The Alliance Theatre is pleased to announce the cast and creative team of its world premiere musical, TRADING PLACES. Inspired by the iconic and beloved 1983 Paramount Pictures film, TRADING PLACES is a hilarious and contemporary musical reimagining of the prince and pauper fable. Billie Rae Valentine, a savvy hustler down on her luck, and Louis Winthorpe III, a minted commodities-trading firm director, have their lives deliberately switched by the devious Duke brothers to settle a petty bet in an outrageous debate of nature versus nurture. Capturing the joyous charm and belly laughs of the original film while reinvigorating the story for 21st century audiences, TRADING PLACES will enjoy its world premiere on The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre May 25 – June 26, 2022.

The cast of TRADING PLACES is led by Broadway actors Aneesa Folds (Freestyle Love Supreme) as Billie Rae Valentine and Tony Award nominee Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder) as Louis Winthorpe III, with Tony Award nominee Marc Kudisch (Girl From the North Country) and Lenny Wolpe (Bullets Over Broadway) as Mortimer and Randolph Duke, and featuring McKenzie Kurtz (Frozen) as Penelope Van Verst, Josh Lamon (Alliance & Broadway productions of THE PROM) as Mr. Beeks, Joe Montoya as Phil, and Don Stephenson (Trouble in Mind) as Coleman.  The swing cast includes Julia Grondin, Jacob Roberts-Miller, and Kevin Zak.  The ensemble cast includes Jimmy Ray Bennett, Dana Costello, Kayla Marie Cruz, Benjamin Howes, Raymond J. Lee, James Luc, Malaiyka Reid, Xavier Reyes, Michael McCorry Rose, and Nyla Watson. 

TRADING PLACES is helmed by Tony Award-winning director, Kenny Leon (A Soldier’s Play, A Raisin in the Sun) and an exciting writing & directing team including television and film writer Thomas Lennon (Book), musical writing team Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner (Music & Lyrics), acclaimed film, television, and music video choreographer Fatima Robinson (Choreography), Alliance Theatre BOLD Associate Artistic Director Tinashe Kajese-Bolden (Associate Director), Tony Award-nominated Orchestrator August Eriksmoen, and Music Director Rick Edinger.  The creative team includes Tony Award-winning Scenic Designer Beowulf Boritt, Lighting Designer Adam Honoré, Tony Award-winning Sound Designer John Shivers, and Tony Award-nominated Costume Designer Emilio Sosa. 

The production is also supported by Intimacy Consultant Sasha Nicolle Smith, Fight Choreographer Rick Sordelet, and Stage Manager Ralph Stan Lee.     

“I am so excited to come home with this world class cast and creative team and a new musical that I know will resonate and be embraced by the Atlanta community,” said Director Kenny Leon. “With TRADING PLACES we’re exploring the idea of what would happen if we all traded places with someone else, even for a day, literally putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.  It’s relevant; it’s uplifting; everyone will feel heard and represented. And you’re going to laugh, a lot! It’s the perfect play for right now.”

For tickets to see Trading Places, visit alliancetheatre.org/trading-places.

 

 

Bina’s Six Apples takes place during the Korean War, but the trauma and tragedies of war are not a thing of the past. Every day across the globe, families are forced to flee their homes for safety. Ukraine is the most recent example.

While the subject of war is an adult matter, the images and sound bites are everywhere. With the accessibility of mass media in and out of the home, children have or will encounter stories of war taking place today. Children need to process these big ideas to release associated anxiety. Here are a few tactics for tackling those tough conversations.

  1. Set the Scene – Before approaching the topic, find a comfortable space in the home that represents safety and love. Turn off distractions like mobile phones, television, radio, etc. Make sure you have processed your personal feelings about war, or have a support system in place, so you come to the conversation as calmly as possible. Big feelings might present themselves, and as adults we need to be ready to meet these feelings with loving support.
     
  2. Listen – Start by posing one simple question: “what have you heard?” Before launching into explanations about the nuances of war, assess what your child is aware of. Use active listening to validate their thoughts. As your child shares their feelings, repeat them aloud to check for your own understanding. Be aware of what your body language might be broadcasting to your child. Folded arms or turning away can present a sense of shutting down or closing off from the conversation. Stay open and offer a hand to hold or a hug as needed. Take your cues from your kids’ responses. Let them know you agree with them if they are worried or scared, and it is our job as adults to keep our kids safe. Be careful not to go too in depth about your personal anxieties with war as they might project back onto your child.
     
