Broadway Star Tonya Pinkins Is Set to Release “Red Pill,” A Political Thriller and Her First Feature Film

The Tony award-winning actress Tonya Pinkins has written, directed and produced her first feature film, Red Pill, a political thriller scheduled for an autumn release. Conceived in 2019, the film is a wake-up call about American politics, with resonance about today’s topics of White Supremacy, the weaponization of the police, #Uprising2020 and more.

Says Pinkins: “I wrote my own personal Get Out. “#Uprising2020 is White people waking up to the world Black and Brown folks have always known. Black women are intimately familiar with “Becky” and “Karen,” White women, who on the low end of the spectrum treat us as invisible, and on the high end weaponize their whiteness and sometimes cost us our lives. Red Pill’s #Karensgonewild is a dose of what’s coming to America if liberal Whites don’t wake up.”

The story of Red Pill takes place on Halloween weekend just days before the 2020 election. An intersectional posse of progressive canvassers drive to Virginia to get out the vote. As soon as they cross the state line it is clear they are not welcome. Distressing clues indicate that they should get out of their rental house while the getting is good. They decide to stay, armed with their heart, humor and naiveté. But what they really need is heavy artillery.

Starring in Red Pill are eight time Grammy award winning Latin music star Rubén Blades, Catherine Curtain, Kathryn Erbe, Tonya Pinkins, Colby Minifie, Luba Mason, Jake O’Flaherty and Adesola Osakalumi.

Tonya Pinkins is a multi-award-winning actress, author, and educator. She is 2019-2022 Fulbright Specialist. Among her many credits, Her short film, What Came After, which she produced, directed and adapted with Christopher Oscar Pena from his play, premiered at The New York Short Festival in 2016 and was an official selection in 2017 Sociopolitical Short Festival, Artemis Women in Action Film Festival, National Black Film Festival, Houston, Equality Film Festival, Blow-Up International Arthouse Festival, Chicago, Womyn in Media Newark, Women’s Only Entertainment Film Festival, Queens World Film festival, New Filmmakers New York Festival and WIM-Ns Women’s Film Festival.

Pinkins is also a Tony, Obie Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Lortel Award-winning actor. She teaches privately and at The Atlantic Theater School’s NYU program. She is the author of Get OVER YOURSELF: How to Drop The Drama and Claim The Life You Deserve (Hachette Books). Pinkins works with The African American Policy Forum and actively supports #SayHerName and TheMovementForBlackLives among other causes and organizations.