National Bestselling Author R. Eric Thomas to Present 3 World Premiere Plays

"R. Eric Thomas, a Baltimore-bred writer and playwright, is one of my favorite writers." - LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA

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Feb 11, 2022, 07:59 ET

BALTIMORE, Feb. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrated humorist, television writer, and national bestselling author R. Eric Thomas is returning to his roots as an award-winning playwright. The mind behind Here For It, or, How to Save Your Soul in America, a Read with Jenna club pick featured on Today, and Reclaiming Her Time: The Power of Maxine Waters co-authored with Helena Andrews-Dyer, will debut three plays at a variety of theatre companies along the Mid-Atlantic region. Already an established, acclaimed playwright and television writer (AppleTV+'s Dickinson, FX's Better Things), Thomas hopes that these productions will provide audiences the opportunity to experience the joy of theater.

Bren Thomas and Danielle Leneé in BACKING TRACK at Arden Theatre Company. Photo credit: Wide Eyed Studios.

R. Eric Thomas. Photo credit: Kap2ure Photography.

"There is nothing that I love more than sitting in a theater with other people, laughing in unison, understanding the world, feeling our hearts beat as one," Thomas says. "These are plays of our moment, all the good that we have the potential for and all of the complexity that we're facing together."

For four years, Eric Was a Senior Staff Writer for Elle.com where he wrote "Eric Reads the News," a daily current events and culture column. He has been published multiple times in The New York Times, TIME, Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Magazine, and others.

Backing Track
Arden Theatre Company, Philadelphia
March 3-April 10, 2022
Ardentheatre.org
A karaoke play and live mixtape rolled into one, Backing Track features an all-POC cast and tells a story about falling in love while grieving, chosen family, gentrification, laughter, and rebirth. Directed by Becky Wright and commissioned by the Arden.

The Folks at Home
Baltimore Center Stage, Baltimore
March 17, 2022-April 10, 2022
Centerstage.org
This modern riff on family sitcoms comes to Thomas' home city of Baltimore. The Folks at Home is a sharp and heartfelt political comedy in the style of Norman Lear's classic sitcoms of the 70s and 80s. Directed by Stevie Walker-Webb and workshopped by PlayPenn's The Foundry.

Crying on Television
Everyman Theatre, Baltimore
May 31, 2022-June 26, 2022
Everymantheatre.org
Crying on Television, a laugh-out-loud farce, will leave you feeling like you've watched Friends, Living Single, The Bachelor, and Grey's Anatomy all rolled up into one. Directed by Reg Douglas, developed at Nashville Repertory Theater and workshopped at the Seven Devils Conference.