Katori Hall has, in just a few short years, ushered in an artistic renaissance. With game-changing, gripping plays such as “The Mountaintop” (2010 Olivier Award for Best Play), “Hoodoo Love”, and “Hurt Village” (2011 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize), she has more than made her mark in the international theater community. Now, with her world premiere family drama “The Blood Quilt” at Arena Stage, Hall is continuing her legacy of soul stirring works of art.
“The Blood 
Quilt” tells the story of the Jernigan sisters coming together to create a quilt to honor their mother who has recently died of cancer. The reunion swiftly takes a turn once their mother’s will becomes the focus and relationships are tested amid laughs and tears in this new American play.
What Hall has been able to capture in her work is a direct line to the human spirit despite differing experiences. She writes from a place of truth and accessibility that allows audiences to instantly relate to whoever is on stage, wether it is a daughter tackling the grief of her late mother in “The Blood Quilt” or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in “The Mountaintop”. There is a connection that goes deeper than what is seen that allows for the supernatural to occur in her art, making it timeless. We are in need of these voices; the voices that are different than the norm who tell stories that cause us to elevate our sight and imagination and truly examine what it is to exist and connect in this life. This is what Katori Hall does so splendidly and what “The Blood Quilt” is sure to do as well.
The world premiere of Katori Hall’s “The Blood Quilt” is directed by Kamilah Forbes and runs April 24- June 7 at Arena Stage 1101 Sixth Street, SW Washington, DC 20024. For tickets and more information, visit www.arenastage.org
ALSO:
Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad will join Event Chair and Arena Stage Board member Shawna Watley (Senior Policy Advisor with Holland & Knight) as the Honorary Chair for The Blood Quilt World Premiere Celebration tonight
Blood Quilt World Premiere Celebration
TONIGHT, May 7, 2015
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater (1101 Sixth St., SW)
*5:30 p.m. Cocktail reception
6:30 p.m. Seated dinner, including remarks
8:00 p.m. World-premiere opening performance of The Blood Quilt
*Post-show dessert reception and cast party
*Denotes an event that is open to photography
Complimentary valet parking will be available
Cocktail Attire
Individual tickets and corporate sponsorship opportunities for The Blood Quilt World Premiere Celebration range from $150 to $50,000. For further information and to secure tickets, contact Maria Corso at 202-600-4176 or email rsvp@arenastage.org.
**Photo Credit: C Stanley Photography
