"Lambs to Slaughter" by Khalil Kain, directed by Reginald L. Douglas, is a lyrical life drama of a single mother who has lost her older son to gun violence and must navigate the mourning process with the help of an upstairs neighbor and an ex-lover. She fears failing her younger son, who wrestles with his own demons and guilt. The production blends compelling realistic dialogue with verse and a live instrumental musical underscore by Keith Edward Johnson. What emerges is a daring and polished combination of spoken word, jazz and family drama: imagine a choreopoem with traditional structure and realism.

Playwright Khalil Kain is a noted actor with national and international appeal. He is best known or his performance as Raheem Porter in "Juice," in which he appeared with Tupac Shakur, Omar Epps and Jermaine Hopkins as a quartet of young Harlem friends on a violent path that goes terribly wrong. He was the second (and longest running) Darnell Wilkes, husband of Maya (played by Golden Brooks) in the long-running sitcom "Girlfriends." In this play, he portrays an ex-con who has turned his life around and seeks to save the play's tragic heroine.

June 16 to July 3, 2022 Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street Presented by The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. Thursdays and Fridays at 7:00 PM, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM but 7:00 PM only on June 18 and July 3 Tickets $35 gen. Adm., $25 seniors/students. Buy tix: https://necinc.org/ Audience info: 212-582-5860. Runs two hours including intermission.

38 Commerce Street Map
212--58-2-5860