Marcus Callender, the actor known for roles in Power and Wu-Tang: An American Saga, is bringing his playwriting and directorial debut to Atlanta, with Spades: The Play running at Cam Kirk Studios as part of a national tour that has already stopped in Harlem, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. The production, inspired by events from Callender's own life, is set in 2013 Harlem and follows a group of friends who gather for their weekly spades game.
According to Deadline, the show is scheduled to run 76 performances across Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Atlanta, New Orleans and Miami, with the Atlanta engagement booked for October 21 through November 15 at Cam Kirk Studios. Callender told the outlet he spent ten years writing the play, calling it a project that took shape over roughly a decade, according to Black Enterprise. Atlanta News First reports the city will see multiple shows starting November 12, with the tour described locally as having notched nearly 50 performances so far, as detailed in the station's own coverage via Atlanta News First.
A Decade-Long Passion Project Reaches the Stage
The tour's roots trace back to a four-week debut run in Harlem last November, which preceded the current multi-city run, per the same Deadline report. A one-night-only performance at the historic Studio Museum in Harlem on September 3, 2026, kicked off the current tour, the outlet noted. Black Enterprise's account of the production's arc frames it as a journey from that intimate Harlem debut to the current 76-performance, five-city footprint.
Callender is stepping behind the pen and the director's chair for the first time with this production, making his playwriting and directorial debut, Black Enterprise reports. For an actor whose screen résumé includes Power and Wu-Tang: An American Saga, the shift to writing and staging his own story marks a notable turn, and one rooted in the kind of weekly card-game gatherings that many audiences will recognize from their own families and friend groups.
What Audiences Have Found at Other Tour Stops
The tour's Washington, D.C. leg wrapped up at Culture House on September 20, according to The Knockturnal, which described the stop as part of the broader 76-show national run. A review from Blex Media of the production described an experience built around more than just the performance itself, noting that tables are set up throughout the venue for guests to play before and after the show, alongside an open bar and a DJ.
The Knockturnal's account of the D.C. closing night added that Sunday performances, like that finale, also included a brunch and live DJ.
Atlanta News First is covering the Atlanta engagement through its ATL Live program, which the station describes as a feature on food, fun and entertainment around the city, mixing live and taped segments with guests and occasional sponsored content. The Callender interview, part of The Karen Hunter Show, covers Spades: The Play's run at Cam Kirk Studios through November 15.
