National Black Theatre to Present FACING OUR TRUTH: 10 MINUTE PLAYS ON TRAYVON, RACE AND PRIVILEGE, 2/5-10

After a sold out World Premiere Presentation at the Segal Theatre, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre (NBT) in association with The New Black Fest present the first full production of Facing Our Truth: 10 minute Plays on Trayvon, Race and Privilege from February 5 - 10, 2014. Opening on February 5th 2014, Trayvon Martin's birthday. This limited engagement is apart of National Black Theatre's Black History Month programming.This is a great piece for the whole family to attend. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online: www.nationalblacktheatre.org or by calling the theatre directly at (212) 722 -3800.

The plays will be performed by a powerful ensemble of 10 actors under the direction of Ebony Golden and Axel Avin Jr. Actors include: Maechi Aharanwa (Artistic Associate at Classical Theatre of Harlem), TJ Allen, Paris Campbell, Khadim Diop (Member of Impact Repertory Theatre), Marisa Duchowny (Daytime Emmy Nominee),Renee Floresca, C.K. Kelly, Cedric Leiba and to round out the ensemble Chinaza Uche (last seen in NBT's Last Saint on Sugar Hill).

The creative team for this production is comprised of Val Jeanty (sound designer), Alan Edwards (lighting designer), Paul Piekarz (projection designer) and Alfredo Macias (stage manager).

Originally commissioned by The New Black Fest, Facing Our Truth is a collection of plays written by eight (8) diverse playwrights: Dominique Morisseau, Winter Miller, Dan O'Brien with Grammy Award-Winner Quetzal Flores, Marcus Gardley, Mona Mansour and Tala Manassah, and A. Rey Pamatmat. In light of the George Zimmerman verdict, the playwrights were asked to write short plays that challenge all of us to question our positions on race and privilege in this country. Each performance has been paired with a special Community Engagement events which are listed on NBT's website, nationalblacktheatre.org.

Performance Schedule: Facing Our Truth has a limited performance schedule and will run only Wednesday, February 5th, 2014 to Saturday, February 8th, 2014 with a special performance Monday, February 10th, 2014. All the evening shows will start at 7:30 pm with a Saturdaymatinee performance at 2pm. Tickets are $25 general admission. For seniors, students and active military members, call the theatre at (212) 722-3800 or e-mail rsvp@nationalblacktheatre.org to learn more. If you have a group of ten (10) or more, call (212) 722-3800. Full outline of post-performance activities will be announced on a later date. General tickets are available by calling (212) 722-3800 or visiting www.nationalblacktheatre.org, or going to the NBT Box Office at 2031 Fifth Avenue between 125th & 126th Streets in Harlem, New York. Box Office hours are1:00pm to 6:00pm, Tuesday through Saturday.

Who is Who:

Axel Avin, Jr. (Director) is a New York based Actor/Director. As a Director: "Personal" and "Underground" with Poetic Theater Company, Harlem 9 (2012 "48 Hrs. in Harlem"), he has also directed or assisted productions for, The Movement Theater Company, Columbia University, The Subjective Theater Company, The Horsetrade Theater Company and The 2011 24 Hr. Musicals. As an Actor: Gleam (CenterStage) Dir. by Marion McClinton, Off Broadway: Ruined ((Original Company)MTC), Streamers (Roundabout), Regional: A Raisin in the Sun (Virginia Stage Co.), Fences (Lorraine Hansberry Theater), A Christmas Carol (A.C.T), International: The Old Vic (London), Shakespeare in Paradise Festival (Nassau, Bahamas). Web Series: Splinter Cell: Extinction and Sh*tty Fabulous Lives. M.F.A. American Conservatory Theater.

Ebony Noelle Golden (Director) Creativity is conjuring, is root work, is making a way out of no way, is the practice of radical expressiveness that enlivens, incites and insists on liberation, NOW! Ebony Noelle Golden works at the intersection of art, culture and public education with individuals, communities and organizations seeking to build creative strategy, cultural performance and liberatory learning experiences for progressive social change. Working nationally, Ebony is the Director of the cultural arts direct action group, Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative, LLC and the Artistic Director of The Body Ecology Performance Ensemble. She earned a B.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from Texas A & M University, a M.F.A. in Creative Writing-Poetry from American University, and a M.A. in Performance Studies from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. You can find more information at www.bettysdaughterarts.com.

Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre: Founded by visionary Dr. Barbara Ann Teer in 1968, National Black Theatre is a cultural and educational Institution. Dr. Teer pioneered "the healing art of black theatre as an instrument for wholeness in urban communities where entrepreneurial artists of African descent live and work." In 1983, Dr. Teer expanded the vision of NBT by purchasing a 64,000 square foot building on 125th and Fifth Avenue (renamed "National Black Theatre Way" by local law in 1994). This was the first revenue-generating black arts complex in the country, a visionary arrangement through which for-profit businesses who shared NBT's spiritual and aesthetic values rented retail space to subsidize the arts. She worked tirelessly to shift the cultural identity of people of African descent born in America in every area of human concern. Out of her vision, NBT houses the largest collection of Nigerian new sacred art in the Western hemisphere and is considered the authentic representation of a model whose time has come. Where else but in community based cultural institutions can artists and writers replace what has been wiped clean in the American history books? NBT is a place where we can still weave our own stories and determine our own destiny. It is a place where we can create our own legends and move forward back into self-love to mutual love of others based on respect and shared visions. As a cultural and educational anchor institution, NBT's contribution is not only recognized in Harlem, but also citywide and nationally. Visitwww.nationalblacktheatre.org or follow them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NationalBlackTheatre) and Twitter/Instagram (@NatBlackTheatre).

The New Black. Fest , formed in 2010, is a theater organization committed to celebrating important voices that puts a light on the diverse African Diaspora. The New Black Fest is a gathering of artists, thinkers, activists and audiences who are dedicated to stretching, interrogating and uplifting the Black aesthetic as well as global theater in the 21st century. Visit: www.thenewblackfest.org

Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative is a cultural arts direct action group that inspires, enlivens and incites justice and transformation of individuals and communities through creativity, cultural arts practices and radical expressiveness. Visit: www.bettysdaughterarts.com.

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