Image credit: Doug Coombe
The University Musical Society production of “Some Old Black Man” is part of a new digital artist residency with acclaimed actor Wendell Pierce. He joined CultureShift to talk about the play and the music that has influenced him throughout his career.
An experiment in how to bring live theatre back during the pandemic is taking place in Ann Arbor.
The University of Michigan’s University Musical Society (UMS) produced a play last fall by quarantining cast and crew together for nearly a month to be able to film a production of “Some Old Black Man” by James Anthony Tyler.
UMS Premieres SOME OLD BLACK MAN Starring Wendell Pierce
The production will be available on demand exclusively at UMS Jan. 15-18.by BWW News Desk
Acclaimed actor Wendell Pierce is pushing forward a new way of imagining live theater in a lingering pandemic, which has shuttered in-person arts experiences throughout the country.
His first experiment, Some Old Black Man, premieres at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, and is his first live theater performance since his acclaimed run last year as Willy Loman on London s West End. The new, fully-staged production of James Anthony Tyler s 2015 play was filmed at the Jam Handy in Detroit after a three-week quarantine by its entire creative team under strict public health and safety protocols.