DETROIT, MICH (WXYZ) — Perilous Times, the longest-running annual play in Detroit history, makes its return to Detroit’s Fisher Theater April 6-8. Thousands will once again enjoy this powerful and riveting play written and directed by native Detroiter, TJ Hemphill.
The play, known for its heart-pounding messages and original music, also written by Hemphill, will feature an all-Detroit cast led by Kierra Sheard (daughter of the famed Karen Clark) and Broadway actress Erica Peeples from True The Game and All-American (Netflix special). This year the lead role will be played by new-comer Kevin Steward who has big shoes to fill from the likes of Grammy-award winner William Murphy. Says Hemphill, “This young man will astound the audience with his awesome vocals and flat-out humility.”
The play is based on a young man from a dysfunctional family who thinks he can find the answers to life in the streets of Detroit. He wakes up from a blow to the head and finds he has been thrust in the middle of biblical times. He can see the people but they can’t see him, that is, except for a street-wise humorous angel, who takes him on a journey that changes his life forever. From soldiers marching through the aisles of the theater, to the massacre of the children of Bethlehem ordered by a maniacal king, and finally to a crucifixion scene that leaves the audience in an emotional uproar, Perilous Times will once again make its mark in the hearts of those fortunate enough to see it.
Hemphill, a former teacher in the Detroit Public Schools and a former arena organist for the Detroit Pistons says, “This production has lifted the hearts of thousands of theater goers and has paved the way to a better life for many young people whose own stories are mirrored by what they see on stage. That is what grips them and compels them to find a wonderful solution and alternative to the dangerous street-life that has robbed so many.”
Tickets are available online at Broadwayindetroit.com or at ticketmaster. Prices range from $75 to $150 for VIP seating. Group sales are also available at the box office.
