GUTTING, Starring Kara E. Young, Makes NYC Premiere Tonight

COMPANY CYPHER in association with AMY RAFA and SARAH STITES announce the NYC Premiere of the award winning GUTTING, written by Jeremy J. Kamps (What It Means To Disappear Here), directed by Zoey Martinson (Ndebele's Funeral) and featuring Kara E. Young (MTV's Girl Code). It plays tonight, September 24, through October 3 at Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre of Harlem (2031 5th Avenue).

The play follows a fourteen-year-old Kali returning home to post-Katrina Lower 9th Ward as we commemorate the 10th anniversary of the hurricane with this production of GUTTING accompanied by community programming addressing the related issues of displacement, gentrification and racism.

When fourteen-year-old Kali returns home to New Orleans after spending two years as a Katrina refugee in Baton Rouge, she finds the neighborhood where she grew up to be changed almost beyond recognition. As the play unfolds, the details of what happened to Kali's family during the storm emerge. When Kali runs away after a blowout fight with her mother, events are set in motion that will change Kali's life almost as much as the storm. With GUTTING we hope to restore the human face to the tragic-and still unfurling-disaster of 2005.

COMPANY CYPHER's non-profit work, dedicated to transforming the conversation about skin tone prejudice and race, goes beyond producing theatre. Just as important as the show, our aim is to engage communities in conversation and direct action inspired by the production. To that end, COMPANY CYPHER'S GUTTING and The Center for the Living City's 'Jane Jacobs Walk' have launched an initiative that will engage community stakeholders in a conversation around urban development, displacement and the growing changes of local communities through a series of free neighborhood walking tours that help to put people in touch with their environment.

GUTTING plays a limited engagement, September 24 through October 3:

Thursday, September 24 at 7pm
Friday, September 25 at 7pm
Saturday, September 26 at 2pm
Saturday, September 26 at 7pm
Thursday, October 1 at 7pm
Friday, October 2 at 7pm
Saturday, October 3 at 2pm
Saturday, October 3 at 7pm

Performances play The National Black Theatre (2031 5th Avenue NYC). Tickets are $18 and available at the door as well as online at gutting2015.org. Pre-sales are highly recommended. For more information, email guttinginfo@gmail.com. Selected performances are followed by talkbacks with creative team and invited community leaders.

Company Cypher builds community through the art of theater, poetry and hip-hop education. Companycypher.com. Our vision is to foster creative thinkers and confident artists.

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