Feature: Black Theatre Troupe's SEVEN GUITARS

With a mission of educating and entertaining a diverse community, with an emphasis on people of color, the Black Theatre Troupe (BTT) was born out of a need to serve the community during racial tensions in the 1970s. In an effort to give voice to people of color and avert impending racial unrest, Helen Katherine Mason, a city of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Deputy Manager, started a series of open door community forums at Eastlake Park where opinions and frustrations could be expressed in poetry and improvisations. From those proud but humble beginnings, the Black Theatre Troupe was formed and is now a highly recognized professional company that continues to be an important part of the cultural fabric of Phoenix.

During its fledgling years the company performed in several city facilities before getting its first home in 1976.One of the most important facilities that the City of Phoenix provided during those times was a meeting room at Eastlake Park in downtown Phoenix. Eastlake Park has served the inhabitants of Phoenix since the late 1880's. Originally known as Patton's Park, it was developed by the Phoenix Railway Company to serve as a recreational area for the white patrons of the city's trolley system. The park eventually became a place where people of all races could meet to relax and celebrate special events without violating separatist laws which existed in the nation and state during the first half of the 20th century. After moving from that community room at Eastlake Park the company used various locations in the City, until 1983 when they purchased the historic Temple Beth Hebree Synagogue in downtown Phoenix, in the heart of what is now the Roosevelt Row District. After an electrical fire in 2001 the company again used multiple facilities. In 2006. a city of Phoenix Bond Election awarded the company $2.5 million for a new home. On February 1, 2013, after a long and successful capital campaign to raise additional funds, BTT celebrated the opening of their new home, The Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center. This new state of the art facility is located at Washington and 14th Street in downtown Phoenix - exactly two blocks from where it all began: the historic Eastlake Park.

At the beginning of the long hot summer of 1970, a City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Supervisor named Helen Katherine Mason noticed the distinct absence of one rich and resonant voice within the arts communities of the Valley and the State of Arizona at large. She dedicated herself to giving that voice a platform from which it could be lifted and heard by all.

From her simple dream, The Black Theatre Troupe, Inc. was born and is now a nationally celebrated company. It was founded as a vehicle for providing a creative environment in which restless, talented young "rappers" could realize their creative potential as writers, dancers, artists and actors while promoting cultural understanding throughout the community.

It has since grown to be an important cultural bridge between races and ethnicities through its productions. Beginning as a humble "grassroots' organization The Black Theatre Troupe, Inc. has evolved into a highly respected company that has promoted excellence in the performing arts with an emphasis on people of color. As the only professional African-American theatre company within the four-corner states, The Black Theatre Troupe conducts educational workshops and produces quality plays which reflect the African-American experience and help to illuminate the culture to the Phoenix metropolitan area and throughout Arizona.

Programming

With the February 2013 opening of our new facility in downtown Phoenix come the added expectations and responsibility to expand and enhance our youth, educational, and outreach programming.

BTT's educational outreach programs focus on low-income, underserved communities fostering more effective teaching and learning among our youth, their parents, their teachers, and the communities in which they live.

Under the direction of Walter Belcher, The Black Theatre Troupe outreach programs include:

The Metropolitan Youth Ensemble offers performance opportunities for young people who, for whatever reasons, do not have the opportunity to develop their performance skills or have a performance outlet specifically addressing their cultural needs and interests. The company of young artists participates in productions that speak to the diverse community the Black Theatre Troupe is such an important part of.

The Metropolitan Youth Academy offers extensive classes and workshops I theatre, dance and vocal performance for young people ages 10-17. These classes provide a safe and nurturing environment for multi-ethnic young people. The curriculum is age, ability and experience based and in addition to artistic skills it develops social skills which include cooperation, self-esteem and sharing.

Books Alive! is a weekly program that uses the arts to explore and interpret books in new and exciting ways. Students ages 5-10 explore and experience a book in new and exciting wayswhile: The program makes reading fun by "bringing the page to life."

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David Hemphill has served as the Executive Director of The Black Theatre Troupe since 1995. His credits as a performer include many regional and touring productions. Locally he has performed at Phoenix Theatre as well as Actors Theatre, however his favorite role is that of Executive Director at Black Theatre Troupe where he has overseen the growth of the company and its February 2013 move into their new downtown Phoenix facility.

"The historical significance of the play is that the year it is set in-1948-was the height of The Second Great Migration that began in 1940 . During that period over 5 million African Americans left the South for the North, Midwest as well as the West. This fact is central to this story. The characters refer to the Sixty-One Highway that ran directly from the South to Chicago. The story outlines the struggles of these seven people to honor their self determination and find a place and live a life beyond the horrors of the South. The contemporary relevance of the play is it's recurring theme of the African-American male's fight for his own humanity, self-understanding and self-acceptance in the face of personal and societal ills. In this century Black males still struggle with those facts The rooster is a recurring symbol of black manhood throughout the play, and provides a violent and shocking foreshadowing effect when Hedley delivers a fiery monologue and ritualistically slaughters one in front of the other characters," Hemphill said.

"The themes in this play, as in all in the Cycle, are universal. Unfortunately some of those themes and challenges are still relevant today. It is imperative that as a cast we explore and examine these themes before we even begin to tackle the language. Fortunately enough August Wilson's language succinct and inspiring. His characters are so clearly and powerfully structured that the journey for a cast to "know" and "find" these people. They are richly drawn," Hemphill concluded.

Seven Guitars runs through November 12. Click here for details.

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