Queens of Sheba at Clarice Smith, Feb 2-4

Queens of Sheba
by Jessica L. Hagan
In partnership with the Under the Radar Festival

Fri, Feb 2, 2024 . 8:00PM
Sat, Feb 3, 2024 . 8:00PM
Sun, Feb 4, 2024 . 3:00PM

Venue: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

Presented by Nouveau Riche and Soho Theatre
Written by Jessica L. Hagan
Adapted by Ryan Calais Cameron
Directed by Jessica Kaliisa
Cast: Paisley Billings, Déja J Bowens, Jadesola Odunjo, Muki Zubis
Producer for Nouveau Riche: Sarah Verghese
Producers for Soho Theatre: David Luff and Maddie Wilson
Communications & Marketing: Yasmin Mehboob-Khan
Stage Manager: Marie Angelique St Hill
Vocal Coach: Theo Llewellyn

The four powerful Black women that form the beating heart of Jessica L. Hagan’s knowingly sharp and riotously funny choreopoem Queens of Sheba demand respect and, with every story told, they earn it. A spiritual successor to Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf, Queens incisively calls out and lances the constellation of racist, sexist and colorist micro- and macro-aggressions that its characters encounter: the music and the misogyny, the dancing and the drinking, the women and, of course, the (white) men. Turned away from a nightclub for being “too Black”, the Queens navigate the minefields of misogynoir, seeking power among the songs of Tina Turner and Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin, finding elevation in sisterhood, sweet relief in the riot of laughter and the shedding of tears. Playful, intellectually rigorous, packed with righteous fury and genuine soul, Queens of Sheba is a unique meditation on Black Women’s identity, suffering and joy.

Tickets: $30, or $10 Students. Click here.