IN THE EVENING BY THE MOONLIGHT World Premiere to be Presented by Lorraine Hansberry Theatre This Month
IN THE EVENING BY THE MOONLIGHT reimagines a magical moment in the life of Hansberry at the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
Lorraine Hansberry Theatre will present the world premiere of IN THE EVENING BY THE MOONLIGHT, a new play uplifting the revolutionary playwright behind the company's name.
Set in her Waverly Place flat in New York, legendary writer Lorraine Hansberry shares a rowdy, scotch-filled evening debating, confronting fears, and celebrating the hope of revolution with the incomparable musician Nina Simone and the prolific writer James Baldwin. Artistic Director Margo Hall celebrates Hansberry's legacy by co-creating and directing the new play, written by Traci Tolmaire.
"The idea of producing a new work honoring the memory of our theatre's namesake came early on in my tenure," Hall says. "Most associate Lorraine with A Raisin in the Sun, but how many know Lorraine, the activist? The intellectual? We placed this artist at the center of our new play, and put her in dialogue with two other icons of American thought, activism, and artistry. It's a revelation!"
Tolmaire, a long-time collaborator of Hall, was astonished to learn her own life experiences were mirrored in Hansberry's story. In the production, she will also take the stage as Lorraine herself.
"Lorraine Hansberry and I share a few commonalities-being born and raised on the southside of Chicago, moving to New York to pursue artistic careers, and using our voices to share lived experiences and highlight what's possible," she says.
Based on biographies, interviews, documentaries, FBI records, and the Lorraine Hansberry and James Baldwin archives housed at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, IN THE EVENING BY THE MOONLIGHT reimagines a magical moment in the life of Hansberry at the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
"At a time when books, art, culture, and Black history are being banned or altered, bringing forth this piece with co-creator Margo Hall about Lorraine Hansberry and her two close friends Nina Simone and James (Jimmy) Baldwin, feels intensely urgent, not only as a theatrical piece but as a glimpse into their humanity and friendship," Tolmaire says.
IN THE EVENING BY THE MOONLIGHT will run at the Young Performers Theater in the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture June 15 - July 2, 2023. Tickets are $15-$50.
For more information or tickets, visit www.lhtsf.org/moonlight-play
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