Strand Theater Company Presents Michelle Antoinette Nelson's GOD'S COUNTRY

The Strand Theater Company welcomes a solo artist Michelle Antoinette Nelson, with her one-woman show - God's Country. In a setting of a Wednesday night bible study, Michelle will take on eight distinct voices: a teen mother with HIV, an urban teenage drug dealer, a husband on the down low, a poetic narrator, a blind gay church musician, and more. Each character, in what is Michelle's first original play, is searching for the God in themselves through the eyes of everyone else, searching for an interpretation of "the word" that makes sense in their lives, searching for the answer to this question, "If this is God's country, where the hell is God?"

God's Country opens on October 9, presenting six performances on Thursdays-Saturdays, untilOctober 18. All performances are at 8pm. Tickets are $20.

Due to the recent loss of a permanent venue, the Strand performances of God's Country will be presented at St. Mark's Lutheran Church at 1900 St. Paul Street, Baltimore MD 21201

"As a women-centric company, we strive to showcase female perspective as a corner stone of our work," says Strand's Managing Director, Elena Kostakis. "What better way to celebrate 'women's diverse voices and perspectives' than with a production featuring a strong and prominent female artist portraying eight different characters!"

Performance Dates: October 9-18, Thurs.-Sat. All shows are 8:00 p.m.

Location: St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 1900 St. Paul Street, Baltimore 21201

Ticket Information: Visit www.strand-theater.org to purchase tickets.

Ticket Prices: All tickets - $20

About the Artist

Michelle Antoinette Nelson, also known as LOVE the poet, is a photographer, actor, musician, poet, host and prominent indie artist/author on the national performance and literary art scenes, and in the field of creative writing education. She has appeared on CNN as a speaker at the Jena 6 rally in Washington, D.C.; authored the book "Black Marks on White Paper"; is the recipient of the 2011 Baker b-grant award; released multiple spoken word CDs; and has performed at the Smithsonian & college campuses nationwide. Michelle is also a Punany Poet (as seen on HBO); the playwright and star of "God's Country"- her touring one woman play; an Urban Arts Leadership Program Fellow; the creator of Live Lyrics! Creative writing workshops; and the founder/host of BE FREE Fridays(monthly open mic series).

About the Strand.

The Strand Theater Company champions challenging and provocative theater that especially celebrates women's diverse voices and perspectives while bringing together the creative talents of both women and men as artists, technicians, and administrators. We invite patrons to experience some of the region's best contemporary and reinterpreted works for the stage in our intimate midtown theater.

Since launching in 2008, the Strand has presented 22 full-length plays, including ten World Premieres; offered 75% of the artistic positions on its productions-as playwrights, directors, designers, stage managers, and actors-to women; provided affordable theater space to many organizations and independent artists; and played an integral role in the revitalization of the Station North Arts & Entertainment District.

In August 2011, the Strand was honored as one of Baltimore magazine's "Top 5 Baltimore Theaters," along with CENTERSTAGE, Everyman, the Hippodrome, and Single Carrot. To learn more about the Strand Theater Company, visit www.strand-theater.org.