HYPE MAN: A BREAK BEAT PLAY
by Idris Goodwin
Directed by Ozzie Jones
January 25 – February 17, 2019
Hype man Verb has been backing up front-man rapper Pinnacle since they were kids. Adding beatmaker Peep One to their group sparked a flame and now the interracial trio is flexing serious Hip-Hop muscle. But when an unarmed black teenager is shot by police, it forces the group to navigate issues of friendship and race. The latest from break beat poet and playwright Idris Goodwin (HOW WE GOT ON), HYPE MAN asks: what does it mean to be an ally, and who has the responsibility to speak up in the face of social injustice?
HEARTLAND 
An InterAct Commission & NNPN Rolling World Premiere by Gabriel Jason Dean
Directed by Evren Odcikin
March 29 – April 21, 2019
Dr. Harold Banks, an aging professor of Afghan studies in Nebraska, is reeling after his adopted daughter Getee is killed by the Taliban while delivering foreign aid. When Afghan refugee Nazrullah arrives at his door with an incredible story and carrying Getee’s prized books, the two men form an unlikely bond. Each is searching for his own brand of forgiveness, but as their friendship develops, Naz accidentally exposes an unexpected source of Dr. Banks’ guilt. How might a CIA propaganda operation over 30 years ago have contributed to Getee’s death? Inspired by true events, HEARTLAND is a story of healing, connection, and the devastating unintentional consequences of our actions.
THE GREAT LEAP
By Lauren Yee
Directed by Seth Rozin
May 31 – June 23, 2019
It’s 1989 and Manfred Lum, renowned for his basketball hustle in Chinatown, tries to talk his way on to a college team destined for a “friendship” game in China. Coach Saul blocks him hard, but Manfred rebounds and launches himself on a journey to a homeland he’s never known. Bouncing between Beijing and San Francisco, between 1989 and 1971, this clever and theatrical play looks at America’s arms-length relationship with Communist China and the post-Cultural Revolution through a story about two generations of basketball players. Smart, funny and heart-pumping, Lauren Yee’s THE GREAT LEAP will have you on your feet for the final buzzer.
For more information about InterAct Theatre Company or to contact them for ticket reservations, visit their website here.
PNC at the Drake 