Ensemble Theatre Company to perform ‘American Son’ at New Vic
“American Son,” which examines racial dynamics in America, features from left, Jamison Jones as Scott, an FBI agent whose son may be in trouble with the law; Toby Tropper as Officer Paul Larkin; and Alex Morris as Lt. John Stokes.
It’s the middle of the night in the waiting room of a Miami police station, where the parents of a black teenager anxiously await news of their son, who may have been picked up by the police.
That’s the setting of “American Son,” a play that looks at the subtle — and not-so-subtle — racial dynamics in American culture.
The curtain will rise this week on the Ensemble Theatre Company’s production of the drama at the New Vic in Santa Barbara.
A preview of Christopher Demos-Brown’s play, directed by Jonathan Fox, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The play officially opens at 8 p.m. Saturday for a run through April 24. (See the FYI box for the times.)
“American Son: is a collaboration with The English Theatre Frankfurt.
“We have been eager to finally bring this compelling and important new play to The New Vic stage since the production was halted in 2020,” Mr. Fox, ETC’s artistic director, said in a news release. “The questions it raises about race in today’s America are even more vital and urgent than two years ago, and the playwright, Christopher Demos-Brown, has been working with us to incorporate events of the past two years.
“We have assembled an extraordinary cast and design team to bring this suspenseful and riveting work to life on The New Vic stage,” Mr. Fox said.
“American Son” had a successful run at the Booth Theatre on Broadway, where it was directed by Kenny Leon and starred Kerry Washington, Steven Pasquale, Jeremy Jordan and Eugene Lee. The play has been adapted as a movie on Netflix.
Mr. Demos-Brown, the playwright, is a practicing trial lawyer and former prosecutor who has written more than a dozen full-length plays and screenplays. His honors include the Laurents/Hatcher Award, a Steinberg Citation from The American Theatre Critics Association and multiple regional theater awards. His plays include “American Hero,” “Captiva,” “Stripped” and “When The Sun Shone Brighter.”
The cast of “American Son” features Tracey A. Leigh (“Good People” at ETC, “The Baby Dance: Mixed” at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura) as Kendra, a professor of psychology and mother, desperately trying to find out what has happened to her son. Jamison Jones (Elemeno Pea, “Doctor Cerberus” at South Coast Repertory) plays her recently separated husband Scott, an FBI agent who is also the boy’s deeply devoted father.
Alex Morris plays Lt. John Stokes, a no-nonsense career police officer who has paid his dues, knows the rules and has no problem enforcing them. Toby Tropper portrays Officer Paul Larkin, a young, green police officer with bold career ambitions.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
IF YOU GO
Ensemble Theatre Company will perform a preview of “American Son” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The play opens officially at 8 p.m. Saturday for a run through April 24 at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara.
Curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays, with added performances at 7:30 p.m. April 12 and 4 p.m. April 16. There will be no performance at 7 p.m. April 17.
Ticket prices range from $42 to $72. Single tickets are available through the ETC box office at 805-965-5400 or at etcsb.org.
