Everyone probably knows and appreciates that the Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH) is always creating a way for Black creativity to be seen and to thrive, so it is no surprise that CTH is presenting a free staged reading, as part of their Future Classics series, of a brand-new play called “the magical south” by Nigerian-American playwright and director Onyekachi Iwu at the Harlem School of the Arts (645 St. Nicholas Avenue) on Monday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m.
The Future Classics is a development series that spotlights bold, emerging playwrights whose work interrogates the social and political realities shaping our world today. Each reading pairs the playwright with CTH’s resident dramaturge, a professional director, and a cast of actors, followed by audience engagement that helps shape the work’s next life.
This Southern Black horror production promises to blend folklore, satire, and social critique. It follows Ani Campbell, a woman who discovers she has “the Bug,” a virus that causes Black women to cannibalize abusive men. Darkly funny, provocative, and deeply rooted in Black Southern and Nigerian traditions, the play explores themes of Black love, generational trauma, healing, and the bitter aftertaste of revenge.
“Onyekachi Iwu’s ‘the magical south’ captures an ethos of the American south through characters we might miss,” said Shawn Rene Graham, CTH’s literary director. “The play makes you stop and examine people more deeply. The language and imagery is arresting, and yet, you feel as if you are actually there in this world with them. Ms. Iwu is definitely a unique voice in American theater and, as is CTH’s mission, we want to elevate her voice.”
Iwu’s work explores love, sisterhood, violence, and transformation. Her plays have been developed with Classical Theatre of Harlem, the Public Theater, MCC, New Dramatists, and others. She is currently associate director of the first national tour of Stereophonic.
To RSVP (required) and for more info, visit cthnyc.org.