Producers announced today that casting has been completed for the upcoming Broadway premiere of Thoughts of a Colored Man with Bjorn DuPaty and Garrett Turner joining as understudies. Rehearsals begin Tuesday, September 7th. Thoughts of a Colored Man, written by Keenan Scott II and directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, will begin preview performances on Friday, October 1 and open Sunday, October 31 at Broadway’s Golden Theatre.
The ensemble cast will feature Dyllón Burnside (FX’s “Pose,”), Bryan Terrell Clark (Hamilton), Da’Vinchi (Starz’s upcoming “Black Mafia Family”), Grammy Award® nominee Luke James (Showtime’s “The Chi”), Tony Award® nominee Forrest McClendon (The Scottsboro Boys), Grammy Award nominee Tristan Mack Wilds (HBO’s “The Wire”), and Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Keith David (Seven Guitars, OWN’s “Greenleaf”).
Thoughts of a Colored Man will mark the Broadway debuts of both Scott and Broadnax. Scott’s new play The Migration LP is in development at New York Stage & Film and Broadnax most recently directed Katori Hall’s new play The Hot Wing King which received the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Producer Brian Moreland said, “Keenan’s play has been one of my favorite journeys. From our very first reading in 2017, his voice was raw, pure, and honest for our world today. Steve’s direction brings unbridled tenderness to the experience of the contemporary Black male with a full range of humanity. More than ever, it is vital for Broadway and theaters across America to make room for the next generation of theater makers: to celebrate their communities, to feel their heartache, and to hear the stories they are ready to tell. The entire producing team is humbled to play a small role in bringing Keenan Scott II and Steve H. Broadnax III to Broadway.”
Thoughts of a Colored Man had its critically acclaimed world premiere at Syracuse Stage under the artistic direction of Robert Hupp in fall of 2019 with a subsequent run later that year at Baltimore Center Stage (Stephanie Ybarra, Artistic Director).”
As the sun rises on a single day in the pulsing heart of Brooklyn, seven Black men are about to discover the extraordinary – together. By Keenan Scott II, one of today’s boldest new voices, Thoughts of a Colored Man blends spoken word, slam poetry, rhythm, and humor into a daringly universal new play. Welcome to the vibrant inner life of being Black, proud, and thriving in the 21st century.
This richly theatrical mosaic shines brilliant light onto these men, a tight-knit brotherhood, revealing their most triumphant selves. Their vibrant and vulnerable experiences and feelings reverberate far beyond the barbershops and basketball courts of their community. They reveal the deeply human hopes, joys, sorrows, fears, and dreams of all men, all people.
The creative team for Thoughts of a Colored Man includes music by Te’La and Brother Kamau, set design by Tony Award® nominee Robert Brill, co-costume design by Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award® winner Toni-Leslie James and Devario D. Simmons, lighting design by Ryan O’Gara, projection design by Tony and Drama Desk Award nominee Sven Ortel, and sound design by Mikaal Sulaiman. Calleri, Jensen, & David serve as casting directors for the production. Production stage manager is B.J. Forman.