The King of Cage Street
By Michael Oatman
March 29 – April 21, 2018, at the Stone Cottage Theatre
The story follows the lives of three characters D-Bear, an ex-con who is trying to cobble his life together, Dime, a transsexual sex worker, and Skully, an ex-convict turned handy man, as they try to survive life in a run-down section of East Cleveland. Their lives are thrown into turmoil when they find out that a rival ex-gang member is being released from prison and is set to take revenge on D-Bear. The play examines the daily lives of these oft-over look members of the black community while celebrating their humanity. The play is filled with humor and the indomitable spirit of people living life on the edge, even while being surrounded and confronting tragedy.
About the playwright: Micahel Oatman is the former Playwright-In-Residence at Karamu Theater, the oldest African American theater in the country. He is only the second person to hold this honor in the storied history of Karamu; the first being Langston Hughes. In 2011, he won the CPAC Workforce Fellowship and the Cleveland Art Prize in 2010 for Best Emerging Artist and the 2010 Lantern Award for Best Play. He has also been featured on NPR's "This I Believe" series. He currently teaches playwrighting at Kent State University and serves as a playwriting mentor at the University of Nebraska in Omaha.
Please note that this play replaces Marianela which was originally scheduled for these dates.
