The Acting Company has announced the complete cast for the reading of Mustapha Matura’s new play Three Sisters After Chekhov. This is a part of the Reading Series in honor of The Acting Company’s 50th anniversary.
The cast will feature Tatiana Wechsler (Mr. Saturday Night), Kaliswa Brewster (Time After Time, Billions), Joyce Sylvester (Most Dangerous Man in America, A Freeman Hope), Jasai Chase Owens (The Expanse, Uncoupled), Jakeem Dante Powell (Rustin, The American Wife), Daniel Davila (Cheer Up Charlie), Alexandria Elam (Triflin’), Jason Bowen (The Play That Goes Wrong), Andy Lucien (Lessons in Survival: 1971), and Cici Koueth (YoungArts National Theatre Finalist, 2018).
The performance will take place on May 22, 2023 at 7pm at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre,
416 West 42 Street, New York, NY, 10036.
In Colonial Trinidad 1941, three sisters endure a mundane but privileged life in the capital, Port of Spain. Adapted from one of Chekhov’s greatest works, Mustapha Matura examines the question of cultural identity and the way people transform themselves – willingly or unconsciously – in order to survive.
Tickets are now available for the final performance of the 2023 Louanna O. Carlin & John MacDonald Reading Series. Tickets are $35 each, and include an informal post-show reception. Seating is subject to availability. Visit Click Here or call 212-258-3111 to purchase tickets.
Casting by Laura Schutzel, CSA
Jason Bowen
(Capt Richard Rivers)’s previous credits include Broadway: The Play That Goes Wrong. Off-Broadway: Crumb From The Table Of Joy (Keen Company), Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Audible Theater), Native Son (The Acting Co.), If Pretty Hurts (Playwrights Horizons), Alternating Currents (Working Theater), My Mañana Comes (Playwright’s Realm). Regional: Native Son (Yale Rep.), Skeleton Crew (Studio Theatre), Jazz (Baltimore Center Stage), As You Like It, Black Odyssey (Denver Center Theatre Co.), June Moon (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Ruined (La Jolla Playhouse), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (IRNE Award for Best Actor – Drama) (Huntington Theatre Co.). TV/Film: “Orange Is The New Black” (Netflix), “Blue Bloods,” “Madam Secretary,” “Elementary,” “Braindead” (CBS), “Law & Order: SVU” (NBC), “The Good Fight” (Paramount Plus), Mother/Android, The Upside, What’s Your Number?
Kaliswa Brewster
(Helen) has recurred on Showtime’s “Billions,” ABC’s series “Time After Time,” and “Release.” Film credits include Paterno for HBO Films starring Al Pacino, the feature film Paint directed by Michael Walker, and The Bit Player for PBS. Guest star and other television credits include NBC’s “Law & Order,” CBS’ “God Frieneded Me,” “Blue Bloods,” Netflix’s “Daredevil” & CBS’ “Unforgettable”. She has worked onstage at The Signature Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Hartford Stage, The Williamstown Theater Festival, The Guthrie Theater, and others. As a voice actor Kaliswa has appeared in various commercial ads, animation series (including Marvel), and her extensive audiobook work can be found on Audible. She holds an MFA from American Conservatory Theater and a Certificate in Classical Theater from LAMDA in London
Daniel Davila
(Peter) is a Juilliard graduate who can be seen on TV in “The Last O.G.” (TBS) and “Blue Bloods” (CBS). On stage he most recently played ‘Florizel’ in The Winter’s Tale at Hartford Stage. Other stage credits include Juilliard productions of: The Seagull, Henry V, The Samuel Beckett Project, King Lear, Hoodoo Love, Father Comes Home from The Wars, P.Y.G., Cymbeline, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, The Adding Machine, Balm in Gilead, Dark of The Moon, All My Sons and All’s Well That Ends Well.
Alex Elam
(Jean) is thrilled to be working with The Acting Company for the first time! Prior to her time in New York City, Alex lived and worked in Chicago. Chicago credits include: A Doll’s House Pt. 2 (Steppenwolf), Earthquakes in London (Steep Theatre), and Fear and Misery in the Third Reich (Haven). Alex is also a proud graduate of and former teacher at The School at Steppenwolf. She holds a B.A. from UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television, and recently received her MFA from NYU Graduate Acting.
