ALBANY – Harbinger Theatre will open their third season with “In the Blood” by Pulitzer winner Suzan-Lori Parks directed by TJ Collins-Gutierrez. The play is a brilliant, inventive, updated riff on the American classic “The Scarlet Letter.” Performances will be held from March 15-24 at the Saint Rose Theatre. While he is not a stranger to the Harbinger family, Collins-Gutierrez will be making his directorial debut with Harbinger Theatre.
“Harbinger’s mission, it seems to me was to produce plays in the Capital Region that hadn’t been seen by our audience and that kind of laboratory of experimentation thrills me. I thought I’d love to bring some staging and material that I haven’t seen locally,” said Collins-Gutierrez. “Our missions aligned. It feels good to be on the same page creatively.”
“In The Blood” tells the story of Hester, a homeless African- American woman with five children from five different fathers. Hester struggles to survive on the streets while trying to provide for her children. Throughout the play, she encounters various people who either offer her help or exploit her vulnerability. Despite her efforts to break free from the cycle of poverty, Hester’s circumstances continue to deteriorate, ultimately leading to a tragic ending. The play shines a light on the harsh realities faced by marginalized individuals in society and raises questions about societal responsibility and compassion.
A merciless and brutal drama, “In the Blood” offers at the same time a critical portrayal of the treadmill of poverty and a powerful allegory for the subjugation of African-American culture in an institutionally racist system that explores issues of poverty, race, and motherhood.
Nicole DamaPoleto will play the role of “Hester/La Negrita,” Aaliyah Al-Fuhaid as “Beauty/Amiga Gringa,” Zach Kaiser as “Jabber/Chilli,” Monet Thompson-Young as “Bully/Welfare,” Tyler Cardona as “Baby/Reverend D,” and Dalton Russell as “Trouble/Doctor.”
“Capital Region Theater audiences are amazing. Having left the city I knew there was theater here but the volume of theater is astonishing. The audiences are not only supportive but smart,” said Collins-Gutierrez. “There is really an opportunity to create brave theater, with hard topics, and experimental classic theater or musical theater with innovative staging. And I believe the Capital Region is just getting started, that’s what is wild to me.”
A FREE preview will be held on March 14th at 7:30 p.m., with Talkback Fridays with the cast and crew on March 15th and the 22nd. Showings will be held on March 15, 16, 22, 23 at 7:30 p.m. and March 17 and 24 at 2 p.m.
In December 2023, The College of Saint Rose announced they would be closing down permanently after over 100 years. As a send off to the college’s esteemed theatre, Harbinger Theatre will hold a “Farewell to Saint Rose” night on Saturday, March 16. In a night hosted by alums of the college, a special raffle will be held for that night’s attendants, sweets to give out the audience and a light fare held prior to the beginning of the show.
The Saint Rose Theatre is located next to William Randolph Hearst Center for Communications and Interactive Media at 996 Madison Ave, Albany, NY 12203.
Tickets are available on Harbinger’s Eventbrite here.
Do you wish you could pre-pay for all Harbinger Theatre shows for the whole year? The company will now offer a Flex Subscription, which means this is your opportunity to get four tickets for $50! The Flex Subscription can be used interchangeably, as you have the choice to use them all for a party to experience a single show or indulge in four plays you’ve never witnessed before!
$50 Flex Subscriptions are available by emailing harbingertheatrealbany@gmail.com or making a Venmo payment to @HarbingerTheatre.