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October 8, 2025
VIPER VAUDEVILLE LLC
Executive Producer JONATHAN MANN
to present an Invite-Only Industry Presentation of
CANNABIS! A VIPER VAUDEVILLE
(WORKING TITLE)
By BABA ISRAEL & GRACE GALU
Co-Directed by TALVIN WILKS, NIC BENACERRAF & BABA ISRAEL
Choreographic Direction by CHANON JUDSON
November 3 at 7pm & November 4 at 11am & 4pm
New York, NY — Viper Vaudeville LLC and Executive Producer Jonathan Mann are offering an exclusive presentation of the groundbreaking theatrical concert Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville (working title), with music by Grace Galu, libretto and co-direction by Baba Israel, dramaturgy and co-direction by Talvin Wilks, choreographic direction by Chanon Judson, and environmental design and co-direction by Nic Benacerraf.
Three one-hour presentations will take place on Monday, November 3, at 7:00 pm, and on Tuesday, November 4, at 11:00 am and 4:00 pm, at CAM Studios, 10th floor, 115W. 45th St (bet. 6th and 7th Ave.)
To RSVP or for more information, please email invite@ldkproductions.com
Called “A seductive, time-traveling theatrical concert” by Forbes, “A call-to-action American History lesson” and “Grace Galu is a magnetic, powerhouse vocalist” in The New York Times, and “pure power” by Honeysuckle Magazine, during the show’s initial three-week run at La Mama in 2022, Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville is a genre-defying, time-traveling theatrical concert that explores the complex and storied relationship between cannabis and American culture. Blending music, dance, spoken word, and multimedia, the piece is rooted in the Hip-Hop tradition of remix and mashup, inspired by Martin A. Lee’s acclaimed book, Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana.
The production moves fluidly through eras and movements—from Congo Square to Jazz Age speakeasies, from the revolutionary happenings of the ’60s to the AIDS activism of San Francisco’s Buyers Club—weaving together the music of Louis Armstrong, Bob Marley, The Beatles, and other cultural icons with stories of real-life activists such as Dennis Perron and Brownie Mary, alongside deeply personal narratives of healing, criminalization, and resistance.
Returning from a hiatus, Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville kicked off a development phase with two sold-out concert performances at Joe’s Pub/The Public Theater in July, 2025, attended by several cannabis industry executives. Next up: a two-week workshop this winter and a developmental production at La Mama next summer, and then…the sky’s the limit!
Executive Producer Jonathan Mann of Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville notes, “Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville is more than a show—it’s a community-building movement that fuses artistry with advocacy. It’s an uplifting, rebel-spirited journey that immerses audiences in the deep global history, the medical and cultural benefits, and enlightenment this sacred herb has provided to millions of people across the globe, for thousands of years. We’re thrilled to invite potential partners to experience how music, dance, and storytelling can ignite the conversation around cannabis culture, legalization, and social healing, after decades of prohibition and injustice harmed communities and families across America.”
Performers and creative team includes Grace Galu (composer, performer), Baba Israel (librettist, co-director, performer), Talvin Wilks (dramaturg, co-director), Chanon Judson (choreographic direction), Nic Benacerraf (co-director, environment designer), Tony Nominated David Bengali (video designer), Kate Fry (costume designer), Alex B. West (stage manager), Mame Diarra (Samantha) Speis (performer and co-choreographer), and Twice Light (performer/co-choreographer), with Robert Knowles, Sean Nowell, Jonathan “Duv” Zaragoza, Osei Kweku, and Juan Carlos Polo (musicians).
BIOS
GRACE GALU (Composer, "Sativa Diva") is a vocalist, musical director, and composer whose work spans film, theater, and live performance. Celebrated for her powerful voice and inventive compositions, she has garnered critical acclaim and numerous fellowships as a cultural ambassador and arts innovator. Grace has created original work with companies like Urban Bush Women and Trusty Sidekick, at spaces like the Park Avenue Armory, HERE Arts Center, and has been honored by Creative Capital, NEFA, and American Music Abroad.
