Contact:
Julie McGarvie, Marketing Director 651-288-6784,
16TH ANNUAL PENUMBRA JAZZ JAM Presented by Target
Sunday, June 6, 2010 - 6:00 to 9:30 p.m.
Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant
1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403
May 26, 2010, St Paul, MN: Four-time Grammy award winner Dianne Reeves will headline the 16th Annual Penumbra Jazz Jam, presented by Target, on Sunday, June 6, 2010 from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. at The Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant. Featuring Master of Ceremony T. Mychael Rambo, the fundraiser will include a special appearance by Dennis W. Spears and Sanford Moore. Guests will enjoy a gourmet dinner by Dakota Chef Jack Riebel. All proceeds from the evening's silent and live auctions will benefit Penumbra's Summer Institute Scholarship Fund.
Over the years, Jazz Jam has raised more than $700,000 for Minnesota's only African American theatre, thanks to the talents of the best of the Twin Cities jazz community, such as Hannibal Locumbe, Debbie Duncan, Ginger Commodore, Thomasina Petrus, Regina Marie Williams, and Bruce Henry.
Penumbra is grateful for the generous support of its many 2010 Jazz Jam sponsors, including Target (Presenting Sponsor), RBC Wealth Management, (Entertainment Sponsor) and General Mills (Food Sponsor).
Bellamy Balcony seats are $125 per person. Only a few remain. Call 651-224-3180 or visit www.penumbratheatre.org.
Contact: Julie McGarvie, Director of Marketing 651-288-6784 or
Tickets: Penumbra Theatre Box Office
651-224-3180 or penumbratheatre.org
Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking
A World Premiere
April 8, 2010; St. Paul, MN: Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation's preeminent African American theatre, proudly announces the opening of Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking, by Gus Edwards, directed by Lou Bellamy on Thursday, April 29, 2010. The production will run April 29 - May 23, 2010.
Henry and Abe can’t stand each other, but like magnets the elderly duo is drawn to the same park bench every day. Having once jockeyed for the love of the same woman, their cantankerous rivalry has grown through the years. Now, in the twilight of their lives, they find themselves more intertwined than either had ever imagined. Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking is a funny and poignant story of rivalry, friendship, and the journey of life.
Penumbra's Education Director Sarah Bellamy says, "I've learned a lot because of old black guys just sitting around talking. Women too. Penumbra has long been that kind of place-where teaching often happens through storytelling. One of the most important lessons I've learned here is that history isn’t necessarily epic; sometimes it is quiet conversations that teach us the most about being human."
Penumbra company member August Wilson, one of the most celebrated American writers, honed his craft not in classrooms but in barbershops, cafes and on the corner. These are the places where many of Penumbra's company members learned to love, defend and express themselves within the African American culture. They listened to elders tell stories that carried with them not just humor and creativity, but also a perspective on life left untold by the dominant culture. It is out of this tradition that Gus Edwards penned Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking.
Artistic Director and Founder Lou Bellamy says, "In their old age, Abe and Henry are still asking questions about love, faithfulness, truth. The irony is that these two men really don't like each other. Circumstances have placed them together and they end up revealing themselves to their worst enemy."
The cast stars long time Penumbra Company members James Craven as Abe and Abdul Salaam El Razzac as Henry.
Contact: Julie McGarvie, Marketing Director
651-288-6784 or
Penumbra Theatre Company
2010-2011 Season
March 2, 2010, Saint Paul, MN: Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation's preeminent African American theatre, proudly announced its 2010-2011 season.
Sleep Deprivation Chamber by Adam P. Kennedy and Adrienne Kennedy
Directed by Robbie McCauley
September 16 - October 10, 2010
A regional premiere
Black Nativity: Now's the Time by T. Mychael Rambo & Lou Bellamy
Directed by Dominic Taylor
November 26 - December 26, 2010
A holiday tradition
Julius by Design by Kara Lee Corthron
Directed by Lou Bellamy
January 20 - February 13, 2011
A world premiere
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom by August Wilson
Directed by Lou Bellamy
February 11 - March 6, 2011
Presented by Cargill
A special presentation at the Guthrie
Tickets will only be available for purchase through the Guthrie.
I Wish You Love by Dominic Taylor
Directed by Lou Bellamy
April 21 - May 22, 2011
A world premiere
Special support provided by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Tickets on sale May 3, 2010 through the Penumbra Theatre Box Office at
651-224-3180 or at www.penumbratheatre.org.
NOTE: Tickets for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom will only be available for purchase through the Guthrie box office later this year.
