Politics can be the graveyard of the poet. And only Poetry can be his resurrection. Langston Hughes, 1964 These words by the great Langston Hughes adorn the backdrop of Metrostage's moving production of Carlyle Brown's Are you now, or have you ever been Waiting for the play to begin the audience is left to ponder these words and how they frame the action on stage. Politics and the arts have had a difficult time coexisting during certain eras, particularly during the Army-McCarthy hearings of 1953-54, which colloquially known as McCarthyism. The 90 minute intermission-less play takes place on the eve of Mr. Hughes testimony to the committee and the committee hearing itself. The evening before the hearing, Mr. Hughes is struggling to comprehend his subpoena to the hearings while attempting to write the poem, Georgia Dusk .
Virginia Stage Company continues its 39th Season with The Parchman Hour: Songs and Stories of the '61 Freedom Riders. Co-produced with Norfolk State University Theatre Company, The Parchman Hour journeys through the Deep South with the pioneers who fought discrimination and paved the way for the future. Written and directed by Mike Wiley, this play is adapted from real life accounts of the 1961 Freedom Rides and shares these struggles through music that ranges from spirituals to Bob Dylan.
On Tuesday, November 7 at 8:00 p.m., as part of the worldwide 'Bernstein at 100' celebration, NEW YORK FESTIVAL OF SONG-'one of the longstanding delights of New York's music scene' (The New York Times)-opens its 2017-18 Mainstage series at Merkin Concert Hall with Take Care of This House: A Bernstein Celebration.
Ardea Arts announces the World Premiere of BOUNCE The Basketball Opera. Performances will take place at Calvary Baptist Church Recreation Center, 150 E. High Street, Lexington, KY, on Friday and Saturday, November 10 & 11 at 7:30pm, and Sunday, November 12at 2pm.
Ardea Arts announces the World Premiere of BOUNCE The Basketball Opera. Performances will take place at Calvary Baptist Church Recreation Center, 150 E. High Street, Lexington, KY, on Friday and Saturday, November 10 & 11 at 7:30pm, and Sunday, November 12at 2pm. General Admission, $18, Students $9. For more information, visit www.ardeaarts.com/bounce/.
Hunter College President Jennifer J. Raab today announced the appointment of Gregory Mosher as a new Professor and the first Jay and Patty Baker Chair of Theatre, beginning this semester. As part of the growth of this department, Mosher has Alec Baldwin as a guest lecturer today, Wednesday, September 27th. There will be other special guests brought in to meet students throughout the year.
This has been an unusual weekend for me. I had the privilege of attending two compelling plays written by African Americans about African Americans and performed by African Americans. Both shows are moving presentations that made me laugh. They made me cry. And they made me view the lives of families very different from my own with a new sense of understanding.
Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin is pleased to announce that the play Are You Now or Have You Ever Been , a play written and conceived by Carlyle Brown and directed by MetroStage Artistic Associate Thomas W. Jones II with original music by William Knowles, will be in performance Oct. 5-Nov. 5 at MetroStage.
Mention the name Nina Simone and your mind probably conjures up jazz. Yes, Nina, the jazz superstar and writer/performer of such powerhouse songs as 'My Baby Just Cares for Me,' 'To Be Young, Gifted and Black,' and 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood.' But, were you aware that the terms child prodigy, civil rights activist, political exile and the Legend Queen of Black Classical music also apply?
With its 2017-2018 Writing Fellowship, The Playwrights Realm is proud to grant a career-propelling honor to four tremendously talented playwrights exhibiting drive and commitment to the form.
Black Theatre Troupe announces its 2017-18 season with an arresting array of theatrical tales that chronicle the African American experience. From musicals to drama, Black Theatre Troupe presents works that will touch the heart and stir your spirit!
Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, launches its 2017/18 Season with Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Carl Cofield.
Black Violin has announced their US Classical Boom Tour, which kicks off on Aug. 23 in Martha's Vineyard, MA. The 29 market tour is a follow up to the successful Unity tour, which saw 28 sold-out public performances. The tour will make a stop in Milwaukee at the Marcus Center on Saturday, October 28 for one performance only at 7:30 pm. Tickets are currently on sale at the Marcus Center Box Office and can be purchased in person at 929 North Water Street, by phone at 414-273-7206 or online at Ticketmaster.com or MarcusCenter.org. Groups 10 or more including student groups should call Group Sales at 414-273-7121 x201 or x213. This special event is presented by the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts and Black Arts MKE.
Thirty years ago, Steven Blier and Michael Barrett embarked on a mission to redefine the song recital, mixing elements of theater, scholarship, fun, and great voices.
The White Plains Performing Arts Center (WPPAC) is proud to announce an exciting Fall Season. All performances are at the White Plains theatre, located on the third level of City Center off Mamaroneck Avenue in downtown White Plains.
Carnegie Hall's community and family programs for September, October and November include Free Neighborhood Concerts, kicking off this fall with classical, American roots, and Argentine music in Manhattan; island swing in Brooklyn; big band and Broadway hits in Queens; and Puerto Rican rhythms in the Bronx. The series, now in its 42nd year, brings established mainstage artists as well as rising stars of jazz, pop, and world music to communities throughout New York City.
With the release of his new album Stereotype Threat under the bold, fresh artistic identity FKAjazz (formerly known as…), NYC based saxophonist Samir Zarif lays the dynamic groundwork for the possibilities of what jazz is for his generation and provides a vision for what the cherished American art form can be moving forward.
The Artistic Home will open its 2017-18 season with a lesser known, but wholly timely piece: WEDDING BAND: A LOVE/HATE STORY IN BLACK AND WHITE, by eminent African-American playwright and author Alice Childress. It will open to the press Sunday, October 29 at 7:00 pm, following previews from October 25 - 28.
Goodman Theatre will continue its collaboration with Chicago's Alphawood Gallery with the new writing workshop series, "I am the Darker Brother: Demonization and the Demise of Civil Liberties," this fall. Led by Chicago-based teaching artist Deb Lewis, participants use Langston Hughes' poem, "I, Too" as inspiration to explore what being an "American" means, and the responsibilities that freedom of speech engender.
Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, launches its 2017/18 Season with Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Carl Cofield.
