651 ARTS Presents the First Performance of Its 2022 Season With Malik Work's Acclaimed Piece VERSES AT WORK

651 ARTS, Brooklyn's premier institution for the African Diasporic performing arts, presents the first performance as part of its 2022 Season - Liminal Spaces: Homebound - with Malik Work's award-winning Verses at Work.

To be held over the course of a weekend (Nov. 19-20) at the Mark O' Donnell Theater in Downtown Brooklyn, Verses at Work is a vibrant and compelling performance piece written and performed by the dynamic actor/MC exploring the concepts of identity, masculinity, perseverance, and love through the telling of his own story as an artist struggling to survive in New York City.

Coined by South African press as "the griot from New York and Shakespeare of the streets," Malik Work masterfully weaves verse, spoken word, monologue, hip hop, and documentary in this immersive hip-hop theater piece to bring to life this narrative about the birth of the music scene in the East Village. Issues of love, race, money, class and struggle all intertwine for an experience that is true to the name of the band they formed - The Real Live Show. Verses at Work primarily explores the nuances of Black masculinity with Work realizing that he must reconcile the expectations of the world with the expectations he has for himself. Additionally, the work poses questions about the insidious role institutionalized racism plays in the trajectory of a life, the struggle of the developing artist in cities all over the world especially the United States and how one survives while staying creatively sharp and available for preferred artistic opportunities.

Throughout the piece, the audience is also taken back to a different New York City. Gentrification is just beginning to impact historically underserved communities. Hip Hop music and culture is reflecting the city's changing landscape. Just 'pre' and 'post' 9/11, New York is the epicenter of urban renewal. New nightclubs are opening up, as old ones are closing down. The city's nightlife is vibrant and fluid. In this distinctly original format, Work's verses testify to and narrate a quite remarkable tale: the transformation and evolution of the City, hip hop and himself.

"651 ARTS is thrilled to present Verses at Work as part of our season and I couldn't think of a better first performance for our new Season. It is such a powerful piece from such a dynamic artist," said Toya Lillard, 651's new Executive Director. "At the core of our mission and DNA is always the artist and true creatives such as Malik Work will always have a home at 651. As we journey toward moving into our first-ever permanent home in the Spring, Verses at Work is the embodiment of this period of transition and transformation for 651. I'm so excited to see the response to the piece!"

Verses at Work is written and performed by Malik Work and directed by Vernice Miller with Quincy Valentine presiding as Musical Director. The piece also includes featured performances from Stix Bones and Ayanna Williams. The weekend will consist of three performances - Saturday November 19th at 7pm and Sunday, November 20th at 2pm with a final showing at 6pm.

Additionally, 651 also announced that The Woodshed Network (TWN) - a mentorship and career accelerator program for early professional women artists in Jazz - is currently accepting applications for its 2023 cohort. Now going into its fourth year, TWN was conceived by Jazz icon Dee Dee Bridgewater and is a collaboration between 651 ARTS, Dee Dee Bridgewater, DDB Productions, and Bridgewater Artists Management.

With part-funding through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, TWN provides professional career development through networking, mentorship, knowledge-sharing and community-building. Tailored in both focus and leadership, TWN traverses the spectrum of artists' on and off-stage lives covering topics ranging from career-mapping to publicity to management, all in tandem with physical and mental wellness. Applications for The Woodshed Network are available via https://www.651arts.org/the-woodshed-network/

As part of its new season, 651 also recently launched the Home Warming Initiative as it prepares the move into the institution's first-ever rooted space at 10 Lafayette in Downtown Brooklyn in Spring, 2023. Marking a watershed moment in the institution's history, the new 12,500 sq ft., multipurpose facility at 10 Lafayette will deepen 651's programming and gather the multiple communities it serves in ways never before possible.

With the recent appointment of Lillard and on the threshold of moving into its first permanent home, 651 ARTS' upcoming season signals a new era for the legacy organization as well as a major step in its continued growth and expansion. Since its inception in 1988, 651 ARTS has navigated both literal and figurative liminal spaces and is now - with the move - homebound. This "Liminal Spaces: Homebound" season offers an opportunity to think, individually and collectively, about "how we will show up in the future that we imagine." 651's new season will allow the institution to expand its artistic footprint and to further develop partnerships and collaborations with artists and other arts organizations.

Tickets to Verses at Work are $15.00. For more information on 651 ARTS and its programs, please visit: www.651arts.org.

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