André De Shields & Amber Gray perform a Medley of (What Did I Do to Be So) Black & Blue and The Tragic Mulatto at The Team's 18th Birthday Celebration at 26 Bridge in Brooklyn on March 27, 2023. www.theteamplays.org
Video by Lia Chang/Backstage Pass with Lia Chang
Backstage Pass with Lia Chang: Inside the TEAM's 18th Anniversary Gala with André Robin De Shields, Amber Renae Gray, Rachel Chavkin, Vinie Burrows and More wp.me/pXK8r-4Oy
In a career spanning fifty-five years, André De Shields, at age 77, has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, activist, educator and philanthropist. As Actor Mr. De Shields’ mission is to fill intimate spaces with enormous beauty. He defines intimate spaces as the hearts of humanity. As Activist he endeavors to restore majesty, elegance and literacy to the Black Thespian toolbox. His legendary career has resulted in a treasure trove of accolades, among them Doctor of Fine Arts honoris causa from his Alma Mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he has founded THE ANDRÉ DE SHIELDS FUND. His other marks of esteem include having been the triple crown winner of the 2019 awards season, garnering Tony, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Grammy Awards for his universally acclaimed role as Hermes, messenger to the gods, in Hadestown. Mr. De Shields transitioned from 2022 into 2023 with a paranormal portrayal as Ben Loman in the searing production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, starring Wendell “The Lion” Pierce. Perennially known for his idiosyncratic, show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions-The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Emmy Award), Play On! and The Full Monty-Mr. De Shields has achieved the status of “Broadway Deity.” www.andredeshields.com.
Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner André De Shields (Hadestown) emcee dThe TEAM's 18th Anniversary Gala at 26 Bridge in Brooklyn on March 27, 2023.
Performances include musical offerings from André De Shields, JJJJJerome Ellis ("The Clearing"), a story from Brenda Abbandalando (The Sign in Sydney Brustein's Window), and an exclusive first look at Reconstructing, co-directed by Rachel Chavkin (Hadestown; Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812) and Zhailon Levingston (Chicken & Biscuits) and featuring Eric Berryman ("The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"), Vinie Burrows (Light Shining in Buckinghamshire), Libby King (RoosevElvis), Jill Frutkin (Mission Drift), James Monaco (The Conversationalists) and Modesto Flako Jimenez (Taxilandia).
Reconstructing (Still Working but the Devil Might Be Inside), co-directed by Rachel Chavkin and Zhailon Levingston (Chicken & Biscuits), explores intimacy between Black- and white-identifying Americans in the historical and present-day context of a violently anti-Black USA. The work will operate on a meta-theatrical level, making the artistic process legible and holding up that process as a microcosm for "how we move through history together." (Artist Eric Berryman)
Reconstructing is collaboratively authored by Brenda Abbandondolo, Denée Benton (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812), Jhanaë Bonnick (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), Vinie Burrows, Rachel Chavkin, Eisa Davis (Bulrusher), André De Shields, JJJJJerome Ellis, Katherine Freer (Ride the Cyclone), Jill Frutkin, Amber Gray (Hadestown), Jeremy O. Harris (Slave Play), Matt Hubbs (RoosevElvis), Modesto "Flako" Jimenez, Marika Kent (Catch as Catch Can), Libby King, Ian Lassiter (King Lear), Zhailon Levingston, Jake Margolin (Mission Drift), James Monaco, Kristen Sieh (The Band's Visit), Nick Vaughan (The Royale), and Jillian Walker (SKiNFoLK: An American Show). Jillian Walker serves as Process Director. Milta Vega-Cardona serves as Process Chaplain. Rachel Chavkin and Zhailon Levingston are the Co-Directors.
ABOUT THE TEAM
Founded in 2004, The TEAM is an award-winning, internationally-celebrated theatre collective, dedicated to creating new work about the experience of living in America today. Led by Tony Award-winning Artistic Director Rachel Chavkin, and spirited by some of the most wild and deep artists making today, the TEAM has created 11 works-including Mission Drift, RoosevElvis, and Primer for a Failed Superpower-and presented them nationally at theaters like The Public Theater, PS122, A.R.T, and Walker Art Center, and internationally at London's National Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, Barbican, and Almeida Theatre, Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre, Lisbon's Culturgest, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
Current TEAM programming includes but is not limited to: the development of our newest "mainstage" work, Reconstructing (Still Working but the Devil Might Be Inside; The Petri Projects Program, an artist-driven new work development lab; and "Live From Mount Olympus," a podcast of Greek myths geared towards a contemporary, young audience and featuring an all-star cast of actors from the TEAM's network.
23 авг 2024