  3. Answer – Provide simple and straightforward answers to their questions. Avoid metaphors and euphemisms as they can often be too abstract. Correct any misconceptions about what they have encountered in the media or through peers with facts. Model being a good citizen by avoiding stereotyping people involved in the conflict based on their nationality, race, gender, religion, or ability. And when you don’t have the answer to a question, it is okay to say “I don’t know.”
     
  4. Move – Sometimes kids just need to be kids. Anxiety can manifest in the body causing physical discomfort, headaches, lethargy, and more. Exercise and fresh air are great antidotes to anxiety and confusion. Take a family walk. Turn on music and dance it out. Invite their buddy on a play date. Do active things that spark joy in your child.
     
  5. Create – Art helps kids process big feelings. Invite your child to draw a picture about what they are feeling and wondering. Allow them to describe their art by using the simple prompt, “Tell me about this picture.” This question opens the door for children to share their perspective about the image without the adult mind projecting their own thoughts onto it. Avoid praise phrases like “great picture!” and “good job!” without using specific language. Rather, ask questions about what you see on the page, removing judgmental responses about their artistry. Art is a powerful tool for self-expression.
     
  6. Act – War can make many of us feel helpless. Discuss ways you as a family can help those affected by the war. Invite them to take part in an act of support, like writing a letter to your representatives or rallying the neighborhood to raise money for an aid organization. When children see they can have a positive impact, large or small, they understand they are a part of the solution. And as Fred Rogers famously quoted his mother, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

Picture Books About War and Refugees

When Spring Comes to DMZ by Uk-Bar Lee

The Journey by Francesca Sanna

The Day War Came by Nicola Davies

Lost and Found Cat by Doug Kuntz and Amy Shrodes, illustrated by Sue Corneliso

Pea Pod Lullaby by Glenda Millard

Lubna and Pebble by Wendy Meddour, illustrated by Daniel Egneus

The Breaking News by Sarah Lynne Reul

Resources

Helping Children Cope After a Traumatic Event, Child Mind Institute

Terrorism and War: How to Talk to Children, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

How to Talk to Children About What’s Happening in Ukraine, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Helping Children with Tragic Events in the News, PBS

How and When to Talk to Children About War, According to a Parenting Expert, Independent

March 11 – March 27, 2022
Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre

By Director of Education, Dan Reardon and Associate Artistic Director, Chris Moses

  1. BINA’S SIX APPLES is a world premiere play by celebrated playwright Lloyd Suh. Lloyd’s artistic impulse for writing the piece was to create a multi-generational theatrical experience that could speak to his father (who emigrated from Korea in the 1950s) and to his own daughters (who were born in NY in the 2010s) simultaneously. To achieve this ambitious goal, he mined his own family’s lore– turning a humble personal story about apples into a universal fable about resilience. In so doing, he created a piece filled with wisdom that is usually reserved for ancient parables.  
     
  2. The story follows a remarkable 12-year-old girl, Bina, on her journey to reunite with her family during the unfathomable tragedy of the Korean War. While the play is set against this backdrop, it is ultimately a story brimming with hope that celebrates the strength and perseverance of a young person overcoming impossible odds. I can think of no better parable for our own time.
     
  3. Despite the stakes of the conflict, Lloyd has written a piece filled with humor that surprises and delights at every turn. That said, it does deal with the horrors of war and is best suited for ages 9 and up.
     
  4. The play is directed by Eric Ting, the Artistic Director of Cal Shakes, a regional theatre in the Bay Area that is committed to reimaging classic work through the lens of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Eric returns to the Alliance after too long of a hiatus, having previously directed the critically acclaimed WARRIOR CLASS in our Hertz Stage in 2013.
     
  5. This is a co-production with the Tony Award-winning Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis, the largest children’s theatre in the country. The critical response from the initial run in Minneapolis could not have been stronger. Here’s one example from the Star Tribune: “Although this original must-see work takes place at the Children’s Theatre, you don’t need a child companion as an excuse to see it. Take your adult self with a friend or two.” The critical response could not have reinforced more boldly our belief that expertly crafted stories that deal with fundamental truths about human experience dissolve the boundaries between plays for children and plays for adults. There are, in fact, stories that speak to all ages. BINA’S SIX APPLES is gloriously one of those rare gems.