Paul Laurence Dunbar News

WRITE OUT LOUD, an organization founded in 2007 with a commitment to inspire, challenge and entertain by reading literature aloud for a live audience, announces the third Annual San Diego (VIrtual) PoeFest, streaming from October 23rd - November 1st. PoeFest is produced by Write Out Loud in partnership with Save Our Heritage Organisation. 

The New York Choral Society, New York's pioneering symphonic choir that explores unique collaboration and dynamic repertory, announces Our Voices, a digital 2020-2021 season of multidisciplinary art shorts of acapella choral works, November-May.

The Robey Theatre Company presents the next in its series of monthly events via Zoom, An Evening Conversation, with discussion by a panel of artists on several topics.

Sinclair Theatre will stream online a series of monologues We Wear The Mask: Breathe, free of charge beginning August 7th and available through August 9th.

Obie Award winner Metropolitan Playhouse will present a free 'screened' reading of THE SMOKING CAR, a one-act play by William Dean Howells, via live stream video, with talkback to follow, on Saturday, July 25th, 2020 at 8 PM, EST.

Redhouse Arts Center continues its 2019/2020 season with August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning American masterpiece, Fences. The sixth Play in Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle, Fences explores the African-American experience through the eyes of a former Negro League baseball star, Troy Maxson.

WRITE OUT LOUD, an organization founded in 2007 with a commitment to inspire, challenge and entertain by reading literature aloud for a live audience  - announces the 10th Anniversary of their Annual TwainFest to take place on Saturday, August 17th from 11am - 5:00pm in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, San Diego.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for the world premiere of Tazewell Thompson's inspirational a cappella music infused play, Jubilee. Inspired by the world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers, this uplifting new work chronicles the bold African American ensemble as they travel the world, captivating kings, queens and audiences with hymns and spiritual songs supported by their rich voices. Written and directed by Thompson with vocal arrangements and music direction by Dianne Adams McDowell, Jubilee runs April 26 - June 2, 2019 in the Kreeger Theater.

WRITE OUT LOUD, an organization founded in 2007 with a commitment to inspire, challenge and entertain by reading literature aloud for a live audience  - announces the 9th Annual TwainFest to take place on Saturday, August 18th from 11am - 4:30pm in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, San Diego. TwainFest is produced by Write Out Loud and sponsored by Fiesta de Reyes in association with Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.

WRITE OUT LOUD, an organization founded in 2007 with a commitment to inspire, challenge and entertain by reading literature aloud for a live audience - announces the 9th Annual TwainFest to take place on Saturday, August 18th from 11am - 4:30pm in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, San Diego. TwainFest is produced by Write Out Loud and sponsored by Fiesta de Reyes in association with Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.

Thirty of Chicago's statues will continue to chat with visitors and Chicagoans alike through 2020. Statue Stories Chicago, the free, city-wide arts initiative, was funded by The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and produced by UK-based Sing London.

Victoria Theatre Association and Shango: Center for the Study of African American Art and Culture opens the 12th annual VISUAL VOICES exhibit, Monday, Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. . The exhibit, located in the Orchestra Lobby of the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, features visual art by local artists who were challenged to use the writings of Dayton's own Paul Laurence Dunbar to celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The exhibit runs Feb. 12-March 30, 2018 and is free to the public.

Victoria Theatre Association and Shango: Center for the Study of African American Art and Culture opens the 12th annual VISUAL VOICES exhibit, Monday, Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. The exhibit, located in the Orchestra Lobby of the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, features visual art by local artists who were challenged to create artwork that celebrates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through the literary voice of Paul Laurence Dunbar. The exhibit runs Feb. 12-March 30, 2018and is free to the public.

Write Out Loud - an organization founded in 2007 with a commitment to inspire, challenge and entertain by reading short stories aloud for a live audience - announces TWAIN'S AMERICA, the first production in their American Season XI, a season that focuses on American stories by American authors.

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and Sing London are pleased to announce the extension of Statue Stories Chicago through December 2018. The free, city-wide initiative, which was funded by the foundation and produced by UK-based Sing London, premiered in August 2015.

WRITE OUT LOUD, an organization founded in 2007 with a commitment to inspire, challenge and entertain by reading literature aloud for a live audience  - announces the 8th Annual TwainFest to take place on Saturday, August 19th from 11am - 5pm in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, San Diego. New this year, TwainFest expands into the evening with Twain After Dark, a ticketed event for adults at the Cosmopolitan Hotel which starts at 6:00pm. TwainFest is produced by Write Out Loud and sponsored by Fiesta de Reyes in association with Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.

Author Patricia McKissack, who produced children's books about black history with her husband, passed away on April 7th at the age of 72.  According to her son, Fredrick L. McKissack Jr., the cause was cardiorespiratory arrest.

Trinity Repertory Company announces that Jessica Lange will be honored with the 2017 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts at the 21st annual Pell Awards Gala to be held on Monday, May 22, 2017 at the new WaterFire Arts Center in Providence.

Mirror Visions Ensemble (MVE) celebrates its 25th anniversary on Monday, January 16 at 8:00 p.m. at the Loreto Theater at the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture with a concert entitled Reflections and Projections: 25 Years of Mirror Visions.

BWW Interviews: Poet Scott W. Williams