Black Angels Over Tuskegee Sets Off-Broadway Run

The historical drama Black Angels Over Tuskegee is headed for an off-Broadway run at St. Luke’s Theatre. Written and directed by and co-starring Layon Gray, the play will begin performances on January 29, with opening night set for February 15.

Joining Gray in the cast are film and TV actor Lamman Rucker (from Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? and Meet the Browns), Demetrius Gross, Thom Scott II, Antonio Charity, David Wendell Boykins, Derek Shaun, Jay Jones and Rich Skidmore.

Based on true events, Black Angels Over Tuskegee centers on six intelligent, patriotic men exploring their collective struggle with Jim Crow and dreams of an inclusive fair society as they become the first African American fighter pilots in the U.S. Army Air Force. The play goes beyond popular stories of the Tuskegee Airmen and exposes the men who exhibited the courage to excel in spite of overwhelming odds.

In addition to being an official selection of the 2009 National Black Theater Festival, Black Angels Over Tuskegee won a 2009 NAACP Award for Best Ensemble and a 2009 Artistic Director Achievement Award for Best Play. The play was performed at the 2009 National Tuskegee Airmen Convention in Las Vegas.

The off-Broadway production of Black Angels Over Tuskegee is produced by The Black Gents, Edmund Gaynes, and The Layon Gray Experience.