While haunted by visions of her ill-fated mother, enigmatic, “African” Queen Cleopatra becomes entangled in sexual and political brinkmanship that puts more than Ptolemaic Egypt at stake. Caught in a web between the Roman Empire, Mark Antony, and a crocodile, Cleopatra must choose between desire and duty. new heaven new earth spans 30 BCE to the here and now, blending ancient myth with contemporary zeitgeist. In an empire not unlike America, what is the cost of surrendering yourself to true love?

When the threads of history and present-day unrest tangle into an explosive knot, new heaven, new earth dares to cut through it with fearless precision. Commissioned by Shakespeare in Clark Park and written by the electrifying Barrymore Award-winning playwright Rayne—celebrated for their Outstanding Original Production of Comet. . This reimagining of Antony & Cleopatra delivers a provocative mix of biting humor, gut-wrenching violence, and unflinching explorations of race, gender, and power. new heaven, new earth  questions how stories shape authority and whose truths deserve the light of day. It’s bold. It’s sexy. It’s history as you’ve never seen it—alive, raw, and ready to rewrite the rules.

Rayne is an artist from Southwest Philadelphia. Across mediums, they tell stories of transformation that center Black folx. Rayne is a Leeway Art & Change Grant Recipient, F. Otto Haas Finalist, and six-time Barrymore-Nominated performer, writer, director, and producer. They are also the founder of Upstream Performance Collaborative, a Philly-based theatre company specializing in boundary-breaking new works by emerging, underrepresented artists. Affiliations: Ring of Keys and New Pages (Azuka); [former] Rising Writers (Azuka Theatre), Playwrights Cohort (PlayPenn), Echoes (Primary Stages), Emerging Playwrights (Strides Collective), Directors Gathering, and Jouska PlayWorks (Simpatico). Selected Credits: [awards/exhibitions] Wayne F. Milward ‘57 Memorial Prize (Ursinus College) and #blackgirlquarantine (University of California, Berkeley); [design] sandblasted (Theatre Horizon) and A Hit Dog Will Holler (Azuka); [roles] Ensemble at Sundance Directors Lab (Sundance Institute) and “Genesis'' in The Light (Theatre Exile, Barrymore Nomination: “Best Leading Performance in a Play”); [words] COMET (UPC, Barrymore Nomination: “Best Leading Performance in a Play” & “Best Original Production”) and On Buried Ground (Christ Church Preservation Trust, Fringies Pick: Immersive - Week 1); [direction] The Taming! (Shakespeare in Clark Park, Barrymore Nomination: “Best Outdoor Production”) and Water By the Spoonful (Eagle Theatre, Barrymore Nomination: “Best Ensemble in a Play” & “Best Supporting Performance in a Play”). Upcoming: [direction] Judy’s Life’s Work (Naptown African American Theatre Collective); [words] new heaven, new earth (SCP) [words & lyrics] Ever (Azuka & SCP). tallblackcreative.com