By Roger Q. Mason
Taking its title from the mythical Egyptian afterlife, The Duat is a psychological portrait of Cornelius Johnson, a FBI counterintelligence officer, in a battle for his very soul. Using spoken word, North African drumming, and gorgeous choreography, this thrilling world premiere is a poetic and virtuosic story of redemption.
Profound…folks, it’s beautiful…with an ending writers only dream about”
– Stage Buddy
Our new seating arrangement will be on stage, with three tiered price zones, Zone 1, 2 and 3, which will correspond to your original ticket’s price level. Within these price zones, seating will be general admission and seated first come, first served. All seats are accessible without the use of stairs. A portion of seats within Zone 2 and 3 will be high-top chairs with backs. See the seating map below for a visual representation of the tiered pricing zones.
Roger Q. Mason (they/them) is a writer and performer who uses the lens of history to disrupt the biases that divide rather than unite us. Their playwriting has been seen on Broadway (Circle in the Square Reading Series); Off and Off-Off-Broadway; and regionally. Mason’s World Premiere of Lavender Men was lauded by the Los Angeles Times as “evoking the mingled visions of Suzan-Lori Parks, Jeremy O. Harris and Michael R. Jackson.” They are a recipient of the inaugural Catalyst Fellowship, awarded by the Dramatists Guild Foundation, in celebrations of theatre makers whose work impacts social justice and civic change through art. As a filmmaker, Mason has been recognized by the British Film Institute, Lonely Wolf International Film Festival, SCAD Film Festival, AT&T Film Award and Atlanta International Film Festival. Their films have screened in the US, UK, Poland, Brazil, and Asia. Mason holds degrees from Princeton University, Middlebury College, and Northwestern University. They are a member of the Dramatists Guild of America, and an alum of the Ma-Yi’s Writing Lab, Page 73’s Interstate 73 Writers Group and Primary Stages Writing Cohort. Mason currently produces a memoir/cooking segment on Instagram called Cooking with Q: A Playwrights Guide to Telling My Trouble. Previously, they co-hosted the podcast Sister Roger’s Gayborhood and hosted This Way Out Radio’s Queerly Yours: Portraits in Courage. Mason has served as lead mentor of The Marsha P. Johnson Institute’s Starship Fellowship, the New Visions Fellowship and the Shay Foundation Fellowship. They are currently on faculty at CalArts. Instagram: @rogerq.mason
Taibi Magar is an Egyptian-American director, based in New York, whose work is focused at the intersection of imagination and social justice. After all, if you can’t imagine it, you can’t fight for it. Because of this, her work is known for being visually and theatrically explosive, grounded in potent performances, and always fighting for the underdog.
She is a graduate of the Brown University MFA program. Most recently she directed Help (The Shed), Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (Signature Theatre, Lortel-winning). Other NY credits include: Capsule by Whitney White and Peter Mark Kendall (Under the Radar Festival/The Public Theater, co-directed with Tyler Dobrowsky) Blue Ridge starring Marin Ireland and The Great Leap starring BD Wong (Atlantic Theater Company); Is God Is (Soho Rep, 2018 Obie Award;) Master (The Foundry, NYT Critics Pick); and Underground Railroad Game (Ars Nova, NYT Critics Pick). She also premiered the new musicals Macbeth In Stride and l We Live In Cairo at A.R.T. Boston. Additionally, she is attached to developing the commercial theatrical adaptation of Wonder by Jill Furman (book by Bess Wohl, music and lyrics by A Great Big World). Regional: CTG, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Alley Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, and Seattle Repertory Theatre, among others. International: Hamburg Festival, Edinburgh Festival, Malthouse Theatre (Melbourne), and Soho Theatre (London). Other: She is the recipient of a Stephen Sondheim Fellowship, Oregon Shakespeare Festival Fellowship, Public Theater Shakespeare Fellowship, and TFANA Actors and Director Project Fellowship. Taibi is an alumni of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab and a NYTW Usual Suspect.
She received an Obie Award in 2018 and the SDC Breakout Award in 2019. Taibi has directed and taught at many academic institutions, including University of the Arts, Juilliard, Fordham University, New York University and Brown University.
Frank X (Cornelius Johnson) has appeared on stages around the country in some of his favorite roles, including Henry in The Fantasticks and Estragon in Waiting for Godot (Quintessence Theatre, Philadelphia, PA); Orgon in Tartuffe, Thomas More in A Man of All Seasons, and Sam in Master Harold…and the Boys (Lantern Theater, Philadelphia, PA); Malvolio in Twelfth Night and Hector in The History Boys (The Arden, Philadelphia, PA); Sterling North in Permanent Collection and Molina in Kiss of the Spider Woman (InterAct Theatre, Philadelphia, PA), and David Gavin in After Ashley (Humana Festival, Louisville, KY).
