Stage Adaptation of TURNING 15 ON THE ROAD TO FREEDOM Comes To New York

The Center at West Park, The Loire Valley Theater Festival and Miranda Barry are thrilled to present the stage adaptation of the acclaimed, multi-award-winning memoir, Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom, by Lynda Blackmon Lowery. Adapted and Directed by Ally Sheedy, featuring Damaras Obi, Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom is set to play at the Sanctuary Theater at the Center at West Park (165 West 86th Street) from January 10-20, 2018. Singers from the Riverside Church Inspirational Choir will open performances on Fridays, Saturdays, and the special Benefit Performance on Monday, January 15th.

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom tells the moving, true story of Lynda Blackmon, one of the youngest participants in the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. Jailed nine times before her fifteenth birthday, Lowery fought alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. to secure the right to vote for African-Americans. Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom lets audiences of all ages experience what it took to struggle nonviolently and how it felt to be part of changing American history.

Developed in 2015 at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for Music, Art and Performing Arts in New York City, Ally Sheedy, known for her performances in The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire, as well as more recent leading roles in High Art, "Psych" and The Little Sister (2016), adapted the book and directed the powerful, young actress, Damaras Obi. In the winter of 2016, over 500 people from as far away as Springfield and New Jersey braved the bitter cold to attend Ms. Obi's performance in Hudson, NY. In 2017, Bridge Street Theater in Catskill, NY presented four sold-out performances over the weekend of February 10-12.

"Sadly, 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.," said Producer, Miranda Barry. "Today, when our government is in the hands of those who are reversing the gains of the civil rights movement - including voting rights - this story of an ordinary teenager who braved prison, Bloody Sunday, and her own doubt and fear to fight for the right to vote resonates with people of all ages and backgrounds. Everywhere Turning 15 has been performed, it has brought forth cheers, tears, and the determination to act. We aim to use these performances in New York and elsewhere to uplift people and inspire them to value and fight for our Democracy,"

General admission tickets are $25.00, $10.00 for students, and special group rates are also available for school groups for both weekday and weekend shows. Performances of Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom will take place at the Sanctuary Theater at the Center at West Park (165 West 86th Street) from January 10-20, 2018. Schedule is as follows:

• Wednesday, January 10, 11:00 AM
• Thursday, January 11, 11:00 AM
• Friday, January 12, 8:00 PM
• Saturday, January 13, 3:00 PM
• Monday, January 15, 5:00 PM (Special MLK Benefit Performance)
• Wednesday, January 17, 10:00 AM
• Thursday, January 18, 9:30 AM
• Friday, January 19, 8:00 PM
• Saturday, January 20, 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM

There will be a special Martin Luther King Benefit performance on Monday, January 15th at 5pm, followed by a Q&A with Lynda Blackmon Lowery, the author and subject of the memoir. Tickets for the benefit range from $50.00-$100.00, and will be used as a contribution to help take the show on the road across America.

Tickets for Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom, can be purchased online through the productions website www.turning15ontheroad.com or though www.eventbrite.com directly. For information about group rates contact miranda@sheedylit.com

For more information:

Website: https://www.turning15ontheroad.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Turning-15-on-the-Road-to-Freedom-326316200906595/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/15roadtofreedom

ABOUT THE CENTER AT WEST PARK

The Center at West Park is a home for arts, culture, and community in the landmark West Park Presbyterian Church on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. The Center is a secular not-for-profit organization that offers a diverse range of programs for artists, audiences, and the neighborhood; manages the building's venues; and stewards the restoration of its historic exterior.