Indiana Repertory Theatre’s play NO. 6 sparks conversation, reflection
Based on true events, NO.6 explores the human impact of racial injustice in U.S.
 
Indianapolis, Ind.—The Indiana Repertory Theatre continues its virtual season with PNC presents NO.6, streaming March 11 – April 4, 2021, which will be the play's regional theatre premiere. The first production in this season’s INclusion Series celebrating diverse storytelling, T.J. Young’s NO.6 bears witness to the ongoing violence against Black citizens while reaching for the possibility of hope.
 
Inspired by true events surrounding the killing of a young Black man in 2001 in Cincinnati by a White police officer, the story follows a Black family sheltering in their apartment above the small dry-cleaning business they own as city-wide riots approach their neighborhood. When they find themselves protecting an intoxicated White man from the street, tensions inside the apartment amplify and secrets are revealed.
 
“Our decision to produce T.J. Young’s intense family drama NO. 6 is a decision to use our art to reflect deeply on the human impact of racial injustice in our country,” said IRT’s Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director Janet Allen. “Art can help us see under the surface of the news headlines: past the sensational pictures and footage, past the bylines and statistics, and into the hearts of people who must live through these huge traumas.”
 
Director Dwandra Nickole Lampkin, who has acted on the IRT stages in Doubt and To Kill Mockingbird, is currently an associate professor of theatre and director of Multicultural Theatre at Western Michigan University. Lampkin led the team of actors, from New York and Indianapolis, and designers—both in the virtual realm and physical space—through the story’s layers, importance, and relevance.
 
“NO. 6 provides us the opportunity to acknowledge the black and brown people who have lost their lives to police brutality, while simultaneously creating a space for us to reflect, re-examine, and recalibrate,” Lampkin said. “In light of current events, it is my hope that audiences will allow their anger, frustration, and confusion to shape their experience as they bear witness to this play. You must be willing to go through it to get to it.”
 
Virtual tickets for PNC presents NO.6 are now available for $30 and streaming begins March 11. Season packages are also available, and the IRT recently announced the final two shows in its 2020-2021 Season, including Mrs. Harrison and James Still’s The House That Jack Built. To learn more and purchase virtual tickets, please visit irtlive.com.


DETAILS

WHERE: Streaming online via irtlive.com.

RUN DATES:  Streaming March 11 – April 4, 2021. PNC presents NO. 6 is approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes, with no intermission. Tickets and information at irtlive.com.  

TICKETS: Virtual tickets start at $30. Click to buy.
 
CAST & CREATIVE TEAM:

MILICENT WRIGHT | Ella
LAKESHA LORENE | Felicia
JAMAAL MCCRAY | Felix
MICHAEL STEWART ALLEN | Kelly
 
DWANDRA NICKOLE LAMPKIN | Director
ROB KOHARCHIK | Scenic Designer
LEVONNE LINDSAY | Costume Designer
XAVIER PIERCE | Lighting Designer
MATTHEW TIBBS | Sound Designer
RICHARD J ROBERTS | Dramaturg
NATHAN GARRISON | Production Coordinator
JOEL GRYNHEIM | Production Coordinator
REBECCA ROEBER | Production Assistant

SPECIAL EVENTS:
The IRT will add virtual programming for PNC presents NO.6, including community conversations sponsored by Faegre Drinker, recorded discussions, and more. Information can be found at irtlive.com.
 
For more information contact Kerry Barmann, Marketing Communications Manager, at kbarmann@irtlive.com or 317.916.4824.
 
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ABOUT THE IRT
Founded in 1971, the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) is the largest professional not-for-profit theatre in the state and one of the leading regional theatres in the country. The mission of the Indiana Repertory Theatre is to produce top-quality, professional theatre and related activities, providing experiences that will engage, surprise, challenge, and entertain people throughout their lifetimes, helping us build a vital and vibrant community.

Indiana Repertory Theatre announces final two productions in virtual season   
​Award-winning James Still play and the next INclusion Series play wrap the year

Indianapolis, Ind.—After months of reimagining its first-ever virtual season, the Indiana Repertory Theatre is pleased to announce the final two titles in its 2020–2021 Season: the second play in this year’s INclusion Series, Mrs. Harrison by R. Eric Thomas, followed by the award-winning play by IRT’s Playwright-in-Residence James Still, The House That Jack Built.

“We have spent the last several months working diligently to create a season that is thought-provoking, safe to execute for staff and artists, and worthy of our audiences,” IRT’s Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director Janet Allen said. “This season has been curated to deliver stories that will promote empathy and understanding, as well as hope for the future. The community’s tremendous support has been instrumental as we have developed these productions.”

Streaming May 6 – May 23, R. Eric Thomas’ play Mrs. Harrison will be produced in IRT’s Upperstage Theatre as the second work in the IRT’s INclusion Series. A simmering confrontation, the story follows two women—a Black playwright and a White comedian—reconnecting at their college reunion as they share old memories, although perhaps not completely accurately. Humor and grudges clash in a way that will have audiences asking, who has the right to tell whose story?

The season ends with James Still’s The House That Jack Built, that is part of The Jack Plays trilogy. Janet Allen will direct this award-winning play, which the IRT premiered in 2012. Streaming May 27 – June 13, the witty modern drama will feature several local actor favorites, including Jan Lucas Grimm, Jennifer Johansen, and Constance Macy. Still’s work has won the 2012 Todd McNerney National New Play Prize, and most recently he was named the 2020 Drama Winner in the Indiana Authors Awards powered by Indiana Humanities.

The 2020-2021 Season is generously supported by OneAmerica Financial Partners. Virtual tickets and 3-Play packages are available for the season at irtlive.com or by calling the IRT Ticket Office at 317.635.5252. So far this virtual season, the IRT has produced This Wonderful Life and Tuesdays with Morrie. Up next is PNC presents NO.6 streaming March 11 – April 4, followed by the timeless romance Cyrano streaming April 15 – May 2.


Mrs. Harrison
by R. Eric Thomas
Streaming May 6 – May 23
simmering confrontation
Two women meet at their ten-year college reunion. Aisha is a successful Black playwright. Holly is a struggling White comedian and storyteller. As they dredge up shared memories and past confidences, we begin to wonder—which one is misremembering? Or lying? Or are they both? Wry humor clashes with long-suppressed grudges as this volatile encounter raises the question: who has the right to tell whose story?


The House That Jack Built
by James Still
Streaming May 27 – June 13 
a feast of feelings
Jack is gone, but his family gathers for Thanksgiving. Delicious aromas carry with them painful memories. Flowing wine dislodges hidden resentments. Old stories evoke shared laughter—and silent tears. This award-winning play by the IRT’s own playwright-in-residence returns with all its heart, tenderness, joy, and sorrow, reminding us we must accept the past before we can embrace the present.

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For more information contact Kerry Barmann, Marketing Communications Manager at kbarmann@irtlive.com or 317.916.4824.

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ABOUT THE IRT
Founded in 1971, the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) is the largest professional not-for-profit theatre in the state and one of the leading regional theatres in the country. The mission of the Indiana Repertory Theatre is to produce top-quality, professional theatre and related activities, providing experiences that will engage, surprise, challenge, and entertain people throughout their lifetimes, helping us build a vital and vibrant community.