Theater News

Geffen Playhouse Fires Up the Grill for Barbecue

Performances begin tonight for the West Coast premiere of Robert O’Hara’s family comedy.

Colman Domingo directs the West Coast premiere of Robert O'Hara's Barbecue at the Geffen Playhouse.
Colman Domingo directs the West Coast premiere of Robert O'Hara's Barbecue at the Geffen Playhouse.
(photo provided by the Geffen Playhouse)

Barbecue begins performances tonight at Geffen Playhouse.

From playwright Robert O'Hara, Barbecue is set at an O’Mallery family cookout. When their drug-addicted sister Zippity Boom arrives strung out and out of control, her siblings have finally had enough — enough beer, enough whiskey, and enough pills — to confront her. Their ham-handed intervention ignites the fuse of this new comedy that skewers our view of the American family.

Colman Domingo directs the cast of Cherise Boothe (Milk Like Sugar), Yvette Cason (A Night With Janis Joplin), Dale Dickey (Winter's Bone, Iron Man 3), Omar J. Dorsey (Django Unchained), Frances Fisher (The Cherry Orchard), Kimberly Hébert Gregory (By the Way, Meet Vera Stark), Travis Johns (Atlanta: The Musical), Elyse Mirto (White's Lies), Heather Alicia Simms (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom on Broadway), and Rebecca Wisocky (Lifetime's Devious Maids).

"We are beyond thrilled to produce this hysterically funny, politically thoughtful and thought-provoking piece," said Randall Arney, Geffen Playhouse's artistic director. "The ensemble that we have brought together will bring Robert O’Hara's play to roaring life. Under Colman Domingo's direction, Barbecue promises to be an event to launch our season with gusto."

The production team includes set design by Sibyl Wickersheimer, costume design by Kara Harmon, lighting design by Lap Chi Chu, sound design by Lindsay Jones, and production stage management from Anne L. Hitt.

Performances will run through October 16.

For more information and tickets, click here.

Featured In This Story

Barbecue

Closed: October 16, 2016