Jeff Obafemi News

Signs of a New Day: The Z. Alexander Looby Story will close on February 6, 2010.

That serendipitous encounter with Looby's photograph and the accompanying marker in the lobby of the community center/public library/theatre complex that bears his name, led German to further research which 'fired [her] up,' and has now, in turn, led to Signs of a New Day: The Z. Alexander Looby Story, her new play set for its world premiere Friday night in a production by Amun Ra Theatre, presented in the theatre that bears Looby's name, and continuing through February 6.

That serendipitous encounter with Looby's photograph and the accompanying marker in the lobby of the community center/public library/theatre complex that bears his name, led German to further research which 'fired [her] up,' and has now, in turn, led to Signs of a New Day: The Z. Alexander Looby Story, her new play set for its world premiere Friday night in a production by Amun Ra Theatre, presented in the theatre that bears Looby's name, and continuing through February 6.

Amun Ra Theatre's jeff obafemi carr came off the roof and hit the ground running, with the fifth anniversary production of the company's Black Nativity by Langston Hughes as the first offering in the 2010 season. Black Nativity will feature the children of the Amun Ra Performing Arts Academy, alongside some of the stars of previous Black Nativity productions of the past five years. Black Nativity runs December 18-20 at the Shamblin Theatre on the campus of David Lipscomb University. This marks the first year the show will be produced on the Lipscomb campus, and the university is a major sponsor of the event. Lipscomb staff and students will have the opportunity to work with ART's professional crew, which includes nationally recognized lighting designer Scott Leathers.

Amun Ra Theatre's jeff obafemi carr came off the roof and hit the ground running, with the fifth anniversary production of the company's Black Nativity by Langston Hughes as the first offering in the 2010 season. Black Nativity will feature the children of the Amun Ra Performing Arts Academy, alongside some of the stars of previous Black Nativity productions of the past five years. Black Nativity runs December 18-20 at the Shamblin Theatre on the campus of David Lipscomb University. This marks the first year the show will be produced on the Lipscomb campus, and the university is a major sponsor of the event. Lipscomb staff and students will have the opportunity to work with ART's professional crew, which includes nationally recognized lighting designer Scott Leathers.

Like hundreds, maybe even thousands, of other Nashvillians before and since, Carolyn German would walk through the lobby of the Z. Alexander Looby Theatre, passing by the historical marker heralding Looby's role in Nashville history without really giving it much thought. Then one day, during a visit to the Looby Center in her role as director of theatre for Metro Nashville Parks, German stopped and read intently the information included on the plaque, learning that Looby was an attorney who played in a key role in Nashville's storied civil rights history.

'2009's theme, Step Into The Future, was very much about establishing a brand reputation for us,' explained ART's artistic director Jeff Obafemi Carr. 'We're confident now that when you come to an ART production, you have a unique experience from the front to the back door. We've taken into account the thousands of people who have seen our productions over the course of '09 and things they've responded to well - both artistic and aesthetic - and crafted a schedule of offerings we believe will continue to influence Nashville's cultural landscape in a profound way. We want the city to see that much of the future of great theater is happening right now, in North Nashville.'

Amun Ra Theatre's jeff obafemi carr came off the roof and hit the ground running, with the fifth anniversary production of the company's Black Nativity by Langston Hughes as the first offering in the 2010 season. Black Nativity will feature the children of the Amun Ra Performing Arts Academy, alongside some of the stars of previous Black Nativity productions of the past five years. Black Nativity runs December 18-20 at the Shamblin Theatre on the campus of David Lipscomb University. This marks the first year the show will be produced on the Lipscomb campus, and the university is a major sponsor of the event. Lipscomb staff and students will have the opportunity to work with ART's professional crew, which includes nationally recognized lighting designer Scott Leathers.

After a week spent camping out on the roof of Amun Ra Theatre, enduring thunderstorms and the whims of Mother Nature, jeff obafemi carr achieved his goal Monday afternoon with $30,000 raised to keep the theatre afloat for the remainder of 2009, entering the new year on a firm financial footing. Last week, carr climbed a ladder to the roof of the ART Playhouse at 2508 Clifton Avenue in north Nashville with the intention of remaining there until he met his goal: 'If you haven't heard already, I'm headed up to the roof of the theater I--along with many other volunteers and contributors--helped build last year. It is the first African-American theater facility in Nashville in over 100 years,' carr told supporters last week.

Beginning Monday, September 21, 'at high noon,' carr said he 'will stay there until we have collected the funds needed for us to close out 2009 and enter 2010 ahead of the game, with our Youth Performing ARTs Academy leading the way. Iwant to expand the Academy into a YEAR-ROUND program, and to do that, I need your help, from wherever you might be in this world.'