Trinity Repertory Company presents Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage, directed by resident company member Jackie Davis, from May 29 – June 29, 2025. Tickets are available at trinityrep.com/blues, by calling (401) 351-4242, or in person at the Ticket Office at 201 Washington St., Providence, RI.
“Americans are still living with how the intersection of race and gender influences Black women and their acceptance in so many places in our culture,” The Laura H. Harris Artistic Director Curt Columbus said. “I don’t need to remind you that we only have to look at the last presidential election to see how this confluence influenced the outcome. Cleage’s play, however, focuses on the importance of struggle and on the future, and in this way, it is more necessary, more urgent than ever. Her words encourage us to continue to dream and live in hope.”
ABOUT BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY
It’s 1930 in New York City, and Harlem is sizzling. The summer heat and sultry jazz records set the backdrop as the explosive creativity of the Harlem Renaissance bleeds into the struggle of the Great Depression. And in one small apartment complex, four friends’ lives change forever upon the arrival of a mysterious stranger from Alabama… Named a “can’t miss” show by The Boston Globe, this intimate drama questions where the personal ends and the political begins, probes the intersection of life and art, and asks how we find meaning and direction in the most tumultuous of times.
“Blues for an Alabama Sky feels like an old Hollywood film to me,” director Jackie Davis said. “It has intrigue, danger, hopes, and dreams. It’s also a treat for the eyes with fabulous costumes, and for the ears with beautiful period music. It is like a slow, sexy, and dangerous jazz melody.”
THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST
Jackie Davis is an actor, director, choreographer, and intimacy coordinator based in Providence. A resident company member since 2022, she has appeared in recent Trinity Rep productions of POTUS…, August Wilson’s Fences, The Inheritance, The Inferior Sex, and A Christmas Carol, among others. As an intimacy coordinator, she worked on Trinity Rep’s productions of La Tempestad — The Tempest, Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson, La Cage aux Folles, and The Inheritance. Previous directing credits include Notes from the Field (Portland Playhouse), The Motherf*cker with the Hat, Red Velvet (Burbage Theatre Co.), Antigonx (Wilbury Theatre Group), Race (Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater), For Colored Girls… (Mixed Magic Theatre), and Songs of a Caged Bird, (Rites and Reason Theatre).
Jackie will work with resident scenic designer Michael McGarty, costume designer Amber Voner, lighting designer Erica Lauren Maholmes, sound designer Larry D. Fowler, Jr., fight choreographer Mark Rose, intimacy choreographer Dr. Ayshia Mackie-Stephenson, vocal and dialect coach Rebecca Gibel, and dramaturg Allison Jones.
The cast features Brown/Trinity Rep alum Cloteal L. Horne as the blues singer Angel, resident company member Taavon Gamble as costume designer Guy, new guest artist Meagan Dilworth as social worker Delia, returning guest artist Dereks Thomas as the doctor Sam, and Brown/Trinity Rep MFA in Acting student Quinn West as the Alabama migrant Leland.
SPECIAL EVENTS
On Friday, June 20 at 7:30 pm, Trinity Rep will host its second annual Black Out Night performance. The Black Out performance invites Black-identifying audience members to join together in community to celebrate and enjoy the production of Blues for an Alabama Sky. To purchase tickets, click here and use the code BLKOUT25. For further inquiries, please contact Monique Austin, director of people and culture, at maustin@trinityrep.com
Continuing Trinity Rep’s tradition of offering affordable tickets for all, the theater will hold a Pay What You Wish performance of Blues for an Alabama Sky on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 7:30 pm. Pay What You Wish tickets go on sale at 2:00 pm the day of the performance and are limited to two per person.
Returning this season are Neighborhood Nights, where Rhode Island residents can access a 20% discount on Sunday evening performances, based on where they live. Providence County residents are eligible for a Neighborhood Night discount for every Sunday evening performance. The Neighborhood Night performances for Kent County, Washington County, and Bristol & Newport County residents are on June 8, 15, and 22, respectively. Guests may claim this discount by entering their county name in all capital letters at checkout (i.e., PROVIDENCE).
The Sensory Friendly performance of Blues for an Alabama Sky, designed to meet the needs of guests with sensitivities to light and sound, will be held on Wednesday, June 18 at 7:30 pm. All performances in the final week of the run (June 25 – 29) are Open-Captioned. To learn more, visit trinityrep.com/accessibility.
Trinity Rep’s 2024-25 Season is sponsored by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) and the Providence Tourism Council. Southwest Airlines is the official airline of Trinity Rep.
ABOUT TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY
Rhode Island’s Tony Award-winning theater, Trinity Rep has created unparalleled professional theater for and with its community since its founding in 1963. Trinity Rep strives to facilitate human connection and has been a driving force behind the creativity that fuels and defines the region for more than 50 years.
Trinity Rep is committed to reinventing the public square and inspiring dialogue by creating emotionally stimulating live productions that range from classical to contemporary and innovative education programs for all ages and abilities. Its annual production of A Christmas Carol has brought families together for more than four decades and made memories for nearly two million audience members.
Trinity Rep’s 2025-26 Season begins in September 2025, including productions of Cold War Choir Practice, A Christmas Carol, The Roommate, The Winter’s Tale, Primary Trust, and Next to Normal. Subscriptions go on sale to the public on May 29. For more information, visit Trinity Rep’s website at www.trinityrep.com.
AT A GLANCE
Blues for an Alabama Sky
By Pearl Cleage
Director – Jackie Davis
Assistant Director – Tay Bass
Scenic Designer – Michael McGarty
Costume Designer – Amber Voner
Lighting Designer – Erica Lauren Maholmes
Sound Designer – Larry D. Fowler, Jr.
Fight Choreographer – Mark Rose
Intimacy Choreographer – Dr. Ayshia Mackie-Stephenson
Vocal & Dialect Coach – Rebecca Gibel
Dramaturg – Allison Jones
Stage Manager – Kelsey Emry
Assistant Stage Manager – Gabriela López Ruiz
Cast – Featuring resident company member Taavon Gamble; Brown/Trinity Rep student Quinn West; Brown/Trinity Rep alum Cloteal L. Horne (class of 2020); and guest artists Meagan Dilworth and Dereks Thomas. The understudies for this production are Chinonyerem Achilike, Jeff Ararat, and Mathieu Myrick.
Blues for an Alabama Sky Opening Night | Wednesday, June 4 at 7:30 pm
Invitations and RSVP instructions to come
Pay What You Wish – Thursday, May 29 at 7:30 pm
Neighborhood Nights – Patrons can receive 20% off tickets for the 6:00 pm evening performance on the following Sundays:
June 8 (Kent County residents using discount code KENT at checkout)
June 15 (Washington County residents using discount code WASHINGTON at checkout)
June 22 (Bristol & Newport County residents using discount code BRISTOL or NEWPORT at checkout)
All Sunday evening performances (Providence County residents using discount code PROVIDENCE at checkout)
Open-Caption Performances – June 25 and 28 at 2:00 pm; June 25, 26, 27, and 28 at 7:30 pm; and June 29 at 12:00 pm
Sensory-Friendly Performance – Wednesday, June 18 at 7:30 pm
Ticket Office – (401) 351-4242; 201 Washington Street, Providence, RI 02903
Group Sales – (401) 259-0477; discounts for groups of 10 or more
Website – trinityrep.com/tempest
Season Sponsors – Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) and Providence Tourism Council
Official Airline of Trinity Rep – Southwest Airlines
