LEAVES by Victor Vauban Jr. to be Presented at Teatro LATEA in December

"LEAVES" by Victor Vauban Jr. will be presented at Teatro LATEA Nov.30th, Dec. 2nd & 4th. The primary themes of this play include assimilation, colorism, the importance of family and mental health. 'LEAVES' is being presented as an 0ne-act play (45 minutes) alongside with another 45-minute play" The Pretty Orange Dress".

This poignant drama was written and directed by Victor Vauban Junior. The Brazilian born playwright finds inspiration for his narratives in the words of artists like August Wilson, Tennessee Williams, Henrik Ibsen and the late Nina Simone, who said, "The artist's duty is to reflect the times." In this domestic drama, Mr. Vauban introduces us to Muriel, a devoted housewife living happily ever after with her beloved husband, Curtis and their two children, James and Rhonda. They are a quintessential middle-class, African American family living a normal life in Syracuse. However, despite their content and conventional appearance, this family also has its secrets. Before long, we play witness to their unraveling, with heated accusations and discussions that involve everything from loyalty and colorism to assimilation and mental health, all of which are still controversial subjects within the African American community.

Mr. Vauban Júnior is a former circus performer in love the art of writing. This award-winning dramatist has had his works featured at the Writer's Guild, The Guild magazine and have had his plays read at the Classical Theater of Harlem's workshop. He is a constant presence in theater festivals in NYC. He started his writings at the, "Writers in Performance" at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center under the tutelage of Mario Giacalone Program Director of the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, in 2012.

Mr. Vauban's works are attentive to the inevitable dilemma's society has faced since the beginning of its history. As a circus performer he has taught at the social program of Cirque du Solei, Cirque du Monde and performed with a number of international circus companies such as: UniverSoul Circus, Gran Circus Norte-Americano, Beto Carrero Show, Gran Bartholo Circus and Circus Amok. Mr. Vauban is an eternal admirer of the arts and is always willing to share his passion for arts with his students, friends, and community. His work has been gaining recognition for its involving and conscious approach to delicate themes that are still taboo in African American circles, such as assimilation, colorism, mental health, and the mass incarceration of people of color. His main goal as a writer/director is to advance social change by encouraging a safer, better informed, and more cohesive community.

"Through theater, I seek to facilitate a deeper understanding of self and others, and a greater acceptance of different cultures and ways of being, so that we can't be pitted against each otherso easily."

CAST: Dierdra McDowell, Ben Rowe, Patricia Fields, Riyadh Rollins, Soyini Cranshaw and Natalie Djondo.

Costume design: Carolyn Adams

Light & Sound Design: VICTOR VAUBAN JUNIOR

Sound: GEOFFREY CHRISTOPHER AND DAYVIS FERRERAS