About the World Premiere

It’s 1941 in Cincinnati’s historic West End. Every day, the region grows as Black Americans migrate from the Deep South and forge new lives in northern cities. At the same time, German residents face growing hostility as the U.S. teeters on the brink of World War II. Grace, who has fled the South and settled in the West End, houses people of both backgrounds in her row house. When a stranger arrives in the middle of the night in her backyard, Grace must confront the secrets of her past and the irrevocable ripples they have made on her present. This world premiere drama by Cincinnati native Keith Josef Adkins shines a light on a transformative chapter of our city’s history.

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Running Time

The show runs 2 hours and 20 minutes, with a 20-minute intermission.

Advisory

Recommended for ages 13 and up. This historical drama finds characters wrestling with mature topics like racism, war, xenophobia and adult relationships. They discuss these with in-depth wisdom and stoicism, though not without occasional adult language and a few acts of violence.

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Artists

Keith Josef Adkins

Sep 10, 2021, 10:34 AM

Role : Playwright

Order : 6

Keith is a playwright and a screenwriter. The world premiere of his play Safe House was produced at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in 2014. His play The People Before the Park (about Seneca Village), recently had a run at his alma-mater the University of Iowa. Keith's other plays include A Refugee in Detroit, Pitbulls, The Final Daze, Sugar and Needles and The Last Saint on Sugar Hill. He's been produced Off-Broadway and at Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Aurora Theatre in Berkeley, among others. He was recently commissioned by the Apollo Theater in New York City to help curate their inaugural season at their new Victoria Theater. Keith's the recipient of the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award, Samuel French's Award for Impact and Activism in the Theater Community, National Black Theater's Teer Spirit Award as well as the Duncanson Residency at Taft Museum. He is also the artistic director of The New Black Fest, a 10-year-old theater organization committed to fostering insurgent voices from the African Diaspora. Keith's TV credits include P-Valley on Starz, Netflix's Outer Banks, ABC's For The People and The Good Fight on CBS. He's currently writing a sci-fi TV pilot for JJ Abrams' Bad Robot and recently sold a TV project with Don Cheadle/Steven Soderbergh. His feature film project with Gamechanger Films/Amazon will be released later this year.