Albany, NY – October 21, 2025 – Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate NY (BTTUNY) is excited to announce its upcoming and first production of the 2025-2026 season: I JUST STOPPED BY TO SEE THE MAN by Stephen Jeffreys.
Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate NY proudly presents: I Just Stopped By to See the Man by Stephen Jeffreys directed by Benita Zahn. October 30-November 9, 2025
Set in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, this passionate and political ode to the power and truth of the blues tells the story of Jesse Davidson, the greatest living bluesman, long thought dead, whose music and legend still shake the world. A tale of music, myth, and confrontation you won’t forget.
Get your tickets at: https://www.blacktheatretroupeupstateny.org/season/i-just-stopped-by-to-see-the-man
Meet our cast:
Kendra Neal as Della
Hayes M. Fields II as Jesse
Gabriel Klingler-Horn as Karl
BTTUNY HISTORY
The Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York (BTTUNY) was originally founded under the name Soul Rebel Performance Troupe in 2009 by veteran actor Jean-Remy Monnay. Monnay was born and raised in Haiti, later moving to NYC at the age of 18. In 1997, he moved upstate and began to get involved in the Capital Region theatre scene. He soon discovered that there were very few BIPOC artists working in the area, and very limited opportunities for those artists to find work. The creation of Soul Rebel Performance Troupe was in response to this lack of access; it provided a home for artists of color, LGBTQIA+ actors, and other overlooked and underrepresented identities. The company was granted 501(c)(3) status in 2011, as it further committed to its mission and began to grow its performance season and outreach programs into a more vibrant array of activities. Over the years, the company’s focus became more clearly about supporting BIPOC, and predominantly Black, artists and narratives, and in 2018 the company’s name was changed to The Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York in order to better align with this intention. In June 2021, BTTUNY became the Resident Community Company at Capital Repertory Theatre (theREP).
MISSION: The Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York’s goal is to foster cross-
cultural understanding and to create more diversity on stage and in theatre by
highlighting, producing and promoting performance and theatre arts by marginalized
artists in upstate New York. We aim to expand the cultural landscape and create a place
for Artists of Color to grow and thrive.