Steppenwolf's 'Last Night and the Night Before' is touching portrait on love and sacrifice
Actresses Ayanna Bria Bakari and Sydney Charles discuss their roles as sisters
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to continue its 47th season with the Chicago premiere of Donnetta Lavinia Grays' "Last Night and the Night Before," a moving exploration of love - Black, queer, familial - and what must be sacrificed to raise a child.
This fascinating play features ensemble member Namir Smallwood with Ayanna Bria Bakari, Sydney Charles, Kylah Renee Jones, Aliyana Nicole and Jessica Dean Turner.
The story begins with Monique and her daughter Sam on the run. From what, they will not say. Showing up on their family's doorstep in Brooklyn, the surprise visit raises more questions than it answers. As the specter of their abandoned life in Georgia creeps back into focus, the family is forced to consider what must be sacrificed to raise a child in an often-cruel world. Donnetta Lavinia Grays's heartbreaking and poetic portrait of love - Black, queer, familial - is a bold tribute to the enduring promise of tomorrow.
Directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton, Last Night and the "Night Before" runs April 6 through May 14 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Single tickets starting at $20 are now on sale online or the Box Office at (312) 335-1650.
