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Jessica Frances Dukes and the Cast of By the Way, Meet Vera Stark Begin Rehearsals

Kamilah Forbes directs Lynn Nottage’s play, set to begin performances January 29.

The company of By the Way, Meet Vera Stark gather during rehearsal.
The company of By the Way, Meet Vera Stark gather during rehearsal.
(© Lindsey Augusta Mercer)

Signature Theatre's upcoming production of Lynn Nottage's By the Way, Meet Vera Stark has begun rehearsals under the direction of by Kamilah Forbes. Performances begin January 29 in the Irene Diamond Stage at the Pershing Square Signature Center for a run through March 3. Opening night will be February 19.

Costume designer Dede Ayite and star Jessica Frances Dukes grab a photo together.
Costume designer Dede Ayite and star Jessica Frances Dukes grab a photo together.
(© Lindsey Augusta Mercer)

Jenni Barber (Sunday in the Park With George), Jessica Frances Dukes (Yellowman), Manoel Felciano (Sweeney Todd), Warner Miller (Luke Cage), Carra Patterson (Jitney), Heather Alicia Simms (Fabulation, or The Re-education of Undine), and David Turner (The Boys in the Band) star. The creative team includes Clint Ramos (scenic design), Dede M. Ayite (costume design), Matt Frey (lighting design), Mikaal Sulaiman (sound design), Katherine Freer (projection design), and Daniel Kluger (composition).

Jessica Frances Dukes admires set renderings for By the Way, Meet Vera Stark.
Jessica Frances Dukes admires set renderings for By the Way, Meet Vera Stark.
(© Lindsey Augusta Mercer)

Nottage's play is described as follows: "It's the Golden Age of Hollywood, and aspiring starlet Vera Stark works as a maid to Gloria Mitchell, an aging star grasping at her fading career. Worlds collide when Vera lands a trailblazing role in an antebellum epic starring…her boss. While Vera's portrayal of a slave turns out to be groundbreaking, decades later scholars and film buffs still grapple with the actress' legacy in Hollywood and the impact that race had on her controversial career."