Tony Award Winner Phylicia Rashad Takes the Helm of LGBTQ+ Family Drama in Charlotte

Starting July 29, Blumenthal Arts presents Immediate Family at the Booth Playhouse. The show runs through August 31, with Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad directing this raw look at LGBTQ+ acceptance within Black families.

"It's a play about family and how close you can be, and still miss each other. It's a story of acceptance of one's own self and acceptance of others," said Rashad, according to The Charlotte Observer.

Paul Oakley Stovall's work hits Charlotte after runs in Chicago and Los Angeles. The plot centers on a Chicago wedding where tensions rise when a brother must tell his family about his white Swedish boyfriend. This marks the third staging since its 2012 debut.

Tom Gabbard of Blumenthal Arts chose this work for the Broadway Lights lineup. North Carolina crews built the sets and handle stage duties, making it a local effort at its core.

Stovall spoke to QCity Metro: “Don't try to have the solutions,” he advises. “But just open the lines of communication. That's all any play should do."

The show's past runs matched watershed moments in LGBTQ+ rights. Its first staging came right after Obama backed gay marriage. Three years later, as the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal nationwide, the LA production opened its doors.

Want to catch a show? Tickets start at $27.76 at the Booth Playhouse on 130 N. Tryon St. Pick from afternoon or evening shows through August's end.

For Rashad, this Charlotte run feels like a homecoming: her roots trace back to Chester, South Carolina. She steps into this role after her triumph with Purpose, which took home Best Play at the 2025 Tony Awards.