Ife Olujobi's Jordans officially opened its extended world premiere Off-Broadway via The Public Theater April 24, and the reviews are in. Performances are set to continue through May 12 at the company's LuEsther Hall. Whitney White is at the helm.
The piece takes place at an overwhelmingly white workplace that hires a new employee to improve the company's image and so-called "culture." Olujobi, who makes their Off-Broadway debut with the production, began work on the play while part of the Public's 2018-2019 Emerging Writers Group.
The cast includes Brontë England-Nelson as Emma, Naomi Lorrain as Jordan, Brian Muller as Fletcher, Toby Onwumere as 1.Jordan, Matthew Russell as Tyler, Ryan Spahn as Ryan, Meg Steedle as Maggie, and Kate Walsh as Hailey. Rounding out the company are understudies Britt Faulkner, Quinn M. Johnson, Devin Kessler, and Kai Tshikosi.
Read the reviews below.
New York Magazine/Vulture (Sara Holdren)
New York Stage Review (David Finkle)
New York Theatre Guide (Austin Fimmano)
The New York Times (Maya Phillips)*
TheaterMania (Zachary Stewart)
Winningham Writes (Madie Winningham)
*This review may require creating a free account or a paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
The production also features scenic design by Matt Saunders, costume design by Qween Jean, lighting design by Cha See, sound design by Fan Zhang, hair and wig design by Nikiya Mathis, special effects design by Lillis Meeh, prop management by Claire M. Kavanah, intimacy direction by Kelsey Rainwater, and fight direction by UnkleDave's Fight House.
Nissy Aya serves as dramaturg, with Rachel Denise April as production stage manager and Eloia Peterson as stage manager.
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