Jeremy Gillett's BLACK AND 25 IN AMERICA Performed at The Kennedy Center's American College Theater Festival (Region 4)

How can we understand those we do not see? That is the question one theater patron asked of Irene Ryan Award-winning actor-playwright Jeremy Gillett in the Talk-Back session following his one-man show, Black and 25 in America, which explores the issues of race, class, gender and identity through the life stories of four unforgettable characters out of Gillett's childhood growing up on the Southside of Chicago. While the characters - Big Man, Joshua Thomas Northington III, Darron, and Marcy - loom large in Gillett's memory, too few in America "see them" or imagine the diversity of their experiences as African-Americans in our society. Gillett is staging the show this Thursday to Saturday at The Atwater Village Theater in Los Angeles. Tickets are $15 at the door, or in advance via https://blackand25.brownpapertickets.com/

"These are important stories and it is my hope that these characters will help shed light on the challenges faced by young African-Americans in all walks of life", says the L.A.-based actor, speaking by phone from Georgia where he is a Featured Artist in Residence at The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (Region 4), after performing the show on Thursday. Gillett is the recipient of the organization's coveted Irene Ryan Acting award.

Well before the popularity of The Chi, This Is Us, and even Black-ish, Black & 25 in America was in development by Gillett as part of an undergraduate independent study course at the University of Kentucky; he continued to develop the show while earning his MFA from Arizona State University, and is regularly invited to stage Black and 25 in America at theaters, universities and colleges from L.A. to Chicago. The actor hopes this week's run at The Atwater Village Theatre will lead to additional stagings at cultural centers and colleges throughout the LA region in the future.

A review in The Dramatist noted that Gillett is "An extraordinary actor and playwright...performs with theatrical precision and riveting subtlety."

Black and 25 in America is a searing one-man play that explores the issues of race, class, gender and identity through the life stories of unforgettable characters such as Big Man, Joshua Thomas Northington III, Darron, and Marcy. The sensitive subject matter of this bold work broadens audiences understanding and leaves audience members forever changed. Gillett gives his audience insight on what it is to be a young, Black adult in America today. Through a series of vignettes, the play reveals how each character feels invisible and without voice. A talk-back discussion with the playwright follows each thought-provoking show.

Comfortable on both stage and screen, Gillett has also been cast in commercials and feature films such as the festival-favorite Hitting the Cycle, Car Dogs, and in the forthcoming film Raptors, by writer/director Kevin W. Brooks, executive produced by Martin Lawrence. He also serves his community as a Youth Leader in Studio City.

Tickets to see Black and 25 in America at this intimate venue are limited; to ensure prime seating, please reserve a ticket online in advance. Tickets will also be sold at the door. $15, general seating.

Tickets: https://blackand25.brownpapertickets.com/

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