A Human Being, of a Sort
June 26 - July 7 | Nikos Stage
2019 Season
It’s 1906, and at the Bronx Zoological Park, an African-American convict named “Smokey” (Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner André Braugher) is guarding the zoo’s most sensational exhibit: Ota Benga (Antonio Michael Woodard), a Congolese pygmy. As the public’s fascination intensifies and protestors call for Ota’s release, Smokey must grapple with the fact that his own freedom depends on another black man’s captivity. Based on a true story, Jonathan Payne’s world premiere play, directed by Whitney White, exposes the complexity of power and compliance in a world where all lives do not seem to matter equally.
Cast
Creative
Press
André Braugher as Smokey is “formidable” and Antonio Michael Woodard as Ota Benga “is brought to vivid life…in a story that sends out long ripples.”
-Jesse Green, The New York Times
“Skillful.” “Subtle.” “Superbly played.” “A play that gets under the skin.”
-Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe
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