Portia will succeed Saidah Arrika Ekulona in the role of Mama Nadi. Ekulona, who is departing the production to fulfill an earlier professional commitment, will play her final performance May 17. In the interim period that role will be played by standby Victoire Charles.
Portia received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for Stephen Belber's McReele. She also appeared in Stephen Adly Guirgis' Our Lady of 121st Street for which she received Lucille Lortel, Drama League, and AUDELCO Award nominations.
Ruined has received the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; the Best Play award from the New York Drama Critics Circle; two Lucille Lortel Awards, including Outstanding Play; the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play; a Theatre World Award; a Clarence Derwent Award; five Drama Desk Award nominations, including Outstanding New Play; and two Drama League nominations, including Distinguished Production of a Play.
Tickets for Ruined, which has been extended through June 28, are available via New York City Center box office, CityTix at (212) 581-1212 and www.nycitycenter.org.
For more information visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.