Trouble in Mind
May 25 – June 18, 2023
By Alice Childress
Directed by Christopher D. Betts
JOYCE C. WILLIS FELLOW
A 1950s landmark play that still rings true today.
This dramatic satire tracks the nuanced, simmering tension between the artists of a biracial company working on a Broadway-bound premiere. As they rehearse, questions about the play emerge, igniting an impassioned debate about race, power, the roles we play on stage, and the roles we play in life. In this timely revival, the theater becomes an arena wherein we explore how — and why — we use our voices.
RUN TIME:
Approximately 2 hours, 10 Minutes including one intermission.
View the Program
Days with a matinee and evening show
Ticket Prices
$100 | $75 | $50 | $30
Includes all fees. Prices subject to change without notice. All Regular Season Student Seats $20.
Important Dates
May 25–31: Previews (what’s this?)
May 25: Live Music in the Lobby
June 2: Opening Night
Jun. 4, Jun. 13, and Jun. 14: Post-Show Conversations
June 9: Live Music in the Lobby
Jun. 10, 2:00pm: Mask-Required Performance (what’s this?)
Jun. 11, 11:00am: Panel Discussion, “Directing Playwright Alice Childress: Revivals and Revisitings” (what’s this?)
Jun. 11, 2:00pm: Open Captioned Performance (what’s this?)
Jun. 17, 2:00pm: Audio Described Performance (what’s this?)
Production Photos
Video Trailer & Interviews
Cast & Creative Team
Al Manners
John Bambery
John Nevins
Sideeq Heard
Henry
Richmond Hoxie
Eddie Fenton
Adam Langdon
Judy Sears
Sarah Lyddan
Bill O’Wray
James Joseph O’Neil
Sheldon Forrester
Michael Rogers
Wiletta Mayer
Heather Alicia Simms
Millie Davis
Chelsea Lee Williams
Artistic
Director
Christopher D. Betts
Scenic Designer
Baron E. Pugh
Costume Designer
Jahise LeBouef
Lighting Designer
Emma Deane
Sound Designer
Kathy Ruvuna
Wig Designer
Carissa Thorlakson
Dramaturg
Arminda Thomas
Casting
Alaine Alldaffer
Production Stage Manager
Avery James Evans
Assistant Stage Manager
Anaïs Bustos
Press
‘Trouble in Mind’ now playing at Hartford Stage | Interview with Heather Alicia Simms (FOX 61)
Interview with ‘Trouble in Mind’ Director Christopher D. Betts (ArtsBeat, Mark Auerbach)
‘Trouble in Mind’ at Hartford Stage: 1950s Play Still Relevant Today (NBC CT in Color)
‘Trouble in Mind’ connects powerfully at Hartford Stage (Waterbury Republican American)
Hartford Stage takes on ‘Trouble in Mind,’ a classic Black drama with a troubled history (Hartford Courant)
Hartford Stage announces eclectic 2022-23 season, including two new shows, Agatha Christie, and Shakespeare (Hartford Courant)
Theatre Director Christopher D. Betts To Begin Willis Fellowship At Hartford Stage (Broadway World)
Yale’s Christopher Betts to direct two shows at Hartford Stage under local fellowship supporting Black artists (Hartford Courant)
Reviews
Berkshire Edge (J. Peter Bergman)
Broadway World (Brooks Appelbaum)
From the Desk of Jim R. (James V. Ruocco)
Hartford Courant (Christopher Arnott)
The Howard (Howard Frydman)
Middletown Press (Bonnie Goldberg)
One Man’s Opinion (Tim Leininger)