Death of a Driver

By Will Snider
Directed by Kim T. Sharp

The World Premiere
March 1 to March 24, 2019

Starring SARAH BASKIN & PATRICK J. SSENJOVU

Sarah is an American engineer. Kennedy is an East African taxi driver. They strike up a friendship and embark on a journey to change rural Kenya. When circumstances in the region become tense, the integrity of their alliance is questioned. Death of a Driver is a bracing examination of "doing good" abroad, the limits of understanding another person, and what happens when personal and political obligations collide.

WILL SNIDER (Playwright) was born and raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. His play How to Use a Knife received a Rolling World Premiere through National New Play Network, won the Barrymore Award for Outstanding New Play, and was a finalist for a PEN Center USA Literary Award. Other plays include The Big Man (Ensemble Studio Theatre’s 35th Marathon of One-Act Plays) and Strange Men. His work has been developed at MCC, NNPN National Showcase of New Plays, The Kennedy Center, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Salt Lake Acting Company, #serials@theflea, the claque, and MAKEHOUSE. He is an alumnus of Youngblood and received an EST/Sloan Grant and The Kennedy Center’s Paula Vogel Playwriting Award. He earned a BA in History from Columbia with a specialization in post-colonial East African political history and spent three years working in agricultural microfinance in Kenya and Ethiopia before earning an MFA in Playwriting from UCSD. wsnider.com

KIM T. SHARP (Director) works regularly with Urban Stages in their efforts to champion new works by artists of diverse cultural backgrounds. He served as Associate Artistic Director and Literary Manager for Abingdon Theatre Company for 16 seasons. He directed Abingdon's production of Teddy Tonight! written and performed by Laurence Luckinbill, which had an extended commercial run, along with six other productions. Recent directing efforts include the world premiere’s of Anand Rao’s A Muslim In The Midst at the Hudson Guild Theatre and Kevin Daly’s comedy, Kitty Bomb, at Theatre Row. He continues to work with theatre artists to bring challenging and invigorating material to the stage. Thanks to Frances and Will for this opportunity as well as to the cast, the designers, stage managers and entire staff at Urban Stages for their time and talent to bring this work to the stage.

SARAH BASKIN (Sarah): Off-Broadway: The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore (Roundabout), Wolves (59E59), I Forgive You Ronald Reagan (Beckett Theatre), Caucasian Chalk Circle (Sonnet Repertory Theatre). Regional: The Oregon Trail (Portland Center Stage), Cardenio (American Repertory Theatre), The Unbelievers, Three Women Mourn The Apocalypse (Theatre Centre, Toronto), Beau Jest (Gulfshore Playhouse). Other NY credits include L’Amour Fou (Dangerous Ground Productions), R&J (Chasama), Retrospective (MTS). TV/Film (selected): "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", "Divorce", “Blindspot”, "Who Killed Chandra Levy?, Malaisia, Thanks for Sharing, The Lives of Hamilton Fish, iHeart (writer & actor). Company member of Virago, Subway Token Films, and The Actors Center. MFA: ART / MXAT at Harvard University.

PATRICK J. SSENJOVU (Kennedy & Man) hails from Uganda. He started his career as a member of Alex Mukulu’s Impact International, Uganda’s foremost acting company. Recent works include: Red Hills by Deborah Asiimwe directed by Katie Pearl Engarde Arts; Sean Lewis’s Red Hills directed by Katie pearl at Quantum Theatre in Pittsburgh PA; Adong Judith’s Ga-aad at Uganda National theater; Ifa Bayeza’s Amistad Voices directed by Carl Hancock-Rux at Rites and Reasons in Providence, RI; Workshops: Strange Men at National Play Network directed by Elio Gutierrez; Mrisho Mpoto’s Africa Kills Her Sun at Sundance Banff/Utah directed by Indhu Rubasingham; Lemon Andersen’s Toast Sundance Utah directed by Elise Theron; Death of a Driver by Will Snider at Salt Lake Acting Company Playwrights’ Lab directed by Kareem Fahmy. TV/Film: Living With Yourself (Netflix), Baby Won’t You Please Come Home (short), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (voice), The Interpreter directed by Sydney Pollock and Game 6 directed by Michael Hoffman. He is a longtime memb of Ellen Stewart’s Great Jones Company at La MaMa.

Assistant Director: Vincent Scott | Scenic Designer: Frank J. Oliva | Costume Designer: TBA | Lighting Designer: John Salutz
Sound Designer: Ian Wehrle | Technical Director: TBA | Production Stage Manager: Miriam Hyfler
Assistant Stage Manager: Lindsay Kipnis | Original Music: Abou Lion Diarra | Press Representative: Joe Trentacosta, JT Public Relations
Graphic Design: Sylvia Haber, Perpetuart | Social Media: Myan Disnie Sebastien

Actors and Stage Mangers appear courtesy of Actors' Equity.

DEATH OF A DRIVER was developed through the Wagner New Play Festival at University of California, San Diego, and Salt Lake Acting Company Playwright Lab