Anthony Mapp
Presents
Presents
(S)kinfolk
Sept 19 - Sept 28
WRITTEN BY ANTHONY MAPP
DIRECTED BY MARISHKA S PHILLIPS
DIRECTED BY MARISHKA S PHILLIPS
This September, playwright Anthony Mapp brings his bold and unflinching new work, (S)KINFOLK THE PLAY, to the Gene Frankel Theater (24 Bond Street, NYC) for a limited run from September 19 to 28, 2025. Directed by acclaimed theater artist Marishka S. Phillips, this independent production is both a deeply personal family narrative and a fierce rallying cry for artistic freedom.
While (S)KINFOLK THE PLAY explores the layered dynamics within the Black family—interweaving themes of love, struggle, history, and resilience—it reaches far beyond the personal. At its heart, the play is a wake-up call to America’s live performance theaters to reclaim their historic role as platforms for truth, resistance, and unflinching social commentary.
“This play,” Mapp explains, “is not just about us—it’s about the responsibility of theater to speak truth to power in an era when that truth is under attack.” The production directly confronts growing efforts to censor the arts and control America’s historical narrative, as well as policies that threaten to silence independent voices by withholding vital federal, state, and corporate grants from theatrical nonprofits.
Set against the backdrop of a 400-year pressure cooker called America, (S)KINFOLK THE PLAY reminds audiences that the Black community has long stood at the forefront of the fight for civil rights—often at great personal cost. Woven into the fabric of the performance is a reminder as urgent today as anytime in American history. "Freedom ain't FREE.
While (S)KINFOLK THE PLAY explores the layered dynamics within the Black family—interweaving themes of love, struggle, history, and resilience—it reaches far beyond the personal. At its heart, the play is a wake-up call to America’s live performance theaters to reclaim their historic role as platforms for truth, resistance, and unflinching social commentary.
“This play,” Mapp explains, “is not just about us—it’s about the responsibility of theater to speak truth to power in an era when that truth is under attack.” The production directly confronts growing efforts to censor the arts and control America’s historical narrative, as well as policies that threaten to silence independent voices by withholding vital federal, state, and corporate grants from theatrical nonprofits.
Set against the backdrop of a 400-year pressure cooker called America, (S)KINFOLK THE PLAY reminds audiences that the Black community has long stood at the forefront of the fight for civil rights—often at great personal cost. Woven into the fabric of the performance is a reminder as urgent today as anytime in American history. "Freedom ain't FREE.