TO BE YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK Set for Free Reading at Circle in the Square

Celebrating the immortal words and trailblazing work of Lorraine Hansberry, The Circle Series will stage a special 50th anniversary reading of her posthumously-compiled work To Be Young, Gifted and Black on Monday, September 30 at 7pm. Produced by Circle in the Square Theatre School (Paul Libin, Present; Susan Frankel, COO), Pigasus Institute, and Rachel Shuey, the staged reading will be held at Broadway's Circle in the Square and is open to the public. Admission is a suggested donation of $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, with all proceeds benefiting Circle in the Square Theatre School.

With the Broadway premiere of A Raisin in the Sun in 1959, Lorraine Hansberry became not only the first black female to have her play produced on Broadway, but also, at the age of 29, earned the simultaneous distinction of the youngest and first black playwright to win the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play. Hansberry tragically passed away six years later, leaving behind multitudes of poetry, essays, and letters that Robert Nemiroff, her former husband and literary executor, compiled to create To Be Young, Gifted and Black.

To Be Young, Gifted and Black celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, having premiered at the Cherry Lane Theatre during the 1968-69 season. A major statement of the black American experience, the play interweaves Lorraine Hansberry's words from all facets and outlets, revealing the experiences that shaped her life and work. Hilarious, heartfelt, and powerful, the kaleidoscopic vignettes of To Be Young, Gifted and Blackcome together to pay tribute to the legacy of a great American artist taken too soon.

Kimille Howard (Assistant Director, Ain't Too Proud) directs The Circle Series' staged reading. Courtney Jamison (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play), Sean Boyce Johnson, and Deanna Supplee will lead the cast of eight.

"Nina Simone's song of the same name is the reason that I first read To Be Young, Gifted and Black. So many people, including Nina, sought to honor Lorraine's short and remarkable life," says producer Rachel Shuey. "This play does just that. We chose this play for The Circle Series to celebrate her legacy and the 50th anniversary of her final work."

The staged reading of To Be Young, Gifted and Black by Lorraine Hansberry and Robert Nemiroff will be held at Broadway's Circle in the Square on Monday, September 30 at 7pm and is open to the public. Admission is a suggested donation of $20 for adults and $10 for seniors and students, with all proceeds benefiting Circle in the Square Theatre School.

Giving theatre lovers a new option to spend a Monday night on Broadway, The Circle Series brings together the New York theatrical community and provides a creative outlet for Circle in the Square Theatre School students and alumni by showcasing new and developing work on Circle in the Square's Broadway Stage. The Circle Series is presented by the Pigasus Institute and produced by Rachel Shuey in partnership with the Circle in the Square Theatre School. All donations benefit Circle in the Square Theatre School.

For complete information about The Circle Series, visit http://www.circleseries.org

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