The Lion at American Blues Theater

American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, presents the live, online reading of The Lion written and performed by Ensemble member Manny Buckley, as part of The Room series. The reading will be live on Friday, January 15 at 7pm Central. The 75-minute reading will be followed by a group discussion.The Lion tells the compelling story of arguably the nineteenth centurys most famous African American civil rights activist, Frederick Douglass. Douglass rose from beginnings as a slave in Maryland to become a self-taught writer, publisher, orator, abolitionist, and politician. A must-see reading written and performed by Ensemble member Manny Buckley. The Room is a new reading series that brings original work, plays in development, and new stories to Chicago audiences. Offering in-depth discussions as well as action steps for patrons that intersect with themes of the plays, The Room will run via Zoom monthly for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic with the intent to transition into an in-person experience in the future.Tickets are pay-what-you-can with a suggested donation of $10, and are currently on sale at www.AmericanBluesTheater.com or (773) 654-3101. Ticket holders will be sent a pre-reading email complete with instructions on joining the virtual reading via Zoom. For any questions, contact Associate Producer Elyse Dolan at ElyseD@AmericanBluesTheater.com.More information, including a Backstage Guide with historical information and resources, is available at https://americanbluestheater.com/2021/01/06/the-lion/.