ShawChicago Theater Company presents The Art of Langston Hughes

ShawChicago presents The Art of Langston Hughes, a collection of plays and short stories that celebrate the American legacy of Harlem Renaissance poet and playwright Langston Hughes. This is a one night performance on September 18 at 7 PM at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60610.

Adapted to the stage and directed by Luther Goins, this quartet of short plays (which includes Soul Gone Home, "Tain't So", Heaven or Hell, and Breakfast in Virginia) investigates the struggles that African-Americans faced during the very painful Jim Crow Laws (enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States) and during the Harlem Renaissance. "I chose these wonderful pieces because of their ability to show us the pure genius of Langston Hughes, and to open the door to his amazing sense of humor.

Simple and powerful, the themes and issues of the selected pieces are still relevant today. Love, poverty, racial prejudice, the importance of money, an individual's position within society, expectations, the human condition, values and morals, human kindness, the lack of respect for others, marriage, cheating, acceptance, and the ideas that surround the concepts of Heaven and Hell. Sadly, we live with, and deal with, most, if not all of these themes and issues every day. This, in a supremely unique way, put Langston Hughes far ahead of his time."

Cast members include: Shari Addison, Dushon Monique Brown, Charls Hall, Evan Tyrone Martin and Tristien Marcellous Winifree

TICKETS: $50 General, $25 Students, available for purchase at http://bit.ly/DeferredNoMore or 312-587-7390

About the Adaptor/Director
In 1990, after working extensively in Cincinnati, Ohio as a producer, director, and acting instructor, Luther Goins re-located to Chicago. Between 1990 and 1995, he worked as the Assistant to the Producer at the Skokie-based Northlight Theatre and held the position of Resident Artistic Director at the African-American based Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in Evanston, IL. In 1995, he accepted the Managing Director position at the Chicago Theatre Company, a professional African-American company located on Chicago's south side. LOVE CHILD, his first play, made its debut in January 2001 at Chicago's Live Bait Theatre. This highly successful production received numerous awards, including a Joseph Jefferson Award for "Best New Work"; and Chicago After Dark Awards "Best New Work" and "Best Ensemble". In 2002, LOVE CHILD celebrated two other productions. One at the Chicago Theatre Company and the other at the Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati. These two productions also garnered awards including the Chicago African-American Arts Alliance Award for "Best New Play"; and the Cincinnati Entertainment Award for "Best Local Premiere." In 2002, Luther accepted a staff position in the Chicago office of Actors' Equity Association. After 15 years successful years, he retired. Luther continues to work, in Chicago, as an independent theatrical consultant. Happily married to Leon Schrauben, Mr. Goins is currently working on COFFEE CAKE AND JESUS, a new play.

ShawChicago is a professional non-profit theater company founded in 1994 with a mission to present the plays of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries as concert readings. Operating under Actors' Equity, ShawChicago is about to celebrate its 24th season, Dysfunctional Family Fun: 1776-1926. The company presents special afternoon performances for senior citizens and free performances at universities and libraries throughout the Chicagoland area. ShawChicago also offers outreach performances across the city and its suburbs, providing theater to libraries, retirement living communities and schools. ShawChicago is a theater company in residence at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. More information can be found online, on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

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