JEDIDIAH BLACKSTONE Comes to Emancipation Theater Company

Emancipation Theater Company has announced the world premiere of Jedidiah Blackstone: Origin Story of an Alter Ego & the Untold Tales from the Darkside of the West. Opening September 25 and running through October 5, this Hip-Hop cowboy epic fuses spoken word, live music, dance, and Black Western history into a genre-defying theatrical event. Directed by the acclaimed Shayla Riggle, performances will be held at Clayton Early Learning Center (3801 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Denver), with an exclusive Industry Night Preview on Wednesday, September 24 for press, producers, and VIP guests.

Created, written, and performed by Jeff Campbell, founder of Emancipation Theater Company, Jedidiah Blackstone is both an origin story and cultural reclamation project. Set in the poetic, mythic space between the real and the imagined, the story follows a modern-day artist who discovers the untold legacy of Black pioneers buried beneath the Rocky Mountain soil, and is transformed into a cowboy poet with a mission to resurrect their names.

"In a time when Black history is under attack from the highest levels of government, we're raising our voices through art," says Campbell. "This season is our response. We are countering the war on Black history, loud, clear, and unapologetically on stage."

Through a blend of post-Hip Hop Expressionism and concert theater, the production reimagines the frontier through the lens of historical figures like Clara Brown, Jeremiah Lee, and Lorenzo Bowman, placing them in conversation with present-day battles over truth, identity, and cultural erasure.

Featuring the Musical Collective Country By Nature.

The production stars Campbell as Jedidiah, supported by an ensemble of musicians and performers:

• DJ Mu$a on turntables

• Vocalists, Erica Brown and Merrian Johnson

• Dancers, DeAndre Carroll and Lino Dupa