Annual Night Out With NAMI

Featuring the premiere of a new play
written by Danai Gurira
directed by Emily Mann

Saturday January 21, 2012   3 PM
McCarter Theater, Princeton

After Party in Berlind Theater Rehearsal Hall
Live Auction  ~  Silent Auction
With a special tribute to Kay and Janet Lasley
Proclamation by State Legislature
NAMI Mercer Interview of Danai Gurira

The Program:

Danai Gurira

McCarter Theatre ushers in the New Year with a powerful new play, The Convert, created by actress and playwright Danai Gurira and directed by Emily Mann.

Gurira, who was born in the U.S. and raised in Zimbabwe, tells the tale of Jekesai, a young girl living in the region now known as Zimbabwe in 1895. She flees an arranged marriage by converting to Christianity under the influence of a zealous Black catechist. As civil uprising against colonial White rule unsettles their lives and lessons, Jekesai and her mentor seek to define their identity in the new world order that threatens their heritage, history, and faith.

The Convert, commissioned by Center Theatre Group (Los Angeles, CA), is a co-production of McCarter, Center Theatre Group, and the Goodman Theatre (Chicago, IL).

Gurira’s previous plays include Eclipsed and In the Continuum. Eclipsed, which explores the experiences of five women during Liberia’s civil war, won Best New Play at the 2010 Helen Hayes Awards. In 2006, Gurira won an Obie for In the Continuum, a two-woman play that premiered off-Broadway and toured the U.S. and southern Africa. Gurira co-authored (with Nikkole Salter) and performed in Continuum, the story of two women, one in Los Angeles and the other in Zimbabwe, who both are diagnosed with HIV.

Gurira also starred in the acclaimed film The Visitor with Oscar-nominated actor Richard Jenkins. Her TV credits include Law and Order, Lie to Me, and HBO’s Treme, where she portrayed Jill in six episodes.

Tickets

The cost for each seat combined with admission to the after-party is $99 per person. Season’s ticket holders can participate by calling NAMI Mercer to exchange their seats for the benefit performance. All tickets will be available for pickup at “will call” in the Berlind lobby immediately before the performance.

After Party

Purchasing seats through NAMI Mercer will admit attendees to an exclusive after-party in the Berlind Rehearsal Hall.

The after-party, catered by Main Street Fine Caterers of Princeton, will feature both silent and live auctions. During the reception, NAMI will honor Kate and Janet Lasley posthumously for their contributions to the Mercer County community.