New Jersey Stage 2017: Issue 6 | Page 28

portunity to stage Morisseau’s work again. Back in 2011, Pre- miere Stages presented Follow Me To Nellie’s, which was the first professional production of the playwright’s career. Since then, she has quickly established herself as one of the leading playwrights of her generation, winning awards, and making American Theatre’s list of the 20 most-produced playwrights for the 2015–16 season. She’s also branched out into work for tele- vision (serving as Story Editor for Showtime’s hit show, Shameless) and is working on a screenplay. Premiere Stages was waiting for the right play and the right time to bring her back to their stage, and Skeleton Crew was a won- derful fit to the the company’s mission and approach to theatre. As with August Wilson’s work, Wooten believes Skeleton Crew and the other two plays in the Detroit trilogy can all stand on their own as individual stories. Michelle Wilson, Nyahale Allie, and Ley Smith in Dominique Morisseau’s Follow Me to Nellie’s at Premiere Stages in 2011. Photo by Roy Groething. NJ STAGE 2017 - Vol. 4 No. 6 INDEX NEXT ARTICLE 28