It’s been 50 years since Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones first graced a Broadway stage together. But the stars have aligned again and this dynamic duo will appear in a new staging of D.L. Coburn’s two-person, two act Pulitzer Prize-winning play, The Gin Game.
Recently, the two Tony award-winning stars completed a classic photoshoot for the upcoming production. Cicely Tyson looked absolutely stunning in a muted jewel-toned silk ensemble. James Earl Jones looked regal and stately in an olive two-button suit. The iconic laughter of Jones could be heard rumbling through the set while the cameras flashed. And while small in stature, Tyson posed with all of the presence and confidence one has come to expect from this legendary powerhouse.
The Gin Game is set in present time and chronicles Weller Martin, played by Jones, and Fonsia Dorsey, played by Tyson, meeting on the porch of their nursing home. They strike up a friendship, with Weller teaching Fonsia how to play gin rummy. As they play, they share stories about the lives they led in a younger world. But when Fonsia wins every hand, Weller becomes increasingly frustrated, until their gin games and conversations become a battleground, with each player exposing the other’s failures, disappointments and insecurities.
The Gin Game was originally written and produced in 1976. This is the third time the play has been performed on Broadway. The play won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and the two previous Broadway productions were nominated for a number of Tony Awards, including Best Play, Best Revival of a Play, and Best Actress in a Play.
Tyson at age 90 and Jones at age 84 are Black Theatre royalty and will grace the stage at the John Golden Theatre. Previews will begin September 18th with the show opening on October 13, 2015, as previously reported. Tickets can be purchased via Telecharge.
