3/17-25 - Ixion Goes for Broke with Jackson's Play
Ixion Ensemble presents Broke-ology by Nathan Louis Jackson March 17, 18, 24 & 25 at The Robin Theatre 1105 S. Washington Ave. Lansing, MI. Show times are 8 pm on Saturdays and 2 pm on Sundays. Tickets are $15 at the door and are available via Eventbrite.com prior to the show. For more information call 517.775.4246, email mailto:ixionensemble@gmail.com or visit us online via facebook or http://ixiontheatre.com.
ENNIS: Yes, Broke-ology. It is a complex new science that examines two things. One, being broke. Two, staying alive despite your brokeness.
MALCOLM: Sounds very complex.
ENNIS: It is. And more importantly, very useful.
In spite of economic and emotional hardships, the King family has survived thanks to their love for and dedication to one another. William, the father afflicted with MS, still lives in the house in which his sons grew up, continuously grasping at the memories of his late wife and the dreams they shared of a better future for their children. Ennis, his elder son, takes care of William despite the pressure that comes with having a baby of his own on the way. Malcolm, the younger son, is a college graduate recently returned home after a taste of life outside the asphyxiating cycle of poverty and struggle in which he was raised. When the offer of a job in Connecticut tempts Malcolm into leaving for good, he is forced to decide between his duty to his family and his dreams.
Broke-ology is a funny, moving, and thoughtful meditation on the intersection of Economics and the plight of the American family. Playwright Nathan Louis Jackson developed the play while studying at Julliard and based it on his real-life experience growing up in an impoverished neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas.
The cast includes RICO BRUCE WADE plays the King family patriarch, William. After directing Ixion's season opener, Hoodoo Love, Rico returns to his acting roots. His recent performances include Ixion's production of Top Dog/Underdog (Lincoln,) the CAP production of Fences (Troy Maxon), the Clarence Brown Theatre production of ‘Master Harold… and the boys’ (Sam) and the Farmers Alley Theatre production of The Whipping Man (Simon). He is featured in the films Buzzard and Chasing the Star. Rico worked extensively with the Second City-Detroit, collaborating on over a dozen revues. Rico is also a teaching artist with the Detroit Creativity Project and the Michigan Actors Studio.
Tyra High plays William's wife Sonia. Made in Detroit, Tyra High is a poet and orating writer, she is finding her way into new rhythms of performance art debuting in Broke-ology.
Daniel Bonner plays the older brother, Ennis. He made his Ixion debut as Orcus in She Kills Monsters. He then followed it up as a member of the ensemble cast of Secrets. He also appeared in Riverwalk Theatre's production of Superior Donuts. Daniel graduated from the Detroit School for the Arts.
Lekeathon Wilson plays the youngest brother in the king family, Malcolm. He is a boxer that fights out of MGGA in Grand Rapids Michigan. Lekeathon attends MSU studying physics and math. He made his theatre debut in the Downeaster production of The Laramie Project.
"This is a funny and heart-felt story that will resonate with anyone struggling to reach their dreams, while balancing the needs of an aging family," say Ixion Artistic Director jeff croff. "It has been a pleasure to get to know the King family."
Broke-ology is directed by Ixion Artistic Director, jeff croff. Assistant Director is Julie Hartley. Costumer is Sadonna Croff. Producer is Fred Longacre.