FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS CONTACT:
CSC Communications Manager
Nia June, 410-244-8571 x119
june@chesapeakeshakespeare.com

CSC AND UMBC PRESENT SHAKESPEARE IN HARLEM

Baltimore, MD (1.6.26) – Chesapeake Shakespeare Company (CSC), in partnership with University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), announces the Baltimore City premiere of Shakespeare in Harlem. This theatrical adaptation of Langston Hughes’ poetry collection—first staged in 1960—has been newly reimagined by Gerrad Alex Taylor. Supported by CSC’s Black Classical Acting Ensemble (BCAE), the play debuted at UMBC in October to acclaim and will come to CSC January 15–18, 2026.

Set in 1940s Harlem, this immersive production weaves vignettes that honor the textured lives of Black Harlemites. BCAE member Lauren Davis anchors the play through her portrayal of Griot, a mystical storyteller who exists on the edge of time, guiding the journey of each character. Simple, one of Hughes’ most beloved characters, is played by adapter and director—and BCAE member—Gerrad Alex Taylor. In Taylor’s hands, Simple reminds audiences of the late poet’s unique ability to mine the rich layers of everyday life in the community he chronicled. Isaiah Mason Harvey joins his fellow BCAE members as Assistant Director.

Sharing the stage with Taylor and Davis, UMBC students bring the remaining six characters to life, forming a dynamic mix of voices, including Cousin Minnie, Bruce, and Lulu.

UMBC theatre students contribute not only their performances but also their craftsmanship. Students were embedded throughout the production process, gaining experience in set, lighting, and sound design as part of a hands-on educational model. This fully integrated ensemble underscores CSC and UMBC’s shared investment in cultivating the next generation of theatre-makers.

“I’m thrilled that Gerrad has brough this lost play into the light and honored that CSC is the first Shakespeare theatre to produce it. I predict it will have an exciting future across theatres in America who want to honor this great American writer.” Notes CSC’s Producing Executive Director, Lesley Malin.

Arriving during the centennial reflections on the Harlem Renaissance, Shakespeare in Harlem invites contemporary audiences to consider the enduring reach of Hughes’ voice. Though the play itself is set decades after the Renaissance, its spirit is unmistakably shaped by that movement’s insistence on preserving the vitality of Black life and art.

Taylor notes: “I am deeply heartened by this opportunity to revisit forgotten African American stories and recognize that the canon is broader than we imagine. Langston Hughes, the Shakespeare of Harlem, gave a poetic voice to Black life with depth, complexity, and honesty. This play serves as a moment to lift up his voice and the many other Shakespeares in history as ancestors to guide us through the present moment. There is no better time and no better place to celebrate this work.”

The special engagement will open with a Black Out Night and Director’s Talk on January 15.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Shakespeare in Harlem
Adapted from Langston Hughes by Gerrad Alex Taylor
Directed by Gerrad Alex Taylor

A University-Professional Collaboration Between UMBC Theatre and Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

LOCATION
Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is located at 7 South Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, two blocks north of the Inner Harbor. Street parking and garages are available. The theatre is accessible using the FREE Charm City Circulator and is located on the Purple Route. For more detailed information about directions, parking, and public transportation, click here.

TICKETS
General Admission tickets are $25. To purchase tickets, visit ChesapeakeShakespeare.com, or contact the Box Office directly by calling 410-244-8570 or visiting in person at 7 South Calvert Street. Discounts are available for groups of ten or more and active-duty military. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com/harlem.

DATES
Thursday, January 15 at 7:30 PM – Black Out Night
Friday, January 16 at 8 PM
Saturday, January 17 at 2 PM
Sunday, January 18 at 2 PM

CAST LIST
Griot – Lauren Davis *•
Madam K – Amani Abdullah
Simple – Gerrad Alex Taylor *•+
Cousin Minnie – Ambar Auth
Leonard – Dario Prioleau
Lulu – Tatiyana ‘Tati’ J. Terrelonge
Bruce – LaTrelle Jamez
Alex – Manny Rimmer

CREATIVE TEAM
Lighting Designer – Juan Juarez
Costume Designer – Eric Abele
Assistant Costume Designer – Becca Janney
Choreographer – Nigel Semaj
Assistant Director – Isaiah Mason Harvey *•
Sound Designer – Kaydin Hamby
Scenic Designer/Projections – Nate Sinnott
Vocal Director – Andrew Hann
Dramaturg – Bianca LaVerne
Stage Manager / Intimacy Choreographer – Grace Shepperd
Production Manager & Technical Director – Greggory Schraven
Assistant Technical Director – Evan McDougall
Costume Shop Supervisor – Eric Abele
Lead Carpenter, Props & Scenic Artist – Tyler Brust
Assistant Costume Shop Manager – Margaret Caster
CSC Technical Director – Dan O’Brien *
CSC Assistant Technical Director – Chester Stacy *

STUDENT CREATIVE TEAM
Production Assistant – Ash Morris
Assistant Stage Managers – Sumedha Bhat, Morgan Decker
Light Board Operator – Andy Pfluger
Sound Board Operator – Ash Cox-Pinckney
Wardrobe Crew – Maura Bohn
Props Supervisor – Ann Davies
Head Electrician – Malaak McDonald
Electricians – Students of THTR 262
Carpenters – Ann Davies, Adam Harper, Abigail Adams, Ash Cox-Pinckney, Malaak McDonald, Nex Duncan, Timothy Clark, Virgil Robinson, Will Brown-Taylor
Dramaturgs – Joey Hoffman, Sean DiGiorgio, Aidan Henderson, Kiarra Matos, Abby Hunter, Virgil Robinson, Megan Chouinard

* CSC Company Member
• CSC Black Classical Acting Ensemble Member
+ Actors' Equity Association Member

ABOUT CHESAPEAKE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
Founded in 2002, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company brings great classic theatre to Baltimore, Howard County, the state of Maryland, and beyond. The company offers performances of Shakespeare and other plays of classic stature that are unforgettable, challenging, and innovative. In 2012, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company acquired the Mercantile Safe Deposit and Trust Company building in downtown Baltimore, renovating it into a modern Globe Theater for indoor performances. We produce outdoor Shakespeare every summer at the PFI Historic Park in Howard County and bring free Shakespeare performances directly into neighborhoods across Maryland with our innovative travelling Shakespeare Beyond Wagon. The organization regularly serves 34,000+ people annually through artistic projects and intentional community engagement. CSC’s vibrant education program includes an extensive matinee series, camps, classes, and in and out-of-school residencies. The company invites patrons, students, and neighbors to become part of the creative collaboration that generates powerful, magical theatre and a more purposeful, engaged, and connected community.

CSC’s Black Classical Acting Ensemble (BCAE) was established in 2021 and is an affinity space and incubator at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company for Black artists to find and nurture their authentic voices in the classical drama, while centering and treasuring their experiences and opinions as Black Americans.

ABOUT UMBC DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE
The UMBC Department of Theatre believes that theatre is an ever-changing art form, responding to and creating new ideas that confront ethical, political, and artistic ideas and practices. The department offers degree programs leading to a BFA in Acting and a BA in Theatre, with tracks in Theatre Studies, Design and Production, and Theatre Education. These programs provide students with interdisciplinary skills to become actively engaged with their art and with the world around them. A dedicated faculty focuses on each student’s evolution as an artist and as a person, making the study of theatre at UMBC a life-changing experience that stimulates, challenges, and inspires. UMBC Theatre fosters artistically innovative and socially engaged graduates, using the latest technologies and practices to experiment with theatrical forms, create new work, and give voice where it is most needed.