“The playwright has smashed existing artistic forms and created new ones along the way.

“The Refuge Plays” suggests the potential for stories to exceed the world’s limitations.”

Name: The Refuge Plays
Start: 2023-09-14 00:00:00
End: 2023-11-12 23:59:00
Location: Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre

NAVEEN KUMAR, THE NEW YORK TIMES

Late at night, deep in the woods of southern Illinois, a ghost tells Gail she will die within the next 24 hours. So begins The Refuge Plays, an epic tale that follows one Black family over 70 years. Written by Nathan Alan Davis, this bold reimagining of an American “family play” is full of humor, heart and surprises. Patricia McGregor directs.

Running time: Three hours and thirty minutes, including two intermissions.

Joy: Ngozi Anyanwu
Reginald: Jerome Preston Bates
Gail: Jessica Frances Dukes
Walking Man: Jon Michael Hill
Symphony: Mallori Taylor Johnson
Clydette: Lizan Mitchell
Early: Nicole Ari Parker
Crazy Eddie: Daniel J. Watts
Dax: Lance Coadie Williams
Ha-Ha: JJ Wynder-Wilkins
u/s Walking Man/Ha-Ha: Stanley Andrew Jackson
u/s Joy/Symphony: Kashayna Johnson
u/s Crazy Eddie/Dax/Reginald: Julian Rozzell
u/s Clydette/Gail: Rokia Shearin
u/s Early: Britney Nicole Simpson

Playwright: Nathan Alan Davis
Director: Patricia McGregor
Set Design: Arnulfo Maldonado
Costume Design: Emilio Sosa
Lighting Design: Stacey Derosier
Original Music & Sound Design: Marc Anthony Thompson
Hair & Wig Design: Earon Nealey
Makeup Design: J. Jared Janas
Voice Coach: Kate Wilson
Composer & Vocal Soundscapes: Imani Uzuri
Movement: Paloma McGregor
Fight Director: Sordelet Inc. / Rick Sordelet
The Refuge Plays Dramaturg: Anna Morton Stacey
Production Stage Manager: Katie Ailinger

A woman, covered in dirt, with a baby strapped to her chest holds a hammer and stares cautiously to the side while a man in a flannel and jeans sits next to her on a bucket with candy in his hand. — Nicole Ari Parker (Early) and Daniel J. Watts (Crazy Eddie).
Joan Marcus

An old Black man and woman dressed in white clothes stand across from a young Black man in a t-shirt and pants. The old man holds a golden lighter with a tall flame. — Lizan Mitchell (Clydette), Jerome Preston Bates (Reginald), and Jon Michael Hill (Walking Man).
Joan Marcus

A Black woman with graying hair sits on the edge of a bed while a Black man with graying hair stands behind her, dressed in white and arms outstretched. — Jessica Francis Dukes (Gail) and Jon Michael Hill (Walking Man).
Joan Marcus

A young Black woman sits across from and laughs with an old Black woman sitting in an orange recliner chair. — Ngozi Anyanwu (Joy) and Nicole Ari Parker (Early).
Joan Marcus

A Black man wearing a florla scarf with a denim jacket points his finger at a younger Black man wearing a blue flannel. — Lance Coadie Williams (Dax) and Jon Michael Hill (Walking Man).
Joan Marcus

A Black family of various generations smiles, cheers, and joyously dances together on stage. — The entire cast of THE REFUGE PLAYS.
Joan Marcus

GALAPRO

Roundabout is pleased to offer GalaPro, a free app for live transcription and audio description that you can use on your personal smartphone device. Free captions are available in Spanish with GalaPro. Download the GalaPro app from the app store or Google Play.

Audio description is now available
Closed captioning is now available
Spanish Language Subtitles is now available

CHECK OUT EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS AND FEATURES

Discover the artists and history behind The Refuge Plays in the Upstage Playgoer’s Guide.

READ THE UPSTAGE GUIDE

The company of THE REFUGE PLAYS stands in a circle around the rehearsal studio and smiles while clapping. — The company of THE REFUGE PLAYS during the first rehearsal.
Pat Budris

Director Patricia McGregor and actors Ngozi Anyanwu and Daniel J. Watts wrap their arms together in a tight group hug during rehearsal. — Director Patricia McGregor hugs actors Ngozi Anyanwu and Daniel J. Watts.
Pat Budris

Playwright Nathan Alan Davis and actor Jessica Frances Dukes pose their arms around each other for a photo in the rehearsal studio. — Playwright Nathan Alan Davis and actor Jessica Frances Dukes.
Pat Budris

The company of THE REFUGE PLAYS sit at and stand behind long white tables with scripts, beverages, and pencil cans on them. — The company of THE REFUGE PLAYS.
Pat Budris

Imani Uzuri (Composer & Vocal Soundscapes), actor Lizan Mitchell, and actor Ngozi Anyanwu take a selfie together during rehearsal — Imani Uzuri (Composer & Vocal Soundscapes), actor Lizan Mitchell, and actor Ngozi Anyanwu.
Pat Budris

Actors Daniel J. Watts and Ngozy Anyanwu hug each other in the rehearsal studio. — Actors Daniel J. Watts and Ngozi Anyanwu.
Pat Budris

Imani Uzuri (Composer & Vocal Soundscapes) and Original Music and Sound Designer Marc Anthony Thompson smile while laughing around the rehearsal tables. — Imani Uzuri (Composer & Vocal Soundscapes) and Marc Anthony Thompson (Original Music and Sound Designer)

THEATRE TALK

Learn more about the history of the production and its creators through a lively discussion with Roundabout Teaching Artists.

The Refuge Plays is produced in association with New York Theatre Workshop.

New York Theatre Workshop is a community of artists and audience members who believe in the transformative power of theatre. For 40 years, New York Theatre Workshop has cultivated a space where our common humanity is affirmed—where audiences are both challenged and delighted by the daring vision of our artists.

LEARN MORE

Major support for The Refuge Plays is provided by the Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater.

Alec Baldwin
James Costa and John Archibald
Linda L. D’Onofrio
Peggy and Mark Ellis
Joele Frank and Larry Klurfeld
Carson Gleberman
Sylvia Golden
Jeanne Hagerty
Angelina Lippert
Iva Mills
K. Myers
Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater
Mary Solomon
Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust