(NORTH ADAMS, Mass.) – The multi-talented Eisa Davis – an acclaimed actress and Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright – sits down at the piano in Club B10 at MASS MoCA for an intimate evening of her intense, minimalist soul-pop on Saturday, November 12, at 8pm. Her shimmering, subtle sound recalls piano-playing soul singers such as Nina Simone, Laura Nyro, and Carole King.

While Davis is perhaps best known as Heather Dunbar’s Chief of Staff, Cynthia Driscoll, on TV’s “House of Cards,” she is also an award-winning playwright and a formidable singer and songwriter. In addition to “House of Cards,” she has had a praiseworthy career on stage and in the studio. She has been awarded numerous fellowships; was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her play, “Bulrusher”; was awarded the prestigious Herb Alpert Award in Theatre; and was a resident playwright at New Dramatists, where she won the Helen Merrill Award and the Whitfield Cook Award.

After releasing her first album, “Something Else,” to critical acclaim in 2007, it was clear that Davis’ passion and spirit were ingrained in her music career as well.

Calling to mind fellow multi-hyphenate talent Audra McDonald, the world is waking up to Davis’ undeniable, poly-platform grace and skill. “Watching Davis reveal her soul through her songs, and also embody the souls of different characters, is like peeling back the petals of a rare flower,” PopMatters notes. “Her lyrics mirror the full gamut of love, relationships, and life experiences. By stripping emotions to their essence, then illuminating them in powerful stories, Davis provides a mirror for audience members to see their own beauty in her songs.”

Lickety Spit, MASS MoCA’s café, serves up crisp salads, hearty soups, and lip-smacking pub fare. A full bar serves Bright Ideas Brewing beers and Berkshire Mountain Distillery spirits. Tickets are $10 for students, $16 advance, $22 day of, and $30 preferred.

Tickets for all events are available through the MASS MoCA box office located on Marshall Street in North Adams, open 11am to 5pm every day except Tuesdays. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 during box office hours or purchased online at MASS MoCA.

 

About MASS MoCA

MASS MoCA is one of the world’s liveliest (and largest) centers for making and enjoying today’s most important art, music, dance, theater, film, and video.

Gallery admission is $18 for adults, $16 for veterans and seniors, $12 for students, $8 for children 6 to 16, and free for children 5 and under. Members are admitted free year-round. The Hall Art Foundation’s Anselm Kiefer exhibition is open seasonally, spring – fall. For additional information, call 413.662.2111 x1 or visit MASS MoCA. Hours: 11am to 5pm, closed Tuesdays