Baltimore Center Stage has announced the cast and artistic team for the co-world premiere of Richard & Jane & Dick & Sally, the fourth mainstage offering of the theater’s 2019/20 season. At once poignant and heart-wrenching, Richard & Jane & Dick & Sally takes an updated look at the classic world of “Dick and Jane” from the childhood books, with an emotional twist—a world that is beginning to fracture for one dysfunctional and dissembling family.
Witty and raw, Richard & Jane & Dick & Sally is written by Noah Diaz, from the lens of peeling back the layers of the classic American family. Here, Dick and Jane are all grown up, in what turns out to be a jarring evolution of the characters portrayed in the 1950s children’s books.
“Richard & Jane & Dick & Sally is a deeply personal play for me, and I suspect it will feel deeply personal for anyone who encounters it,” said Artistic Director Stephanie Ybarra. “Playwright Noah Diaz, with his singular voice, is telling the story of a family dealing with loss, sibling dynamics, miscommunication, boatloads of love, and the family dog – sound familiar? It resonates in new ways with me every time I read it, which I think, is the telltale sign of a new theatrical classic.”
Directed by Taylor Reynolds, Richard & Jane & Dick & Sally is a co-production with The Playwright’s Realm and presented in collaboration with The Sol Project, a national theater initiative dedicated to amplifying the voices of Latinx playwrights. After the run at Baltimore Center Stage, the play moves on to New York for an off-Broadway run at A.R.T/New York Theatres.
The cast includes Noah Averbach-Katz* (Spot); Michelle Beck* (Jane); Jay Cobián* (Dick); Neimah Djourabchi* (Richard); Treshelle Edmond* (Sally); and Vanessa Kai* (Mother). The artistic team includes Taylor Reynolds (Director); Noah Diaz (Playwright); Stephanie Osin Cohen (Scenic Designer); Alicia J. Austin (Costume Designer); Reza Behjat (Lighting Designer); Frederick Kennedy (Sound Designer); Rachel Fae Szymanski (Assistant Lighting Designer), James Caverly (Director of Artistic Sign Language) and Ada Karamanyan (Casting Director).
Danielle Teague-Daniels* (Stage Manager); Tiffany N. Robinson* (Assistant Stage Manager); and Raul Duran (Stage Management Apprentice).
*Members of Actors’ Equity Association
Richard & Jane & Dick & Sally begins with preview performances on February 6 and closes on March 1, 2020. Opening Night is Thursday February 13 at 7:30pm. Tickets can be reserved here.
Richard & Jane & Dick & Sally is sponsored by Kramon & Graham. Baltimore Center Stage’s 2019/20 Season is made possible by the Shubert Foundation, the Baltimore County Commission on Arts and Sciences, and in part by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) and a gift from Terry Morgenthaler and Patrick Kerins.
About Baltimore Center Stage
Designated the State Theater of Maryland in 1978, Baltimore Center Stage provides the highest quality theater and programming for all members of our communities, including youth and families, under the leadership of Artistic Director Stephanie Ybarra and Executive Director Michael Ross. Baltimore Center Stage ignites conversations and imaginations by producing an eclectic season of professional productions across two mainstages and an intimate 99-seat theater, through engaging community programs, and with inspiring education programs. Everything we do at Center Stage is led by our core values—chief among them being Access For All. Our mission is heavily rooted in providing active and open accessibility for everyone, regardless of any and all barriers, to our Mainstage performances, education initiatives, and community programming. To find out more click here.