My Lord, What a Night

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• SYNOPSIS
• CAST & CREW
• DATES & INFO
• IN THE PRESS
• PHOTOS

Based on the real-life friendship between famed contralto Marian Anderson and physicist Albert Einstein.

Marian Anderson is denied lodging after delighting a sold-out Princeton audience. When her long-time fan, Albert Einstein, invites her to stay in his home, the two begin a lifelong friendship. Watch as they grapple with their responsibility as an artist and scientist in a world plagued by racial segregation and a looming world war.

Cast
Marian Anderson – Kataka Corn*
Albert Einstein – Mark Emerson*
Abraham Flexner – Andrew Litzky
Mary Church Terrell – Marlette Buchanan*

Understudies
Marian Anderson & Mary Church Terrell – Shana Emile
Albert Einstein – Jeff Allen Pierce
Abraham Flexner – Nolan Palmer

Production
Director – Bretteney Beverly
Assistant Director – Amanda E. Rountree
Scenic/Sound Design – Mark Lund
Costume Design – Kilah Williams
Lighting Design – Brian Engel
Stage Manager – Leila Cheung*
Dialect Coach – Dimitri Woods
Vocal Coach – Aaron Norman
Dramaturgy – Sonja Lowe

*AEA – Actors’ Equity Association

Dates and Times

• Single tickets are now on sale!
• Run Dates: September 18 – October 19, 2024
• Pay-What-You-Can performance: September 25 (more)
• Run Time: 1 hour 45 minutes including a 15 minute intermission.
• Start Time: All evening performances begin at 7:30pm.

Tickets

• Price: $25-62, dependent on day and time; fees may apply
• Ticket information: Click here for Matinee, PWYC, and other ticketing details.

Advisory

• Age Rec: 14+ (children under 5 are never admitted)
• Sensitivity Note: Coming soon.
• Public Health: Click here for health and safety policies.

Further Reading

• Study Guide: My Lord, What a Night Study Guide (PDF)
• Read the Program: Encore Spotlight (PDF of Encore Stages), or Encore Plus (Digital)

Reviews:

• "My Lord, What a Night is at its heart a story of friendship and what can be accomplished when one opens his or her heart to another and about the power in working together."
  — Greg Heilman, The Sound on Stage
• “...this play from Deborah Brevoort, beautifully directed by Bretteney Beverly, is one I strongly encourage you not to miss.”— Shelley Dean, BroadwayWorld
• “You could feel the entire theatre being caught up in the story and the performances.” — Mark Sugiyama, Eclectic Arts Media

Mark Emerson and Kataka Corn in My Lord, What a Night at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.

Kataka Corn as Marian Anderson in My Lord, What a Night at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.

Mark Emerson as Albert Einstein in My Lord, What a Night at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.

Andrew Litzky and Mark Emerson in My Lord, What a Night at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.

Andrew Litzky, foreground, with Mark Emerson and Kataka Corn in My Lord, What a Night at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.

Marlette Buchanan and Kataka Corn in My Lord, What a Night at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.

Kataka Corn and Mark Emerson in My Lord, What a Night at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.

“MY LORD, WHAT A NIGHT was first produced as a National New Play Network
Rolling World Premiere by Contemporary American Theater Festival (WV),
Orlando Shakespeare Theater (FL) and Florida Studio Theatre (FL).
For more information, please visit nnpn.org

It was subsequently produced at Ford’s Theatre, Washington, DC in October 2021.

A one act version of MY LORD WHAT A NIGHT was originally commissioned
and produced by Premiere Stages at Kean University, Union, NJ
(John Wooten, Producing Artistic Director) through the Liberty Live program.