Jordan E. Cooper’s history-making production, Ain’t No Mo’, is closing on Broadway just a few weeks after it officially opened on Dec. 1.
Written by Cooper, directed by Stevie-Walker Webb and produced by Lee Daniels, the Dec. 18 closure of the critically acclaimed play follows 22 preview performances and 21 regular performances.
In a statement about the play’s closure, Daniels recalled when he first saw Ain’t No Mo’.
“It shook me to my core,” he said. “I know firsthand how this world — and industry — doesn’t always embrace our stories, and I vowed to do everything I could to bring Jordan’s riveting play written in his distinct voice and perspective to Broadway.”
Daniels continued, “it was my intention to make history with this play. I’m proud to say we did. Jordan E. Cooper is now the youngest Black American playwright in Broadway history with Ain’t No Mo’. I couldn’t be more proud of our magnificent cast and crew. This is not the end.”
In its short run, the play brought in notable names like Queen Latifah, Tamron Hall, Gayle King, Monique, Clive Davis, Eric Holder, Matthew Broderick, Deborah Cox, Katie Holmes and more.
According to its site, Ain’t No Mo’ “dares to ask the incendiary question, ‘What if the U.S. government offered Black Americans one-way plane tickets to Africa?’ The answer is the high-octane new comedy.” The play moves through “the turbulent skies of being Black in today’s America,” and blends “sketch, satire, avant-garde theater and a dose of drag.”
The news of the play’s closure comes days after another Broadway production, KPOP, announced its closure as well.
