Casting Announced for The Black Clown at the American Repertory Theater

The American Repertory Theater at Harvard University has announced the complete cast and creative team for The Black Clown, running from August 31-September 23 at the Loeb Drama Center.

The production is described as follows: "'You laugh / Because I'm poor and black and funny…,' begins Langston Hughes's poem, The Black Clown. This world premiere music theater experience fuses vaudeville, opera, jazz, and spirituals to bring Hughes's verse to life onstage to animate a Black man's resilience against a legacy of oppression."

The Black Clown features Davóne Tines in the title role, joined by an ensemble of 12 that includes Sumayya Ali, Malcolm Armwood, Daniel Bellomy, Dawn Bless, LaVon Fisher-Wilson, Lindsey Hailes, Evan Tyrone Martin, Jhardon DiShon Milton, Brandon Michael Nase, Amber Barbee Pickens, Jamar Williams, and Hailee Kaleem Wright. Michael Schachter lends a new score.

Adapted from the Langston Hughes poem by Davóne Tines and Michael Schachter, the production features direction by Zack Winokur, choreography by Chanel DaSilva, and music direction by Jaret Landon. Rounding out the creative team are Carlos Soto (scenic and costume design), John Torres (lighting design), and Kai Harada (sound design).