Freedom Riders | Free Student Matinee SOLD OUT
October 15
WED, OCT 15 at 1PM ET
For information on FREE Student Matinees at 1PM on OCT 8 – 9 and OCT 15 – 17, email bcintron@harlemstage.org
Don’t miss the groundbreaking theatrical concert reading of Freedom Riders: A Journey with No End in Sight, part of a landmark tour. Inspired by the seminal work 12 Angry Men: True Stories of Being a Black Man in America Today, published by The New Press in 2012, and first brought to the stage by The Billie Holiday Theatre in 2015, Freedom Riders marks the 10th anniversary of this work—reimagined, expanded, and more urgent than ever. The tour will present this work, retracing footprints of the Great Migration from Montgomery, AL to Atlanta, GA to Greensboro, NC, culminating in Harlem, NY with its premiere and limited run at Harlem Stage. A crucible of survival, testimony, and resistance, this bold theatrical work fuses electrifying first-person monologues with soul-stirring live music to confront the brutal truths of racial profiling, the systemic violence against Black Trans lives, unchecked police brutality, and the unrelenting history of racial injustice.
Directed by Indira Etwaroo with a renowned cast:
Lisa Arrindell* (Disappearing Acts, Saints & Sinners)
Russell Hornsby* (Fences, The Hate U Give, Grimm)
Billy Eugene Jones* (A Soldier’s Play, Purlie Victorious)
Angelica Ross* (Pose, American Horror Story)
Stephen Tyrone Williams* (A Master Builder, The Knick)
A live musical score is seamlessly woven through these first-person stories of survival, loss, resistance, and love—collaboratively composed and performed by piano virtuoso Arden Altino, genre-defying violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain, and Grammy-nominated bassist and former Beyoncé musical director, Divinity Roxx. The result is a powerful fusion of word and sound, culminating in a stirring finale that reverberates with hope, courage, and the collective will to rise. This original sound score is made possible through Harlem Stage’s signature commissioning initiative WATERWORKS. The theatrical concert reading includes lighting and projection design by Devin Cameron, costume design by Jorge Rosario and sound design by Gaines Legare with LED Special Effects. Sydney Cusic* is the Production Stage Manager.
Buy 1, Give 1: Each ticket purchased sends an NYC student to the show for FREE
*This is an Actors’ Equity Association Production. Actors’ Equity Association Members.
Showtimes
- October 161pm
- October 171pm
Director's Note
I met Omid during a trip to Qeshm. He was selling seashells when we first spoke, and I instantly felt a connection. During the pandemic, I ended up staying on the island longer than planned, and Omid became my closest companion. Despite the weight of supporting his mother and sister after losing his father to drug trafficking, he carried himself with a surprising joy and sense of freedom. One day, I overheard other children teasing him about his mother. After that, something changed in him—he became more focused, working nonstop to help her. That transformation, his quiet strength, and the fragile yet powerful relationship he had with his mother moved me deeply. This film is my tribute to him.