Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota is hosting a staged reading of a new play by actor, director, producer, educator and playwright Monteze Freeland. The staged reading is being directed by fellow multidisciplinary artist Tomé Cousin.
“Dancing in the Blue Light” is set in an underground club in 1960s Baltimore and concerns a close-knit group of Black queer men and women. The club provides a sense of safety and reprieve from the dangers of the outside world, but still the characters reel from past and present traumas as they grapple with how far they’re willing to go to ensure their survival.
The staged reading marks the second event in Asolo Repertory Theatre’s new work development program, the Ground Floor Muriel O’Neil American Heritage Commission Series. The goal of the program is to commission plays by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) playwrights and directors to amplify stories by and about marginalized people.
The staged reading takes place Friday, May 26 at 2 p.m. in the Asolo Rep’s Rehearsal Hall. The event is free to attend. We’ll learn more about the play in a conversation with playwright Monteze Freeman.
