PlayMakers Repertory Company Presents the World Premiere of “They Do Not Know Harlem” 

CHAPEL HILL, NC – Playwright and performing artist Tristan André (As You Like It, The Public/Shakespeare in the Park) summons the spirit of James Baldwin in the world premiere of They Do Not Know Harlem at PlayMakers Repertory Company. 

This multi-media production, which fuses music, dance, and community call-and-response marks a homecoming of sorts for André, who began working on it as part of his thesis project at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  

“This piece began as a thesis and is now taking its absolute wings and with the support of our community, it will fly,” he says. 

“It is necessary to continue to redefine the way that Baldwin impacts this new generation of artists so as to explore the relevance and how we all embody his work, his words, and his legacy.” 

PlayMakers Repertory Company member Kathryn Hunter-Williams is directing They Do Not Know Harlem and has been working with André on developing it for the last three years. 

“The idea of having something that started with our students and bringing it full circle and giving it this world premiere on our stage is terribly exciting,” she says. 

“One of the things that resonated with me the most when I think about this play is Tristan’s exploration of community and how the community informs us in our individual ways and how we shape and inform each other.”  

The production team includes music direction by Allen Thompson, sound by Derek A. Graham (I Shall Not Be Moved/Your Negro Tour Guide, Edinburgh Fringe Festival), and lighting design by Kathy A. Perkins (Trouble in Mind, Broadway). 

The PlayMakers Repertory Company production of They Do Not Know Harlem begins previews on March 1 and runs through March 12. For information and to purchase tickets, call 919.962.7529 or visit www.playmakersrep.org. Individual ticket prices start at $20. 

About PlayMakers Repertory Company  

PlayMakers Repertory Company is North Carolina’s premier professional theatre company. For more than 45 years, we have produced relevant and courageous work that tells stories from and for a multiplicity of perspectives and creates transformational impact in our immediate and extended communities. We are proud to be part of a 100-year tradition of playmaking at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. PlayMakers has been named one of the “best regional theatres in America.”