- Written by and Starring Jordan E. Cooper, Original Songs by Donald Lawrence
- Directed by Stevie Walker-Webb
- In Association with The Public Theater
APPROPRIATE FOR AGES 18+
ABOUT THE SHOW:
“Cooper’s pen is fierce, skating through inside jokes, melodic monologues and gut punches.” – The Guardian
An impending flood is the least of one family’s troubles in this outrageous reimagining of Noah’s Ark. OH HAPPY DAY!, written by and starring two-time Tony Award Nominee Jordan E. Cooper, begins in Laurel, Mississippi at a Birthday BBQ for Lewis, the patriarch of a family. When his estranged son Keyshawn (played by Jordan E. Cooper) makes a surprise appearance, family secrets unravel on a day that will change the world forever.
Grammy Award-Winning Gospel Artist Donald Lawrence writes original songs for this touching play about family, faith and forgiveness.
Listed in this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30, Cooper has been hailed as one of the most illuminating and groundbreaking new voices of the American theater. He is the creator of BET’s Ms. Pat Show now in Season 4. His first play, the jubilantly disruptive Ain’t No Mo’, was directed by BCS Artistic Director Stevie Walker-Webb on Broadway. Their acclaimed partnership was rewarded with six Tony nominations, including Best Play and Best Director, plus winning the Obie Award for Best Play. Baltimore Center Stage proudly reunites Cooper and Walker-Webb for the world premiere of their newest collaboration.
What is a Preview?
Previews are an essential part of the theater-making process that allow directors and playwrights to see their plays with audiences for the first time and identify areas for adjustment. These special performances allow you to get a first look at the play and be a part of each shows’ creative journey before it opens officially.
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Jordan E. Cooper – Playwright and Actor
Jordan E. Cooper (he/him) is an Award-winning playwright, producer, director, performer, and currently the youngest Black American playwright in the history of Broadway, as well as the youngest Black showrunner in television history.
His Obie Award-winning play, AIN’T NO MO’ originally debuted to a sold out run at The Public Theater in 2019 and in December 2022 opened on Broadway to resounding acclaim, marking Jordan’s Broadway debut both off stage and on – starring as the hilarious and bossy flight attendant “Peaches.” Press called AIN’T NO MO’ “fearlessly provocative,” “jubilantly disruptive,” and the “Best New Play on Broadway This Year,” citing Jordan as “Broadway’s Groundbreaking New Voice.” Jordan was joined by such industry giants as Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tyler Perry, Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, Shonda Rhimes, Queen Latifah and more to support the #saveAINTNOMO campaign and extend the show’s run on Broadway.
Jordan co-created, executive produces and directs the Emmy-nominated “The Ms. Pat Show,” which is hailed by critics as “one of the most radical sitcoms of the modern era.” The hit multi-cam series returns to BET+ for its third season this February. Jordan was also featured on the final season of FX’s groundbreaking series “Pose” as “MC Tyrone” and has his own production company, Cookout Entertainment.
Jordan was raised in Texas and graduated from The New School in New York.
Donald Lawrence – Composer
Donald Lawrence (he/him) is an American gospel music songwriter, record producer and artist. He is best known for his Grammy Award-nominated songs “The Blessing of Abraham” and “Encourage Yourself”. He studied at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in music. He has received multiple Grammy and Stellar Award honors and served as vocal coach to the R&B group En Vogue, was the musical director for Stephanie Mills, songwriter for The Clark Sisters, and collaborator with a host of artists including Peabo Bryson, Kirk Franklin, Karen Clark Sheard, Donnie McClurkin, and Mary J. Blige. Lawrence took on The Tri-City Singers after a friend vacated his position as musical director. The group debuted in 1993 with A Songwriter’s Point Of View on a then-brand-new independent record label called GospoCentric Records.
Stevie Walker-Webb – Director
Stevie Walker-Webb (he/him) is a Tony Award-nominated, Obie Award-winning director, playwright, and cultural worker who believes in the transformational power of art. He is the Artistic Director of Baltimore Center Stage and his work has been produced on and off-Broadway, including AIN’T NO MO’ (The Public Theatre/ Broadway), GUN AND POWDER (PaperMill Playhouse), ONE IN TWO (The New Group), BLACK ODYSSEY (Classic Stage), FAIRVIEW (Woolly Mammoth), and OUR TOWN (Baltimore Center Stage).
He is founder of HUNDREDSofTHOUSANDS, an arts and advocacy organization that makes visual the suffering and inhumane treatment of incarcerated mentally ill people. He has received the Princess Grace Award for Theatre, The Lily Award from the Dramatists Guild of America, and is a 2050 Fellow at New York Theatre Workshop. He’s a contributing writer for BET’s Emmy Nominated hit comedy THE MS. PAT SHOW and a visiting artist and lecturer at Harvard University and is the Founding Artistic Director of the Jubilee Theatre in Waco, Texas. Stevie has created art and theatre in Madagascar, South Africa, Mexico, and across America. steviewalkerwebb.com
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