The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Brings Tony-nominated Writer Dominique Morisseau’s Play Confederates to Life This February

ST. LOUIS (January 05, 2023) – The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) - the leading regional performing arts theatre in the Midwest - invites everyone to their upcoming production of Confederates. From award-winning playwright and writer Dominique Morisseau, this production will unite and enlighten audiences. Performances begin on February 11 and run until March 5 at the Loretto-Hilton Center. 

Confederates is one of the newest plays written by Morisseau. The Rep is the third theatre in the country that has been given her exclusive permission to perform it. The play tells the story of an enslaved rebel turned Union spy and a tenured professor in a modern-day private university who have  parallel experiences of institutionalized racism, despite existing more than a century apart. MacArthur Genius Award-Winning Playwright, Dominique Morisseau, brilliantly bends the continuum of time and weaves together the stark realities of racial and gender bias both women face in this illuminating drama.

 

As a luminary in the theatre industry, Morisseau is also known as the Tony nominated author of the book turned Broadway musical,  Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations that St. Louis audiences may remember from its run at The Fabulous Fox Theatre in 2022. She also authored The Detroit Project (A 3-Play Cycle) which includes Skeleton Crew (soon to be performed at The Black Rep), and most recently served as Co-Producer on the Showtime series Shameless. Morisseau  has also won a myriad of awards, including the Spirit of Detroit Award, TEER Trailblazer Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, NBFT August Wilson Playwriting Award, Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama, Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship and the Variety’s Women of Impact for 2017-18.

 

“Dominique Morisseau is inarguably one of the greatest dramatists of her generation,” said Hana S. Sharif, Augustin Family Artistic Director at The Rep. “The scale and virtuosity of her work coupled with the intimacy of the voices of her characters, illuminates and transforms the conceit of our fundamental humanity. 

 

Confederates boasts a cast of five actors making their Rep debuts. The role of Sandra will be played by Tatiana Williams, who was most recently in The Legend of Georgia McBride at Florida Studio Theatre. The role of Sara will be played by Tiffany Oglesby, who was previously awarded the Black Theatre Alliance Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Light at New Colony Theatre. The roles of Jade/Luanne will be played by Celeste M. Cooper, who was recognized as the Most Promising Actress by The Black Theater Alliance. The roles of Missy Sue/Candice will be played by Tracey Greenwood, who recently received a Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for Performer in a Principal Role for her role in Mrs. Warren's Profession at Promethean Theatre Ensemble. The roles of Abner/Malik will be played by Xavier Scott Evans whose recent work includes HBOMax’s Love Life. 

 

The creative team for Confederates includes Elizabeth Carter (Director), Jon Toppo (Fight Choreographer), Kaja Amado Dunn ( Intimacy Director), Micah Stieglitz (Projections Designer), Nina Ball (Scenic Designer), Ricky German (Costume Design), T Carlis Roberts (Composer/Sound Designer), and Xavier Pierce (Lighting Designer).

 

The Rep is pleased to offer several special offerings and accessible performances throughout the run of Confederates. These include:

Post Show Talkbacks, Feb. 23, 8 p.m & March 1, 2 p.m. – Following the performance stick around for an informal discussion with members of the cast and creative team of the show.

Audio Described Performance, March 2, 8 p.m. – The Rep partners with MindsEye to offer live audio description for the final Thursday performance of all productions.

American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreted, March 4, 2 p.m. – An ASL interpreted performance will be offered on the final Saturday matinee. Interpreters will be inside the theater and sign along with what the actors are saying and expressing for the audience.

Open-Captioned Performance, March 5, 2 p.m. – The Rep offers open captioning, an electronic text display that shows what the actors are saying or singing, at the last Sunday show for all Mainstage performances.

Tickets for Confederates are on sale now at www.repstl.org or by calling 314-968-4925. Ticket prices start at $28. Prices are subject to change; please refer to The Rep website for current pricing.

About The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

The Rep is the St. Louis region’s most honored live professional theatre company. Founded in 1966, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is a fully professional theatrical operation belonging to the League of Resident Theatres, The League of St. Louis Theatres and is a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group, Inc., the national service organization for the not-for-profit professional theatre. Visit www.repstl.org for more, and find The Rep on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.