Outside In Theatre premieres “Coco Queens” (Photo – Outside In Theatre)
Need a break from election stress, or just life in general? Catch the world premiere of a play that captures the soul and beauty of Black women’s lives at Highland Park’s Outside In Theatre.
By Melanie Hooks
Along with Blackgical Productions, director Jessica E. Williams and Outside In Theatre are staging Coco Queens, written by New York Times bestselling author and playwright LaDarrion Williams. The show runs through Tuesday, November 17.
Set in 1975 Alabama, Coco Queens follows four Black women whose small-town beauty shop becomes a sanctuary as they navigate love, loss, secrets, and the complicated ties that bind them. Blending Southern humor and ancestral spirituality, the play celebrates sisterhood, self-discovery, and the power of finding your way home to yourself.
The four friends are played by Julanne Chidi Hill, who recently appeared in Boston Court Pasadena’s Pericles; Mildred Marie Langford, who is also co-producing; Chanell Bell of Actor’s Studio; and Sierra Nicolette Smith of P-Valley.
Outside In Theatre is located at 5317 York Boulevard in Highland Park. Tickets available online for $25 for students and seniors and $40 for general admission. Mondays are Pay What You Can, with a minimum of $15 per seat.
Select performances will include the Talk Back Series, featuring pre-show and post-show conversations to explore the play’s themes with the artists and creatives behind the production and the wider community. Conversations will take place in Outside In’s café and lounge, The Lobby, before the show, or in the Artspace after a matinee performance.
The Talk Back Series schedule includes:
Nov 7: A Black Woman’s Journey ft. Toccarra Cash & Sophina Brown
Nov 9: A Director’s Journey ft. Andi Chapman & Jessica E. Williams
Nov 14: Playwright to Playwright ft. Dominique Morisseau & LaDarrion Williams
Nov 16: An Actor’s Journey ft. The Cast of Coco Queens