A Strange Loop
by Ground Floor Theatre

Dec. 03 - Dec. 19
Thursdays-Sundays

Meet Usher: a Black, queer writer writing a musical about a Black, queer writer writing a musical about a Black, queer writer. Winner of the Tony Award® for Best Musical, Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize–winning, blisteringly funny masterwork exposes the heart and soul of a young artist grappling with desires, identity, and instincts he both loves and loathes. Hell-bent on breaking free of his own self-perception, Usher wrestles with the thoughts in his head, brought to life on stage by a hilarious, straight-shooting ensemble. Bold and heartfelt in its truth-telling, A Strange Loop is the big, Black, and queer-ass Great American Musical for all!

 

Originally produced Off-Broadway in 2019, A Strange Loop premiered on Broadway in April 2022, winning Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical at the 75^th Tony Awards.

 

Directed by Jeremy Rashad Brown, who comments, “I’m incredibly excited to bring A Strange Loop to life at Ground Floor Theatre. What Michael R. Jackson has created is so unapologetically Black, queer, funny, messy, vulnerable, and deeply human. That honesty is what I’m most excited to dig into. At its core, this is a story about what happens when you’re trying to create, love, survive and become yourself while carrying all of these voices of family, culture, desire, shame, expectation and your own damn thoughts around with you,want Our production to really invite the audience inside Usher’s mind and allow them to experience that strange loop with him: the beauty of it, the chaos of it, the humor of it and the pain of it. Ground Floor’s intimacy gives us an opportunity to make that journey feel incredibly immediate, immersive and visceral, and I’m excited to create something that feels distinctly ours and distinctly Austin.”

 

Casting includes Christian Brown as Usher; Kali Jupiter as Thought 1; Alyssa Harris as Thought 2; Jenna Clayborn as Thought 3; Tommie Jackson as Thought 4; Beauregard Elliot as Thought 5; and Deitrich Calhounas Thought 6.

 

The production team for A Strange Loop includes music direction by Deonté Warren; choreography by Quinton Weathers; scenic design by Sani Ballard; lighting design by Luis Sandoval; costume design by Desiree Humphries; property design and set dressing by Analisse Quiñones; sound design by Rodd Simonson; intimacy direction by Andy Grapko; video design by Chris Hills; technical direction by Frederick Demps; graphic design by Erica Moreno with Valerie Johnson as production stage manager and Joi Green as stage manager.

For press needs including access to events, interviews, or reviews please contactnicole.shiro@motleycrewmedia.com

Ground Floor Theatre is supported in part by grant from the Shubert Foundation.

This project is supported in part by a Thrive Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment and Texas Commission on the Arts.

About Ground Floor Theatre:

Ground Floor Theatre (GFT) produces works focusing on historically underrepresented communities. It serves as an incubator to foster and grow new and groundbreaking works that shine a light on groups that are often overlooked. It is also a home for the Austin theatre community to come together and learn from one another in order to help Austin continue to excel as a leader in the national theatre community. For more information visit www.groundfloortheatre.org.

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A Strange Loop
by Michael R. Jackson
Ground Floor Theatre

 December 3–19, 2026

 Thursday through Saturday nights at 7:30PM and Sundays at 5:00PM. The “First Friday” performance on December 4 includes a reception.

 Ground Floor Theatre, 979 Springdale Road, Suite 122, Austin, TX at the corner of Springdale and Airport.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at groundfloortheatre.org/loop.

 

Age Recommendation: Sixteen and up.  

 

Ground Floor Theatre believes in “theatre for everyone” regardless of ability to pay, so tickets are always Pay What You Can. Suggested ticket price is $35 for general admission and $50 for VIP. VIP seating includes a reserved seat, a glass of bubbly and the assurance of helping GFT keep the Pay What You Can policy.