After captivating audiences during the inaugural Houston Black Theatre Week in 2023 with an excerpt of her stunning one-woman performance, acclaimed artist Joy Yvonne Jones returns to the Deluxe Theater for the full-length live recording of Cleopatra on Sunday, August 10, 2025.

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A Houston native, Veteran’s wife, and mother of two, Jones is a multi-hyphenated, multi-talented force — an accredited actor, poet, playwright, model, and entrepreneur whose work consistently embodies revolutionary art. With Cleopatra, she brings new dimension to one of history’s most iconic figures, portraying her as a flawed yet magnetic queen, an intelligent and ambitious leader, and a fierce mother.

 

This bold interpretation focuses on the complexities of Cleopatra’s humanity, challenging societal expectations and offering a fresh, empowering perspective.

Jones’s artistry is deeply rooted in her personal and professional journey. In 2020, she wrote and starred in the multi-medium play Ode to My Mothers, featured in the Old Globe Theatre’s Juneteenth Celebration. The poignant and provocative piece explored the gifts and pain passed through the maternal line of womanhood, following a young African-American woman’s path to self-awakening through the lens of ancestral heritage.

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A founding member and President of the San Diego Black Artist Collective, Jones also served as Associate Artistic Director of New Village Arts Theatre, where she spearheaded groundbreaking education initiatives. Her career has spanned both stage and screen across the country, including an award-winning turn as Saartjie Baartman in Voyeurs de Venus at Moxie Theatre, which earned her the San Diego Critic Circle Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play.

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Currently, Jones is “creating the revolution of art at the speed of inspiration,” developing both her one-woman show Cleopatra and her upcoming short film A Month of Sundays. Supporters can follow her journey and contribute through her Patreon to stay connected to the debut of these works.

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Audiences can expect Cleopatra to be as provocative as it is powerful — a rich, complex portrait brought to life by one of Houston’s own.

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Don’t miss Joy Yvonne Jones in Cleopatra, Sunday, August 10, 2025, at the Deluxe Theater.