Shakiver Gordon and Lenora Fulani in the 2005 production of Have You Ever Seen a Dream Rapping?

The 2005-2006 Theatre for the Whole City season got off to a strong start with over 2,000 people attending the Newman-Roboff classic Sally and Tom (The American Way) and another 600 attending performances of the Youth Onstage! experimental theatre workshop production, Our City.

Though produced twice before, Sally and Tom was making its debut on the “Forty-Deuce.” As Dr. Omar Ali, Assistant Professor of African American History at Towson University said of the musical, “It's a touching production about one of the most important episodes in our collective history bringing together issues of race, sex and politics.”

Kalia Lynne as Sally Hemings and Johnnie Moore as Thomas Jefferson in the musical, Sally and Tom (The American Way).

The enthusiasm with which the Our City ensemble presented its show was matched only by the enthusiasm of the audiences who saw it. Created out of a workshop process, the play was roughly based on Thorton Wilder’s classic Our Town. The YO! ensemble developed characters by observing New Yorkers, and working with directors Brian Mullin and Dan Friedman, wove together this fresh look at New York City.

The holiday season will include a generous sprinkling of the Castillo Theatre’s own wacky improv show, This Is Your Ridiculous Life!!, to be followed on February 3 with the opening of an all-new Have You Ever Seen a Dream Rapping?, which will once again feature Lenora Fulani and Pamela A. Lewis along with young performers from the programs of the All Stars Project. Last season’s run of this innovative and touching production was completely sold out. So, get your tickets now! You can reach the box office by calling 212-941-1234 or via email.