Broadway Stars Tonya Pinkins and Ciara Renée Present New Fall Series ‘Red Pilling of America’

Every Thursday at 3pm from 10 September – 31 October, Tony award-winning actress Tonya Pinkins and TV & Broadway star Ciara Renée will come together for exclusive, one-on-one conversations with new guest stars as Pinkins puts a horror-fying lens on the upcoming US election with her socio-political horror film Red Pill. Red Pilling of America will feature conversations with Chuck Cooper, Lilli Cooper, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Nik Walker, Jon Rua, Telly Leung, Michael James Scott, and more.

RED PILL MOVIE 2020 LLC

Written, produced and directed by Pinkins herself, Red Pill is a progressive dystopian nightmare shot by cinematographer John Hudak Jr. and is set to be released this fall. The movie is a visually stunning metaphor for all our fears and a reminder that there are worse things than death. Cassandra (Pinkins), a Black American woman fearful for the fate of her country in the next election, reluctantly accompanies her best friend Rocky, a land preserver activist (Ruben Blades) and his wife Emelia (Luba Mason), her roommate Lily (Kathyrn Erbe), close friend Nick (Jake O’Flaherty), and her partner Bobby (Adesola Osakalumi) to canvas in newly blue Virginia. As the friends arrive at their “Super-Host” housing, they encounter signs that point to possible trouble and before the weekend is over, the fight for their country becomes a fight for their lives.

Pinkins: Red Pilling Of America will take place through Marissa Lynn Daniel Studios on Zoom. Proceeds will go towards the funding of Red Pill and to supporting actors during COVID-19.  For more information and to enrol, visit, www.marissalynnstudios.com.

TONYA PINKINS

Tonya Pinkins is a three-time Tony nominee for Caroline Or Change, Play On! and Tony winner for Jelly’s Last Jam. Author of Get Over Yourself: How To Drop The Drama And Claim The Life You Deserve, she is also the host of You Can’t Say That at www.bpn.fm/ycst and writer/director of Red Pill.

CIARA RENÉE

Ciara Renée‘s career includes Broadway’s Frozen, Big Fish, Pippin, and the world premiere of Disney’s The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. On television, she has starred in Facebook’s Strangers, Netflix’s Master Of None, CBS’s Big Bang Theory, CW’s Legends Of Tomorrow, Arrow, and Flash. She also played Peggy/Maria in the final lab of Hamilton and co-directed (with Michael Dallatorre) the short documentary, Beating The Odds: Children’s Defense Fund Of California. On top of that she is also a writer, EP, and co-director of the short film Reddy Records.

Guest Stars:

CHUCK COOPER

Chuck Cooper is a Tony Award winner for THE LIFE and is best known for Amen Corner, Passion, Getting Away With Murder, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Chicago, Caroline, Or Change, Finian’s Rainbow and Amazing Grace.

LILLI COOPER

Lilli Cooper starred in Broadway’s Tootsie, for which she received a Tony Nomination, Spongebob Squarepants, Wicked, and Spring Awakening. On television, she has starred in Dynasty (The Cw), Bull, Instinct, Elementary, The Code and The Good Fight (CBS).

JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON

Jay Armstrong Johnson, known as one of Broadway’s most versatile triple threats has appeared in FIVE Broadway shows including the Tony-Award winning revival of Hair, Catch Me If You Can, Hands On A Hardbody, On The Town, for which he won a Drama Desk Award and Phantom Of The Opera. Johnson also starred on TV in ABC Studios’ Quanitco.

NIK WALKER

Nik Walker led the Broadway cast of Ain’t Too Proud and starred in Hamilton, Motown The Musical, Peter And The Starcatcher and TV’s Law And Order Svu. Walker is also the playwright behind The Bloody Boston Trilogy and cohost of The Chaos Twins.

MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT

Michael James Scott starred in Disney’s Aladdin as the Genie, as well as Something Rotten, The Book Of Mormon, Mamma Mia, Tarzan, All Shook Up, The Pirate Queen, Elf and Hair.

TELLY LEUNG

Telly Leung, star of Broadway’s Aladdin, has been recognized for his notable work in Rent, Flower Drum Song, Pacific Overtures, Godspell, Allegiance and TV’s Glee.

JON RUA

Jon Rua originated roles in Hamilton, The Spongebob Musical and In The Heights and starred on screen in Blacklist, Blue Bloods and Law And Order. Rua is also a celebrated choreographer and founder of The Grit.

PAUL OAKLEY STOVALL

Hamilton star Paul Oakley Stovall, best known for Columbus (2020) Shortbus (2006) and Buffalo (2019), is an actor, activist, and president of KernoFortoProductions. Stovall was also a staff writer on season four of the critically acclaimed STARZ series, Survivor’s Remorse.

YAEL SILVER, MARISSA LYNN DANIEL, WILL VAN MOSS

Marissa Lynn Daniel, along with Tony-Award winning producer Yael Silver and Will Van Moss will produce this event. Jordan Leigh Auriemma and Adriana Shaw will associate produce.