Usher is a Black, queer playwright who spends his days working as an usher on Broadway. He spends his nights struggling to write an original musical about a Black, queer playwright who spends his days working as an usher on Broadway. Lines blur, thoughts intrude, and soon he finds himself wrestling to break free from a very strange creative loop.This blistering, groundbreaking, Pulitzer Prize winning musical explores identity, race and sexuality through the lens of a young artist at war with a chorus of his own demons and inner voices on a journey towards understanding and self love.
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson
Directed by Mikael Burke
Cast
USHER Eddie Weaver*
THOUGHT 1 Micah Mixon
THOUGHT 2 Matheus Barbee
THOUGHT 3 Christopher Wayland
THOUGHT 4 Michael Turrentine
THOUGHT 5 John-Payne
THOUGHT 6 Naphtali Curry
USHER U/S Jordan Harris
THOUGHT 1 U/S Simmery Branch
THOUGHT 2 U/S Aiden McCoy
THOUGHT 3 U/S Michael Davis Arnold
THOUGHT 4 U/S Shawn Smith
THOUGHT 5 U/S Reginald Hemphill
THOUGHT 6 U/S Gabriel Levi
Crew
DIRECTOR – Mikael Burke+ (sdc)
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – Terry Guest
CHOREOGRAPHER – Breon Arzell (sdc)
MUSIC DIRECTOR – Kyu Park
DRAMATURG – Christopher Richard Pazdernik
STAGE MANAGER – Christine D. Freeburg*
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER – Rachel Simmons
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER – Charlotte Horton
SCENIC DESIGNER – Sydney Lynne
PROPS DESIGNER – Mariah Bennett
COSTUME DESIGNER – Janelle Smith
LIGHTING DESIGNER – Brendan Marble
SOUND DESIGNER – Hannah Kwak
ASSOCIATE SOUND DESIGNER – Matt Reich
A1 – Mia Howard
VIOLENCE AND INTIMACY DESIGNER – Chels Morgan
MASTER ELECTRICIAN – Ruby Lowe
CASTING DIRECTOR – Catherine Miller+
AFT PRODUCTION MANAGER – Audrey Kleine
RAVEN PRODUCTION MANAGER – Lucy Whipp
* Denotes members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers
(sdc) Denotes member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, the union of professional stage directors and choreographers
+ About Face Theatre Artistic Associate