Olivia Fletcher
(Stage Manager) – is a freelance stage and company manager based in NYC. She recently worked with The Juilliard School as the Deck SM on A FIddler’s Tale and was the PSM on the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundations production of HONKY TONK ANGELS. She is excited to be working with The Acting Company on this reading after having worked on THE MISANTHROPE and looks forward to continuing work with The Acting Company in the future.
Cici Koeuth
(Stage Directions) was born in the motherland of Africa, then grew up in Florida. She attended the BFA Acting program at SUNY Purchase. Some of her credits include Deadringers (Amazon Prime), Blood Wedding (Purchase Rep), As You Like It (Purchase Rep), and Frost/Nixon (Bay Street Theatre).
Andy Lucien
(Jamal) – TV/Film credits include: “The Blacklist,” Netflix’s “Daredevil,” “Elementary,” “Madam Secretary,” “Seven Lovers,” Vox “Lux” and more including the upcoming film Pretty Doesn’t Hurt, for which he also co-produced. He has been a part of productions at Lincoln Center Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Berkeley Rep, La Jolla Playhouse and Studio Theater as well as the Grahamstown Theater Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa. IG: @oooothatandylucien
Jasai Chase Owens
(Scott) was born and raised in New York City/ He holds a BFA in Acting from SUNY Purchase Theater credits include: Native Son (Yale Rep), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Public Theater), The Tempest (The Public Theater), Sanctuary City (New York Theatre Workshop).Film Credits Include: Mutt(Dir Vuk Lungolov-Klotz). TV credits Include: “The Expanse” (Amazon Prime), “Uncoupled” (Netflix), “The Deuce” (HBO).
Jakeem Dante Powell
(Lucas) will be seen in a large supporting role in George C. Wolfe’s upcoming Netflix feature Rustin. He recently completed a run of Shayok Misha Chowdhury’s new play Pulic Obscenities at the Soho Rep that was extended twice. Previously, he understudied the roles of ‘Gary’ and ‘Philip’ in SLAVE PLAY on Broadway and will portray ‘Gary’ in the Center Theatre Group production. Additionally, he starred in the streaming play THIS AMERICAN WIFE alongside Pulitzer Prize finalists Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama where he played ‘Gary’ in Slave Play, , ‘Kasim’ in If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka, and ‘Trigorin’ in The Seagull. Additional credits include ‘Sebastian’ in Twelfth Night at the Yale Repertory Theatre and ‘Asagai’ in A Raisin in the Sun at the Dallas Theatre Center.
Joyce Sylvester
(Alma) An award winning theatre artist and alumnus of the prestige’s Negro Ensemble Company. Ms. Sylvester has graced stages on and off Broadway from the East to the West Coast ranging from Drama to Comedy as an actor, playwright, director, and poet. Last seen off Broadway in New Federal Theatre’s production of Trevor Rhone’s Caribbean Classic Two Can Play as Gloria directed by Clinton Turner Davis. Other off-Broadway productions include: Amiri Baraka’s, The Most Dangerous Man In America: WEB Dubois, New Federal Theatre, Richard Wentz’s “Night of the Working Dead”, New Perspectives Theatre/NY, Steve Carter’s “Pecong”, National Black Theatre. Regional Credits Include: Samm-Art William’s “The Dance On Widows Row”/National Black Theatre Festival, NC; and Jomandi Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia. Marcia Leslie’s “The Trial Of One Short Sited Black Woman Vs. Mammy Louise and Safreeta Mae”, NJPAC, and Ntozake Shange’s “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf, touring the U.S. She originated the roles of Candy in “Livin’ Fat” by Judi Ann Maison, at the Negro Ensemble Company and the Billie Holiday Theatre; Billie Jean in Weldon Irvine’s, “Vampire and The Dentist”, Billie Holiday Theatre; Tracey-Ada in Ramona King’s, Steal Away/New Federal Theatre, Clydie in Sandra Sharp’s “The Sistuhs” and Carmen Casteel in A. Marcus Hemphill’s “Inacent Black” on