Barbara ‘Muzikaldunk’ Duncan (Drummer) Introducing the unstoppable force of rhythm and innovation, Barbara ‘Muzikaldunk’ Duncan! Hailing from the vibrant city of Philadelphia, Muzikaldunk electrifies stages worldwide with her dynamic drumming and unparalleled production prowess. As the driving force behind Alt/Rock Jazz band MOBBLUZ and Punk Rock BandJJX, she doesn’t just lead bands; she shapes musical landscapes. Whether commanding the beat for the Remixologist DJs or captivating audiences with her creative genius, Muzikaldunk is the go-to for unforgettable experiences. With breakout roles in groundbreaking musical theatre productions like Macbeth in Stride with a knack for pushing creative bounds, she’s not just a musician – she’s a phenomenon. Catch her live and witness the magic firsthand, or dare collaborate and elevate your next project with Muzikaldunk’s tenacious talent and vision!
yaTande Whitney V. Hunter (Choreographer) Chicago-born and raised, Philadelphia-based dance-performance artist, educator, and independent curator. He works nationally and internationally and has received several grants and commissions for his artistic/scholarly work, most recently Independence Fellowship and NEA Project Grant (Dance Visions Residency, Performance Garage). yaTande holds a PhD in Art Theory, Aesthetics, and Philosophy (IDSVA),is an Assistant Professor of Dance and Coordinator of the African Diasporic Dance Series (Temple University), and is artistic director of Denizen Arts Project co-created with his partner, theatre artist, Jude Sandy.
Gaven D. Trinidad (they/he/siya) (Dramaturg) is a first-generation queer Fil-Am dramaturg, director, playwright, and educator from NYC. They’ve had the privilege to collaborate with folx in various artistic and administrative positions at The Juilliard Drama Division, Musical Theatre Factory,Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Roundabout Theatre Company, and 2nd Stage. M.F.A. Dramaturgy, UMass Amherst; 2012 TFA Memphis Cohort; TCG 2021 Rising Leader of Color; Ma-Yi Writers Lab member; Orchard Project Greenhouse Lab Cohort ’22-23. They are the Community Engagement Associate at New York Theatre Workshop and Co-Coordinator of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab. www.gaventrinidadtheatre.com
Jungah Han (Scenic Designer) is a New York-based freelance set designer i. Selected design credits: L’incornonazione di Poppea, The Power of the Dog, Bernarda Alba, Don Giovanni, The Barber of Seville, The House that will not stand, Grounds, Vier Letzte Lieder, My Onliness & Numbness, Shockheaded Peter, When the Rain Stops Falling, Coriolanus, Paradise Lost, Cardboard Piano, Measure for Measure, Solo Bach, A Number, and No Exit.
She has been an associate and assistant set designer for Broadway & International productions: Lempicka, Sally and Tom, The Thanksgiving Plays, Jagged Little Pill, The Empire of Light, Red Waters, Derren Brown Secret, Once On This Island, Frankie& Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Harlequinade, Rigoletto, and Tosca
Yale School of Drama MFA. www.jungahhan.com
LeVonne Lindsay (Costume Designer) is the Costume Shop Manager for the Lang Performing Arts Center at Swarthmore College. Recent work: Arden Theatre Company: Radio Gulf (Barrymore Award nominee), Into the Woods, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, Ragtime, The Bluest Eye, Gem of the Ocean (2019 Barrymore Award winner); Wilma Theater: Kiss, Kill Move Paradise; Philadelphia Theatre Company: The Garbologists, Sweat; InterAct Theatre Company: Selling Kabul; Arena Stage: Tempestuous Elements; Indiana Repertory Theatre: Flying West. B.S. in Fashion Design from Philadelphia University, M.F.A. in Costume Design from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Thom Weaver (Lighting Designer) PTC: Lady Day…, 4,000 Miles, Exit Strategy, Venus in Fur, Disgraced, Hand to God. Off-Broadway: Sandra (Vineyard), The Total Bent (Public), Kingdom Come (Roundabout), Exit Strategy (Primary Stages), King Hedley II, How I Learned What I Learned, The Liquid Plain (Signature Theatre Company); Teller’s Play Dead. Regional: Huntington, Arden, Wilma (Associate Artist), Alliance, Geva, Milwaukee Rep, Chicago Shakespeare, Children’s Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, Round House, Hangar, CenterStage, Cal Shakes, Syracuse Stage, Williamstown, Lincoln Center Festival, and Yale Rep, and Pilobolus. Awards: two Jeff Awards, six Barrymore Awards, Helen Hayes Award, and two AUDELCO Awards. Education: Carnegie Mellon and Yale. Program Director for Design and Technology at UArts. Member of Wingspace, Co-Founder of Die-Cast.
Rucyl Frison (Sound Designer) Sound designer Rucyl is an original member of 90s hip-hop group, The Goats, and the experimental electronic group Saturn Never Sleeps. Her installation works includes Sound Prism, a solar-powered sonic system that plays the frequencies of the color spectrum, and Woman and Machine, a live performance with synthesizers in a Philadelphia sewing factory. Her experimental compositions are kinetic architectures for stage and film, deeply rooted in considering how we can interact with emerging technologies in organic ways to enhance the human experience through sound.
Leslie Ann Boyden (Stage Manager) is a Philadelphia-based stage manager, having previously worked with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Horizon, The Wilma Theater, Pig Iron Theatre Company, Azuka Theatre, Simpatico Theatre, Shakespeare in Clark Park, Act II Playhouse, Arden Theatre Company, Millbrook Playhouse, and Hedgerow Theatre. She graduated from Indiana University Bloomington in 2014 with a B.A. in Theatre and Drama.