Beastgirl begins performances of its world premiere run April 7 at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center in Studio K. The new musical is based on the book Beastgirl and Other Origin Myths by New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo, and features a book by C. Quintana, and music by Janelle Lawrence. The run is scheduled to continue through April 22.
Starring in the production are Jenni Gil as Cami, Edima Essien as Eji, Brittani McNeill as Egun, and Mikaela Secada as Heketi.
Based on Acevedo’s collection of folkloric poems, Beastgirl examines the historical, mythological, gendered, and geographic experiences of three sisters immigrating to the United States from the Dominican Republic.
“This musical does not shy away from what's difficult; the sisters hit challenging topics head on to create space for joy and healing. This is a piece about Afro-Latinas, about Dominican-Americans, whose important place in this country's fabric must be celebrated. It is particularly meaningful to lift up the multitudes of our Latine ancestry and the sisters' voices at the Kennedy Center,” says Quintana.
Directed by Rebecca Aparicio, the production features choreography by Tiffany Quinn, music direction by Amy K. Bormet, scenic design by Misha Kachman, costume design by Kenann Quander, lighting design by Alberto Segarra, sound design by Delaney Bray, and prop design by Chelsea Dean.
A talkback with the artists will be given following the April 9 performance.
Visit Kennedy-Center.org.
