''Before It Hits Home'' is a 1991 American

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

written by Cheryl West.

Background

The show was originally workshopped by the Seattle Group Theatre at the Multicultural Playwrights Festival in 1989, then later was given a reading at the

Circle Repertory Company The Circle Repertory Company, originally named the Circle Theater Company, was a theatre company in New York City that ran from 1969 to 1996. It was founded on July 14, 1969, in Manhattan, in a second floor loft at Broadway and 83rd Street by di ...

in 1990.

Productions

The original production opened in January 1991, at the Arena Stage, directed by

Tazewell Thompson Tazewell Thompson is an American theatre director, the former artistic director of the Westport Country Playhouse (2006–07) in Westport, Connecticut and the Syracuse Stage (1992–95) in New York state. Prior to that he was an assistant direc ...

, set design Douglas Stein, lighting design Nancy Schertler, costume design Helen Qizhi Huang, and sound design Susan R. White. The cast starred Michael Jayce (Wendal), Cynthia Martells (Simone/Mrs. Peterson),

Keith Randolph Smith Keith Randolph Smith is an American Broadway, television, theater, and film actor. Smith appeared in the films ''Malcolm X'' and ''Girl 6'', both films directed by Spike Lee, and played Will in ''Fallout'' and Jesse Hill in ''Backstreet Justi ...

(Douglas),

Trazana Beverley Trazana Beverley is an American stage and film actress as well as a lecturer in acting. She received a BFA in Acting from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She was the first African-American actress to receive a Tony Award for "Be ...

(Reba), Mercedes Herrero (Nurse),

Sandra Reaves-Phillips Sandra Reaves-Phillips (December 23, 1944 – December 29, 2023) was an American actress, writer, and singer. Reaves-Phillips was born in Mullins, South Carolina, and made her Broadway debut as Mama Younger in the 1973 musical ''Raisin''. She l ...

(Maybelle), Julian Hughes (Doctor), Wally Taylor (Bailey), Ryan Richmond (Dwayne), and Lee Simon Jr. (Junior). The production then had its

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

premiere at LuEster Hall in February 1992, directed by Thompson, set design Loy Arcenas, costume design

Paul Tazewell Paul Tazewell (born September 15, 1964) is an American costume designer for the theatre, dance, film, opera and television. After training at New York University Tisch School of the Arts he started his career on Broadway (theatre), Broadway. He ha ...

, lighting design Schertler, and sound design White. The cast starred

James McDaniel James McDaniel Jr. (born March 25, 1958) is an American stage, film and television actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Arthur Fancy on the television show ''NYPD Blue''. He played the role of Paul in the hit Lincoln Center play ''Six Degre ...

(Wendal), Sharon Washington (Simone/Mrs. Peterson), Smith (Douglass),

Yvette Hawkins Yvette Hawkins (September 28, 1940 – April 10, 1995) was an American actress on Broadway, on television, and in films. Early life Yvette Hawkins was born in New York City. Career Earlier in her career, Hawkins was a member of the New Lafayett ...

(Reba),

Marcella Lowery Marcella Lowery is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Geoffrey Owens' mother, Francine Tibideaux, on ''The Cosby Show'', Jamal Jenkins' grandmother on ''Ghostwriter'' from 1992 to 1995, Anna Eldridge in the 1996 film, '' The P ...

(Maybelle),

Frankie Faison Frankie Russel Faison (born June 10, 1949) is an American actor known for his role as Deputy Commissioner, and, later, Commissioner, Ervin Burrell in the HBO series ''The Wire'', as Barney Matthews in the ''Hannibal Lecter'' franchise, and as Su ...

(Bailey), James Jason Lilley (Dwayne), Carol Honda (Nurse), Beth Dixon (Dr. Weinberg), and

Monti Sharp Monti Sharp is an American actor, best known for his role as David Grant on the daytime US drama ''Guiding Light''. Sharp received professional actor training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Career Sharp was the first act ...

(Junior).

Reviews

Frank Rich Frank Hart Rich Jr. (born June 2, 1949) is an American essayist and liberal op-ed columnist, who held various positions within ''The New York Times'' from 1980 to 2011. He has also produced television series and documentaries for HBO. Rich is ...

of the

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

said the show has "validity and brute force" and that it's "authentic, at times almost hysterical wake-up call to the black community, sounded from within."

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* 1990s LGBTQ literature 1991 plays HIV/AIDS in theatre LGBTQ-related plays Off-Broadway plays {{1990s-play-stub