and off Broadway starring Samuel L. Jackson, Melba Moore and Reginald Vel Johnson to name a few. Television Credits include: Ellen, The Right to Remain Silent as Officer Collins, starring Robert Loggia, Patrick Dempsey, LL Cool J, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson; For Love Of Amy, a Ted Lange Film along with other independent films. Ms. Sylvester holds the distinction of being the first recipient of the 2005 August Wilson’s Playwright Audelco Award for “A Freeman’s Hope” produced at the Billie Holiday Theatre. Other awards include: NAACP Theatre Award/CA, Audelco Award/NY, and the Dramalogue Critics Award/CA. She is the author of “Mercedes”, “Grace In The Light”, “Faith On Line”, “Freeda Peoples” and “Women In The Pit” receiving 5 Audelco nominations each including best playwright. Having studied with legendary playwrights, Douglas Turner Ward, Steve Carter, Ed Bullins, Leslie Lee, Richard Wesley, Joyce is seeking production for her new play entitled “Three Women In The Kitchen”. Joyce is honored to work with The Acting Company and director, Seret Scott.
Tatiana Wechsler
(Audrey) is a Brooklyn based actor, singer/songwriter, and creative. TAC: X: Or…, Julius Caesar, Othello. Broadway: Mr. Saturday Night. Off-Broadway/NYC: Pericles, The Knight of the Burning Pestle (Fiasco Theater/Red Bull); The Golden Bride (Folksbiene). Regional: Love’s Labor’s Lost, first woman to play Curly in Oklahoma! (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Benny & Joon (Paper Mill Playhouse); Love in Hate Nation (Two River Theatre); Legend of Georgia McBride (Marin Theatre Company). Many readings and workshops. NYU New Studio grad. www.tatianawechsler.com
ABOUT THE ACTING COMPANY
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Kent Gash, Producing Director Devin Brain and Managing Director Erik Schroeder, The Acting Company brings professional productions and education programs, in-school residencies, and teacher training workshops to thousands of audience members and students in underserved communities and schools each year. Founded by John Houseman and Margot Harley, the company seeks to develop emerging actors and build enthusiastic, knowledgeable audiences for the theater in towns across the United States. The Acting Company launched the careers of nearly 500 actors, including Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Mary Lou Rosato, Keith David, Rainn Wilson, Lorraine Toussaint, Frances Conroy, Harriet Harris, Lisa Banes, Jeffrey Wright, Hamish Linklater, Jesse L. Martin, Roslyn Ruff, Jimonn Cole, and Kelley Curran.
Among many accolades, The Acting Company received the 2003 Tony Award for Excellence in the Theater, and recently won the 2019 Audelco Award for Best Play for its production of Nambi E. Kelley’s Native Son, directed by Seret Scott.
Since 1972, The Acting Company has performed for over 4 million people in 48 States, 10 foreign countries, on and Off-Broadway, and at leading resident theaters including The Guthrie and The Kennedy Center. New works commissioned by the company include plays by William Finn, Marcus Gardley, Rebecca Gilman, John Guare, Beth Henley, Tony Kushner, Lynn Nottage, Meg Miroshnik, Ntozake Shange, Maria Irene Fornés, Spalding Gray, Marsha Norman, Charles Smith, Samm-Art Williams, and Wendy Wasserstein.
Each season, The Acting Company hosts a series of staged readings. A mixture of new texts, classics of the canon, and forgotten favorites, these readings are a showcase of The Acting Company’s alumni and a chance to explore other works by playwrights and directors featured in the company’s National Tours. The Acting Company gratefully recognizes the generous supporters of The Louanna O. Carlin and John MacDonald Reading Series, including Richard J. Reilly, Jr. (Producer), Abigail Klem Spector & Warren Spector (Underwriter, Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For) and John and Jill Gilbert (Underwriter, Three Sisters (after Chekhov)).