About the Play:

Choir Boy is a full-length drama by Tarell Alvin McCraney. The Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys is dedicated to the creation of strong, ethical black men. Pharus Young is a senior who wants nothing more than to take his rightful place as leader of the school's legendary gospel choir. Can he find his way inside the hallowed halls of this institution if he sings in his own key? Choir Boy is a captivatingly intimate portrait of a gay black student trying to find his voice.

Choir Boy is a beautifully told coming-of-age story that scores a gospel refrain of the politics of minority and masculinity. The Drew Prep School for Boys is dedicated to the formation of strong, ethical Black men. Determined to make his mark like those before him, Pharus Young is a senior who is hell-bent on being the best leader of the school's prestigious choir in its 50-year history. First he must gain the respect of his peers, but he's an outsider in a world steeped in rites and rituals, a community that demands he conform. Will the school have the courage to accept a gay choir leader or will it muzzle this angelic voice determined to be heard? Choir Boy presents a moving portrait of young Black men focused on their dreams, finding their way to adulthood through the confusing social and sexual mores typical at a pivotal age.

Choir Boy premiered in September 2012 at the Royal Court Theatre in London, before receiving its Off-Broadway premiere in 2013 to critical and popular acclaim at Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC). It went on to play productions at New York City Center, Alliance Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, and many more regional theatres across the United States. The show opened on Broadway in 2019 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.

Cast: 7 male

What people say:

"The sweet harmonies of classic spirituals unite the sometimes fractious voices of the young men in Choir Boy…but when they raise their voices in unison, they offer a glimpse of a world in which the cruelty that can divide and destroy is dissolved in a graceful, embracing order. [An] affecting and honest portrait…of a gay youth tentatively beginning to find the courage to let the truth about himself become known." — The New York Times

"Believe the buzz. Choir Boy, the small but mighty coming-of-age play by Tarell Alvin McCraney deserves its kudos. [The play] captures the bristling tensions at a prestigious prep school for African American boys when a flamboyantly gay youth is named leader of their celebrated gospel choir." — Variety

"In his stirring and stylishly told drama, Tarell Alvin McCraney cannily explores race and sexuality and the graces and gravity of history." — New York Daily News

"The sweet harmonies of classic spirituals unite the sometimes fractious voices of the young men in Choir Boy…but when they raise their voices in unison, they offer a glimpse of a world in which the cruelty that can divide and destroy is dissolved in a graceful, embracing order. [An] affecting and honest portrait…of a gay youth tentatively beginning to find the courage to let the truth about himself become known." — The Village Voice

About the Playwright:

Tarell Alvin McCraney is an American playwright and actor. He co-wrote the 2016 film Moonlight, based on his own play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, for which he received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He was the first recipient of the New York Times' Outstanding Playwright Award and has also won the 2009 Steinberg Playwrights Award and the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award. In 2013 he was awarded the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, colloquially known as a "genius grant."