the seat next to the king (2019)
a minmar gaslight production
presented by green light arts
JUNE 12 - 16, 2019
HH180 Studio Theatre
Hagey Hall Building
200 University Ave W
Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1
Sexuality, race, politics, hope…
In 1964, a white man walks into a public restroom in a Washington, DC park looking for sex. The next man who enters is a black man.
The Seat Next to the King is a fictional exploration of two very real men who sat next to some of the most powerful men in America. Bayard Rustin, a friend to Martin Luther King Jr. and the organizer of the March on Washington, and Walter Jenkins, top aide and friend to President Lyndon Johnson.
The Seat Next to the King was first produced in the 2017 Toronto Fringe Festival to high critical acclaim where it also won Best New Play and Patron’s Pick. It was subsequently produced at the Theatre Centre in Sept 2017.
WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE, MATURE THEMES
reviews & media
UW Imprint, June 26, 2019
REVIEW: The Seat Next to the King… The chemistry between Ling and Okyere was electric.
NOW Magazine, September 22, 2017
The Seat Next To The King mixes race, politics and forbidden sexuality. Steven Elliott Jackson’s period two-hander features performances and direction that deserve serious acclaim.
Lynn Slotkin, The Slotkin Letter, September 22, 2017
A cracking terrific play that delves into sexual politics at a time when it was dangerous to even talk about them. The production lives up to the play in every way.
Mooney on Theatre, September 11, 2017
Upon watching it, I realized the win was for good reason. I was both literally and figuratively on the edge of my seat for the whole show.
MyGayToronto.com, September 23, 2017
The Seat Next to the King: gay interracial sex is more powerful than fear.
lifewithmorecowbell.com, July 9, 2017
Two men reach out for each other in times of division & change in the intimate, tender, layered The Seat Next to the King.
Stageworthy Podcast, June 13, 2017
Steven Elliott Jackson and Tanisha Taitt
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Tanisha Taitt
Director
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kwaku okyere
Performer
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Conor Ling
Performer
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steven elliot jackson
Playwright
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tara mohan
Stage Manager
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Brandon goncalves
Lighting Designer
