The Typographer’s Dream, by Adam Bock, plays at Manbites in a joint production with Black Ops, through Dec. 17, 2016. With Jessica Flemming as the Typographer (note type on her shirt), JoRose as the Geographer, and Lazarus Simmons as the Stenographer. Directed by JaMeeka Holloway-Burrell. Photo: Alan Dehmer.

An interesting, quirky play by Adam Bock previewed Dec. 1 at Manbites Dog Theater, which is producing The Typographer’s Dream jointly with the cleverly named Black Ops Theatre. The 70-minute one-act is a thinking person’s pleasure.

From my review published on cvnc.org:

It has been a year of sad attrition in the local theatre world. We’ve lost Deep Dish in Chapel Hill; Common Ground in Durham will close in a few weeks; and for no apparent reason, the Carrboro ArtsCenter did away with its theater program, which Jeri Lynn Schulke had made better than ever. But always, art rises to refill the vacuum. The young company Black Ops Theatre, led by artistic director JaMeeka Holloway-Burrell, is seizing the moment. Holloway-Burrell is on a big mission to challenge “preconceived notions (conscious and otherwise) on what Black Theatre should look like.” She’s after “opportunity for Black artists,” but her clarion call will resonate in anyone who believes in art: “Black Ops… is theatre without boundaries; we adhere to no creative restrictions or expectations.” Her declarations hark back to bold days of Everyman Company and People’s Art Action in the 1970s. To the barricades, comrades—in this case, seats in your local art theatre.

In Durham, that’s Manbites Dog Theater, still kicking ass and taking names after 30 years….

Read the full review here. Get tickets here.

JoRose as the Geographer, with Jessica Flemming and Lazarus Simmons.  Black Ops at Manbites, through Dec. 17. Photo: Alan Dehmer.

The Stenographer (Lazarus Simmons) explains the tools of his trade. Photo: Alan Dehmer.