PRYOR TRUTH, December 2 - 6, 2015
On the heels of the third annual SOLD OUT production of the Collective:10 short play festival, The Collective NY was back with two weeks of comedy events in December 2015. Things kicked off with PRYOR TRUTH, a new play written and performed by KHALIL MUHAMMAD*, Co-Developed and Executive Produced by VICTORIA DICCE and directed by MARCUS NAYLOR.
A celebration and introspection into the life and legend of 'Richard Pryor,' PRYOR TRUTH gives us a raw moment with one of the artist's most beloved characters and the only one he let live on stage for extended periods of time: Mudbone. As our guide, Mudbone is charged with bringing the legend to light. As the man behind the mystique, Mudbone says it best: who he was when, who he dared to be, the self-destructive battle he fought, and the realities of the cost of greatness.
Mudbone is both muzzled and raw, and maybe the only voice to tell the story of one of the greatest storytellers we've ever known. It might be crazy, but it might just be true.
PRYOR TRUTH Creative Team
KHALIL MUHAMMAD* (Playwright, Actor) A New Jersey native, Khalil studied Journalism at Rutgers before pursuing his passion for acting. He made his professional debut in 2004 in Happy Birthday Madam Alberta at The Cherry Lane Theatre and received his training from the William Esper Studio. As a member of the Permanent Ensemble of The Collective NY, he has appeared in Faith on a Tuesday and Shadow Saint in Collective:10, and has workshopped the upcoming Something In The Night. Other stage credits include Ruined (Florida Studio Theatre), Six Degrees of Separation (Playhouse on the Green), A Soldier’s Play, The Religious Hour and A Soldier’s Death. TV/Film credits include: Trainwreck, Inside Amy Schumer, Uncle Silas, The Real Hustle, The Gallery, A Long Road, A Playa's Web & Retribution: Nina. With 10 years as a social service counselor, he enjoys channeling his passion for studying human behavior into his art. Pryor Truth is the culmination of 2+ years of solo development, "woodshedding" and collaboration at Collective Mondays. www.mrkhalil.com
MARCUS NAYLOR (Director) was last with The Collective NY in Collective:10 in Breaking Philip Glass. Marcus directed the short film Hudson Sunset in the After-While, the pilot Livin it Up, Hair at Summer Stage, and assistant directed the stage version of Livin it Up under the direction of Susan Watson Turner Off-Broadway. As an actor, Marcus is a 5-time AUDELCO Nominee, and an Ira Aldridge Award Winner. Favorite credits: Fences (Denver Center), Homage 3: ILLMATIC (Urban Stages), Requiem: Love Letters on Ripper Paper (The Joyce Theatre), the title role in Othello (NESE), Cave Dwellers (Pearl Theatre Company), No Dogs (Primary Stages), True West (Lincoln Center’s Clark Studio), and Rats under the direction of Al Pacino. Select TV/Film: Malcolm X, Soliloquy, The Assassin, Boardwalk Empire, Law and Order: SVU, Without a Trace, Only in America, Retribution, Slings and Arrows. Marcus is a member of The Actors Studio and in their Directing Unit. He trained with Bill Esper at the William Esper Studio, and with Andrzej Krakowski, the late Chantel Ackerman, and Stella Adler.
VICTORIA DICCE (Co-Developer, Executive Producer) A Founding Member of The Collective NY, Victoria is proud to have Executive Produced the first two annual Collective:10's and the acclaimed revival of Someone Who'll Watch Over Me for the company, among others. An actor in The Collective's Permanent Ensemble, she has appeared in Cafe D'automatique, Joe & Becca, You're a Child, Lila on the Wall, Happy Girl, and more. Other select stage credits include work with Keen Company, Soho Playhouse, Ensemble Studio Theatre, A.C.T., and New Jersey Rep. Film/TV includes: Trainwreck, Adam, A Song Still Inside, A Long Road, Dance With Me, All My Children, and Inside Amy Schumer. Working closely on Pryor Truth for over two years has been a dream. This is for you, brother.
CHRIS D'ANGELO (Lighting Designer) is a New York-based designer. Previous credits include Gruesome Playground Injuries at the John DeSotelle Studio, Far From The Tree in the 2015 Midtown International Theater Festival, and scenic design for Happy at The Brick Theater. He has worked at such venues as Long Wharf Theater, Playwrights Horizons, and The Public. Chris completed the inaugural year of Brooklyn College's Broadway Associate Certificate, and is a graduate of Fordham University. Many thanks to Victoria, Marcus, Laura, and everyone in The Collective NY. cmdangelo.squarespace.com
LAURA MALSEED* (Stage Manager, Sound/Projection Design) Credits include: Off Broadway’s How 2 B A New Yorker, Unmentionables (Theatre 54), The Mutilated (New Ohio – Drama League Nomination), Blank Canvas (HERE Arts Center), A Dance for Rylie (dir. Bob Cline). Production Manager for Nylon Fusion Theatre Company. Graduate of Pace University. Member of AEA. www.LauraMalseed.com