African-American Shakespeare Company Announces World Premiere of XTIGONE for April

Closing African-American Shakespeare Company's 17th season will be the World Premiere of XTIGONE, acclaimed Chicago-based actress and emerging playwright Nambi E. Kelley's urban adaptation of Sophocles' Antigone. The show will run from April 20 to May 12, 2012, at the Buriel Clay Theater at the African American Art & Culture Complex, 762 Fulton Street (at Webster), San Francisco, CA.

XTIGONE is Kelley's response to the untimely deaths of youths in her native Chicago as a result of gang violence, which has risen sharply in the past several years. Distressed by similar recent events in San Francisco, Oakland, and other Bay Area communities, African-American Shakespeare Company, in partnership with California State University-East Bay, will bring to the stage this reflection of our troubled times.

The show will be directed by AUDELCO and Washington Theatre Lobby award winning director and CSU East Bay Professor Darryl V. Jones.

African-American Shakespeare Company was introduced in 1994 to create an opportunity and a venue for actors of color to hone their skills and talent in mastering some of the world's greatest classical roles. The company is dedicated to producing classic stage works from an African-American cultural perspective, providing opportunities and accessibility for minority artists and their communities to view these works in a manner that is inclusive of their cultural heritage. African-American Shakespeare Company has produced over 30 productions, toured to over 97 schools, and reached over 105,000 patrons through its main stage productions and arts education program.

For tickets ($10-$30) and information, call 1-800-838-3006 or visit www.African-AmericanShakes.org