-Courtesy of En Route Marketing
Beginning September 22, Malvern-based theatre People’s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA 19355) opens the 2023/24 season with the world premiere of Bonez by acclaimed actor, director, and playwright Steve H. Broadnax III. An Associate Artistic Director at People’s Light, Broadnax brings the social horror genre to the stage in this chilling investigation of masculinity, intimacy, and childhood demons. Bonez is directed by Broadnax and features stage and screen actors Elijah Jones, Eric Robinson Jr., John Clarence Stewart, and Keith A. Wallace. The play runs from September 22 to October 15, with 24 performances presented on the Steinbright stage, an intimate, flexible 140-seat theatre.
In Bonez, “The Bruhs” Derek (Jones), Remello (Robinson Jr.), and PJ (Stewart) gather for an evening game of dominoes at their friend Trey’s (Wallace) new “deluxe apartment in the sky.” Knock. Over beers and “bones,” the players laugh, place bets, and swap stories. KNOCK. As drinks flow, dominoes are drawn, the bets escalate, and the game intensifies; all the while a mysterious banging from next door grows louder and louder. KNOCK! Before long, childhood demons emerge, and the four men begin to question what they think they know about masculinity, intimacy, and what makes a man.
Broadnax’s latest play was inspired by a series of gatherings that acted as a safe haven where Black men could peel away societal masks and share about everything from sexuality, intimacy and sports, to harrowing tales of police brutality. It was a space where the laughter of shared childhood memories coexisted with somber debates on masculinity, challenging stereotyped definitions of manhood.
“As a passionate horror aficionado, I couldn’t help but recognize the uncanny parallels between the genre and the lived Black male experience,” said Broadnax. “Horror is an exploration of our deepest fears that magnifies and distorts the facets of reality, repackaging them in ways that confront, and sometimes even liberate, the viewer or reader. The Black male journey, with its inherited traumas and societal pressures, naturally aligns with such a narrative. These real-life anxieties – the terror of being deemed ‘less than’, the pressure to don a façade of strength, the weight of generational trauma – become metaphorical demons in Bonez.”
The world premiere presentation of Bonez at People’s Light is highlighted by a cast of four renowned actors. Actor, writer, director, and North Philadelphia native Keith A. Wallace (The First Deep Breath at Geffen Playhouse) performs as the host of the play’s fateful domino gathering, Trey. He’s joined by stage and screen actor Elijah Jones (The Crowded Room) as Derek, and actor and singer John Clarence Stewart (Zoey’s Extrodinary Playlist, P-Valley) as PJ. Actor and author Eric Robinson Jr. (They Cloned Tyrone, New Amsterdam) returns to People’s Light as Remello after previously appearing in Mud Row in 2019.
“From the moment Steve shared his idea for Bonez, I was all in,” said Zak Berkman, Producing Artistic Director at People’s Light. “Lurking underneath a raucous domino party is an interrogation of longstanding myths of masculinity and power that not only possess these individual men, but also grips one generation after another in our society. What better way is there to open our 49th season and welcome the Halloween chill in the fall air than to conjure a new kind of theatre that delights and disturbs in equal measure?”
An Associate Artistic Director and New Play Frontiers commissioned writer at People’s Light, Broadnax is driven to present art that mirrors the complex human society in which we live. As a director, he led numerous productions across the U.S. and beyond, including the Broadway presentation of Thoughts of a Colored Man and the 2021 premiere of Katori Hall’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Hot Wing King. As a playwright, he wrote and directed Bayard Rustin: Inside Ashland at People’s Light in 2021, which told the story of the prominent gay Civil Rights Activist Bayard Rustin with actor Reggie D. White in the starring role.
Broadnax leads the production’s innovative, award-winning creative team, featuring Scenic Designer Michael Carnahan, Costume Designer Shilla Benning, Lighting Designer Nic J. Vincent, Sound Designer Curtis Craig, and Projection Designer Zavier Taylor. The artistic team also includes Dramaturg Kristin Leahey and Intimacy and Fight Coordinator Mike Rossmy, with Therapeutic Support from Dashiya Wallace. Stage Manager Audrey M. Brown and Stage Manager Apprentice Julia Rosen round out the Bonez production team at People’s Light.
Bonez is a part of Queerways, PA, an extension of the People’s Light New Play Frontiers program dedicated to sharing stories from queer communities in Chester County. Lead support for Bonez and Queerways, PA is provided by the William Penn Foundation. Additional support for Bonez is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Preview performances for Bonez are from Friday, September 22, through Tuesday, September 26. The production opens with an invite-only performance on Wednesday, September 27, at 7 p.m., and runs through Sunday, October 15. Tickets start at $42, including fees. People’s Light also offers a range of ticket discounts, including youth tickets, 50% off Access Nights, 25% off for educators and military, and discounted student and industry rush tickets. The Access Night dates for Bonez are Friday, September 22 at 7 p.m., and Tuesday, October 10, at 7 p.m. To purchase single tickets, visit peopleslight.org or call the box office at 610-644-3500.
Before a show, attendees can also enjoy scratch cooking and theatrical sensibilities in the theatre’s on site restaurant, The Fern & Fable. Quality, artistry, and unique experiences are top of mind at the restaurant. Located steps away from the Leonard C. Haas Stage, The Fern & Fable occupies three rooms of a 1700s farmhouse, complete with two working fireplaces and historic quirks. During warmer months, guests dine al fresco among the lush gardens on the People’s Light campus. Reservations can be made through OpenTable. Learn more by visiting http://www.farmhousepeopleslight.com/dining.
Philadelphia RowHome Magazine's Blog 