgomery
Installation: Tecia Delores Wilson
Videographer: Johnathan Gajewski
About the Playwright
Obediya Jones-Darrell is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, producer, filmmaker, playwright, music composer, sound designer, and lyricist of Canadian origin and African descent. While he spent his formative years in Nova Scotia & British Columbia, Cleveland is now the place he calls home. In 2019-2020 Obediya was selected as the Kulas Music Composer Fellow for Cleveland Public Theatre. As a storyteller, he works in both theater & film mediums. Over the past three years, his work has been performed internationally in theater and film festivals on five continents. In 2019 he was selected as one of Canada’s 20 emerging diverse filmmakers by Toronto’s Reel World Film Festival.
About Test Flight
Test Flight is a multi-week series that showcases new work on its way to full production. Test Flight provides both local and national artists with the keys to the theatre and the opportunity to co-produce original works-in-progress. The series encourages risk-taking and an entrepreneurial spirit towards creating new work while offering artists a structured support system. New Play Development.
