Oak Park, March 10, 2012 - Open Door Repertory Company is honored to announce its upcoming production of Train Is Comin' by McKinley Johnson. Train is the inspiring story of the Fisk University Jubilee Singers. Fisk was the first institution of higher learning for the freed slaves immediately following the Civil War. In 1870 these young singers set out with their Choir Master and a chaperone to spread the word about Fisk and to raise money for their nearly penniless institution, never anticipating the twists and turns their journey would take. Filled with beautiful, soul-stirring spirituals, sung a cappella by the 10-member cast, Train will grab your heart and never let it go.
Train was first presented at the Chicago Theatre Company on February 2, 1996 and ran through May 26, 1996. It was named "One of the Top Ten Plays of 1996" by the Chicago Sun-Times in January of 1997 and won the Black Theatre Alliance Award for "Best Musical of 1996." Open Door is thrilled to bring this play back to the Chicago area under the direction of its playwright, McKinley Johnson with music direction by George Cooper, himself a Fisk graduate and member of the Fisk Jubilee Singers.
Train Is Comin' is the first play in the Earl Bitoy Series. This series was created to honor Earl Bitoy, an extraordinary teacher and resident in the Oak Park community for nearly 30 years, who passed away in 2002. Train was selected as the inaugural production for this series because it reflects Earl's deep and abiding love for the spirituals, which he learned and took into his heart during the marches in Selma and Montgomery in the early 1960's.
CAST: David Davis, Toni Lynice Fountain, Dale Glanzman, Bernell Lassai, Eric Lewis, Qiana McNary, Jazelle Morriss, Dominique Reid, Willie Charles Rollins and Tierra Whetstone.
CREW: McKinley Johnson (Director), George Cooper (Music Director), Sharlet Webb (Stage Manager), Stevan Saliny (Technical Director), Josh Prisching (Set Designer), Paul Kerwin (Lighting Designer), Kristen Ahern(Costumer) Ethan Kwas (Assistant Technical Director), Mary Pat Sieck (Artistic Director/Producer)
The Performance Schedule is:
Previews: Wednesday, 4/11/12 and Thursday, 4/12/12 at 8pm Tickets - $15
8 pm Performances:
Friday, 4/13/12 — Opening Night
Fridays: 4/20/12 - 5/18/12
Saturdays: 4/14/12 — 5/19/12
2:30 pm Performances:
Sundays: 4/15/12 — 5/20/12
Tickets: $23 — General Admission $20 — Seniors/Groups of 8+ $17 — Students
www.info@opendoorrep.org 708.342.0810