Derek McPhatter between development sessions during the 2017 Community Created Performances Initiative with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Photo by Jaclyn Simpson.

Derek McPhatter

Chicago, IL

Derek McPhatter is committed to new work that engages diverse communities, emphasizing narratives at the intersection of race, class, gender, sexuality, and technology. He is developing work with Prop Thtr and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, building on recent residencies with Chicago Dramatists, The National Black Theatre, and Djerassi. McPhatter is a founding playwright with the Fire This Time Festival, and was featured in Harlem9’s 48 Hours in Harlem Festival—two Obie-award winning platforms that champion Black playwrights and theatermakers in New York City. McPhatter served as librettist, book writer and lyricist for five new music-theater works with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He is a 2021 Creative Capital Awardee.

Photo: Jaclyn Simpson

NightQueen Performance Suite


Derek McPhatter is committed to new work that engages diverse communities, emphasizing narratives at the intersection of race, class, gender, sexuality, and technology.

Artist Bio

NightQueen is an ecological, Afro-surreal performance suite that tells the story of an ensemble seeking hope in one another as their world is transformed by a global water crisis, unbridled network technologies, and resurgent fascism. Three evening-length works blend theater, music, and oral storytelling traditions to conjure a mythology reflecting the contemporary Black experience. It is an affirmation of the diversity, beauty, creativity, and resilience of Black life in opposition to the modern day forces that continue to debase Black communities.


Award Year
2021
Status

In Progress