NO HISTORY By Reynaldo Piniella Kicks Off Yendor Theatre Company's Newest Series

Yendor Theatre Company will launch Soul-O, a new series celebrating the richness and vibrancy of the one-person play. The series will kick off on Saturday, June 28 with No History, a raw and intimate new solo play written and performed by actor and playwright Reynaldo Piniella.

Soul-O is designed to incubate and showcase bold one person plays connected to the Black and/ or Latine experience. There will be a development component to the series as well as a showcase component. Soul-O will serve as a platform for underserved artists to develop and share new solo plays that push the boundaries.

"We created Soul-O to center voices and to tell stories from those that aren't often heard; stories that resonant with historically resilient communities, Black and Brown communities" said Andrew Binger, YTC's Artistic Director. "These shows touch on identity or capture a moment in history or educate. Reynaldo's No History is simply the perfect opening for the series: gritty, deeply personal, and moving."

No History traces the extraordinary life of Arturo Schomburg, an Afro-Puerto Rican scholar who fought for Cuban and Puerto Rican independence, preserved Black history, and navigated the complexities of identity in early 20th-century New York. Blending historical narrative with music, dance, and personal reflection, the piece brings to life Schomburg's global journey-from Puerto Rico to Harlem-and reclaims his legacy as a vibrant, flawed, and joyous figure who reshaped cultural memory..

"Arturo Schomburg's work celebrates the shared history that connects all of us and at a time when we are more divided than ever, I could not be more excited to bring his story to New Jersey, specifically Newark, with Yendor Theater Company" said Piniella who penned and will star in the piece.

Piniella is known for his powerful performances on stage and screen, including appearances in Thoughts of a Colored Man and Trouble in Mind on Broadway. As a playwright and activist, his work has been celebrated for its sharp, cultural insight and emotional resonance. No History is still in development and has been showcased with the Classical Theatre of Harlem and was recently workshopped as a part of Berkeley Repertory Theatre's The Ground Floor residency.

Kevin R. Free provides direction for this workshop presentation with sound design from Dwaine J. Potts.

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