HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS Comes To Atlas Performing Arts Center, Opens 6/25

The debut of the touring Gospel Stage Play "Home Is Where The Heart Is" written and directed by Award Winning* playwright Michael McCorkle, will premier on Friday June 25th, 2010 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington, DC.

As a follow-up to thought provoking and family focused stage plays such as "Like Father, Like Son" and "A Change Is Coming", Michael McCorkle continues to address the importance of family, faith and unity through his upcoming stage production, "Home Is Where The Heart Is".

A successor to stories like "A Raisin In The Sun" and "Soul Food", "Home Is Where The Heart Is" is an original story and contemporary Gospel stage play about the "Anderson" Family and their strength that comes from the love they share for each other and their home. After years of moving away from each other to pursue their careers and own lives, three siblings, Angela, Ayana and Joseph, Jr. reunite when they return home together.

"As a successor to stories like "A Raisin In The Sun" and "Soul Food", "Home Is Where The Heart Is" will undoubtedly become the next classic tale about the American Dream, and the legacies and traditions of African American people." "A soon-to-be ‘Southern Classic'.........Will leave you hungry and wanting more!" - Michael W. McCorkle, Writer & Director

Uniquely different from McCorkle's previous stage productions, "Home Is Where The Heart Is" raises an awarness to the importance of family traditions and legacies, and centers around a family who have allowed themselves to forget the relationships that held them together and overlook the memories they onced shared as a family.

The characters in this production resemble that of many Americans and they're families who have achieved many successes in life and have grown professionally, financially and intellectually. However, this success can at times lack spiritual and emotional growth as a result of certain values and principles that have gone missing. "Family is not only the tie that binds, it's The Common element that holds the pieces of our life together. It's very easy to forget who we are, when those people who made us who we are go missing from our lives.", said McCorkle.

This production also resembles many of the traditions and legacies McCorkle himself embraces. As a child whose parents and extended relatives are all from the south, many of the characters in the play are people that McCorkle can identify with as individuals he grew up around while spending summers and holidays in North Carolina. "I have very fond memories of spending holidays and summers with my family and relatives in North Carolina. While writing this play, I used many of those memories as inspiration for creating the characters and situations in this story. Even the food and southern dishes I remember during my visits to North Carolina are a part of this story.", McCorkle continues.

The music for this Gospel production was a collaborative effort between McCorkle who wrote the song lyrics, and music producer Sir Dreck Body who composed the music and original score. Included in the making of this production, is the documentary film, "Home" Coming produced by Todd Clark of Onanon Productions (www.onanonproductions.com). This documentary film focuses on the making of the stage play including the actors, their process, thoughts, reflections, observations, and interactions with each other, their character, and the director. It is a candid and honest insight into what the actors go through.

Although "Home Is Where The Heart Is" is filled with adversity, conflict, sibling-rivalry and contraversy, it is a funny and heart-warming tale of promise and hope, and a message about how families can over-come all challenges by remembering the legacies and love they each share.

A national tour of the stage play will follow the June 25th premier which will include cities such as Norfolk, VA; Charlotte, NC; Atlanta, GA; and Kansas City, MO.*

*This stage play is available for national performance bookings beginning July 31st, 2010.

Friday June 25, 2010 - 8:00pm
Saturday June 26, 2010 - 2:00pm & 8:00pm

The Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

For more information about tickets and show times, call The Atlas Box Office @ 202-399-7993 or visit their website at: www.atlasarts.org

About Michael McCorkle
Michael is an Award Winning* writer, producer and director of stage plays, theatre and film. As a writer and director, he has written and directed such stage plays as, "My Life", "Growing Pains: 101" and "Like Father, Like Son", which have been featured at the Historic Lincoln Theatre, on DCTV cable television and performed regionally as a "College Tour". He has also written and directed the hit Gospel stage play, "A Change Is Coming" which has SOLD-OUT national tour performances and received the 2008 Velocity Magazine Award for "Best Film/Stage Play". Currently, he is also adapting "Like Father, Like Son" into a screenplay to be produced and directed as a film. In addition, he is also writing his first novel; "All The Man I Need".

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