BABA ISRAEL (Concept, Writer, Co-Director, “Mystical Magical MC") is a Hip Hop performer and theater artist, producer, and curator raised in NYC. He was Artistic Director of Contact Theatre in Manchester, UK, and is currently Artistic Director of the Performance Project at University Settlement. Baba’s work has received prestigious awards (NEFA, Map Fund) and residencies (BRIC, HERE). He often works as a cultural ambassador with the US State Department, and is the director and co-curator of the annual Word Sound Power performance series at BAM.
TALVIN WILKS (Dramaturg and Co-Director) is a playwright, director, and dramaturg based in Minneapolis and New York City. Directing Credits: The Ballad of Emmett Till; Benevolence; The White Card; This Bitter Earth at (Penumbra); Cannabis: A Viper Vaudeville (HERE Arts/La Mama, NYC); The Till Trilogy (Mosaic Theatre, DC). Dramaturgy Credits: for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enough (2022 Broadway Revival), and many works with Camille A. Brown and Dancers, Urban Bush Women, and Bebe Miller Company.
CHANON JUDSON (Choreographic Direction, Performer) is an investigative-innovator by way of dance-theatre, performance, visual design, and the curation of art-based communal practices. Choreographic credits include Haint Blu and Hair and Other Stories (Urban Bush Women) and The Hang (HERE, Taylor Mac, Niegel Smith). Additional Performance-Collaborator credits include Dancing with Glass (Pomegranate Arts), Snake Hips in our DNA (Talvin Wilks), A 24-Decade History of Popular Music (Taylor Mac, Niegel Smith), God’s Trombone (Craig Harris), and the Tony award-winning musical Fela! (Bill T. Jones).
NIC BENACERRAF (Co-Director, Environment Designer) is a multimedia artist and space-maker. As a scenic designer, academic researcher, and cross-disciplinary facilitator, Nic builds bespoke environments for human flourishing. His designs – for concerts, plays, films, and other happenings – have been staged at Lincoln Center, The Public, La Mama, BAM, and HERE. Honors include the LA Weekly Award and Gold Telly Award. For 15 years, Nic was Co-Artistic Director of The Assembly, and currently directs with Edge Effect Media Group. www.nicbenacerraf.com/
DAVID BENGALI (Video Designer) award-winning projection, media, and lighting designer based in NYC. Broadway: Good Night and Good Luck (Tony Nom), Water for Elephants (Tony and Outer Critics Noms), Eureka Day, The Thanksgiving Play, 1776. Off-Broadway/Regional: Billie Jean (Chicago Shakes), We Live In Cairo (A.R.T., New York Theatre Workshop; Lortel Nom); 3 Summers of Lincoln (La Jolla); Here There Are Blueberries (Tectonic Theatre Project, NYTW, La Jolla, Signature DC; Hewes, Lortel, and Helen Hayes Awards); Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 (Signature, A.R.T.; Hewes Award, Drama Desk Nom), Lights Out- Nat King Cole (NYTW); Without You (New World Stages), Monsoon Wedding (Saint Anns), The Visitor (The Public; Lortel Nom), Walk On Through (MCC); Circle Jerk (Fake Friends; Obie Award); Einstein’s Dreams (Drama Desk Nom); Van Gogh’s Ear (Drama Desk Nom); National Tours: Peter Pan, 1776, Water for Elephants, Rockin Road to Dublin. 2017-2019 Arts Fellow/Princeton University Lewis Center for the Arts, M.F.A./NYU. www.davidbengali.com/
JONATHAN MANN (Executive Producer) is a corporate principal at Circle in the Square which his father Theodore Mann co-founded with Jose Quintero in 1950. He’s produced, performed, and directed projects on Broadway and off-Broadway. Jonathan served in the educational outreach and literary departments at Circle in the Square for 18 years. He was artistic director and GM of The Arts Exchange, a performing arts center in White Plains, NY owned by Arts Westchester, where Jonathan worked for 17 years. He has developed and led 800 creative projects, including 150 productions that engaged 500K while achieving goals with partners in business, government, culture, and agencies.