Gov. Andrew Cuomo made headlines last week when he announced venues could operate at 100% capacity to a fully vaccinated audience. This morning, a new Broadway play – “Pass Over” – written by Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu - is announcing it will begin previews on Aug. 4. This will make it the first show to open on Broadway since COVID-19 shut the entire industry down 15 months ago.

"Pass Over" is the story of two Black men, Moses and Kitch, at a crossroads. The play is described as "a provocative mashup of 'Waiting for Godot' and the Exodus saga." Frank DiLella sat down with the playwright to discuss this momentous occasion and what it means to be a Black playwright premiering at the August Wilson Theatre.

Frank DiLella: How does it make you feel that your play is leading the charge with the reopening of Broadway?

Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu: You know, on one hand, I'm, I'm deeply excited and I'm deeply grateful, but every day the news changes in everyday, there are new announcements. So for me, it's less about, oh, who's first who's first, and about, oh, my play gets to be among a cohort and a community of plays, all of which involve hundreds of artists who need to feed their families and who need to help us all heal. To say that my play pass over is in that community. It's a dream come true.

FD: As playwright of color, what does it mean to you to be in the August Wilson Theatre?

ACN: That's such a great question. And thank you so much for asking it, Frank. And I just want to actually start by saying that the, the way that I prefer to be called to be referred to, to think about my race is that I'm first and foremost, a Black Playwright. And that is something that I say with pride, and that is something that I say with a great deal of dignity and a great deal of connection to my past, as a Black American. And secondly, I'm a member of the global majority and that's something that I've been able to claim during this pandemic. So to say that I'm a Black Playwright in 2021, writing a play that will premiere at the August Wilson Theatre, I have chills.

FD: A social justice movement obviously came out of this pause. What does the Broadway that you want to go back to look like?

ACN: Gosh, how much time do we have? The Broadway that I want to be a part of and the Broadway that I think my play is helping to bring about is a space that champions the very, very best of the American theater community. It's a space that can be a beacon for people who are born and raised in New York who want to see themselves on stage. I want Broadway to be a place where every single human being feels comfortable.

Tickets for “Pass Over” at the August Wilson Theatre go on sale June 4, 2021. First previews begin Aug. 4, 2021, and opening night is set for Sept. 12, 2021.