PASS OVER
by Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu
DIRECTED BY VIN SHAMBRY
A contemporary American spin on Waiting for Godot, a love letter to Black male friendship, and a searing indictment of Whiteness. Pass Over is a co-production with CORRIB THEATRE.February 14-March 9th, 2025Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30, Sundays at 2:00Key Performance DatesThu, Feb 13th at 7:30: Pay-What-You-Will Preview (at the door only)Fri, Feb 14th at 7:30: Opening Night Sun, Feb 16th: Post-Show TalkbackSun, Feb 23rd: Post-Show TalkbackFri, Feb 28th: ASL-Interpreted PerformanceSun, Mar 2nd: Post-Show TalkbackSun, Mar 9th: Post-Show TalkbackPlease see our Content Advisory to determine whether Pass Over is appropriate for you, your child, or your teen.
About the Playwright
Antoinette (“Toni”) Chinonye Nwandu is a New York-based writer for stage & screen. In the summer of 2017, weeks after Trump’s election, Nwandu's play Pass Over had its World Premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. A filmed version of that Jeff Award-winning Steppenwolf production—directed by Spike Lee— premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and at SXSW, and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. In 2018, Pass Over made its New York debut at LCT3/Lincoln, complete with a new ending. Nwandu has said that if the 2017 ending hits the audience like a sledgehammer, then the 2018 ending is more of a shiv.Additional plays include Breach: a manifesto on race in america through the eyes of a black girl recovering from self-hate (2018 Victory Gardens World Premiere); Flat Sam(Douglas Turner Ward prize); and Vanna White Has Got to Die! (Fire This Time Festival).Antoinette is a MacDowell Fellow, a Dramatists Guild Fellow, an Ars Nova Play Group alum, and a Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference Literary Fellow. Honors include a Lilly Award (2020); a Lucille Lortel Award (2019); the Whiting Award (2018); the Samuel French Next Step Award (2018); the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award (2017); the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award (2008); and spots on the 2016 and 2017 Kilroys lists. Antoinette has a bachelor’s degree in English, magna cum laude, from Harvard College; an MSc from The University of Edinburgh; and an MFA from NYU Tisch. Cast
Emmanuel Davis as Moses
Emmanuel Davis (he/him) is an actor, singer, songwriter and musician. He recently played Nino in Portland Playhouse’s Amelie; Third Rail Rep’s Middletown Mall; Portland Center Stage’s production of Hair; A Feminine Ending with Gather Repertory Theater; and The Henriad with Salt and Sage. Original musicals D’Zama and Rella are also recent credits. Emmanuel is a recording artist known as Napp Jones known for EP’s such as Session’s at Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center and Earth in Progress in addition to his work with world-renowned rappers Russ and Bugus. His music can be found on Spotify, AppleMusic, YouTube, Instagram and all social media platforms @nappjones.
Nik Whitcomb as Kitch
Nik Whitcomb is thrilled to make his full production debut in the Portland area with such a powerful piece in collaboration with two incredible organizations. Recently, he appeared in a workshop concert reading of IS YOU IS at Broadway Rose, a musical he also co-wrote. Favorite past performances include A Christmas Carol (Guthrie Theater), The SpongeBob Musical (Coterie Theatre), and Shrek the Musical and Honk! (Omaha Theater Company). On screen, Nik can be seen in the pilot episode of Station Eleven on MAX and the film I Used to Go Here, available on Amazon and Apple. Nik serves as the Producing Artistic Director of Bag&Baggage Productions and the Operations & Outreach Associate for OK You, a creative mental health organization. He is deeply engaged in his community, serving on the board of Oregon Children's Theatre and the Hillsboro 2035 Community Engagement Committee. Named a Theatre Worker You Should Know by American Theatre magazine, Nik is a leading voice for equity, access, and inclusion in American theatre. He sends endless love and gratitude to his mom for her unwavering support.
Jake Street as Mister/Ossifer
Jake Street is a born and raised Oregonian and local Portland actor who graduated with a BFA in Acting from Southern Oregon University in 2002. He's worked with many of the area's accomplished theatre companies including Artists Repertory Theatre, Post5, Bag&Baggage, and Portland Shakespeare Project. Jake moved to Portland in 2006 after working multiple seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, OR and a summer season at American Players Theatre in Wisconsin. Since moving to Portland he has also pursued work in television, commercials, and film -- landing roles on TNT's "Leverage", NBC's "Grimm", and most recently Amazon Prime's upcoming crime-thriller series "Criminal" due to premiere later this year. He is happy and thrilled to be working with Corrib Theatre and Alberta House in the production of this incredible and important piece of theatre.
