Fences by August Wilson
Presented by The Cargill Foundation
August 13, 2008; St. Paul, MN: Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation's preeminent African American theatre, proudly announces the opening of Fences written by August Wilson, directed by Lou Bellamy, August 21, 2008. The production will run
August 21 - September 21, 2008.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, Fences, is the story of Troy Maxon who by all rights should have been an American baseball legend. When his rapid rise through the Negro leagues hit the ceiling of racial prejudice, Troy was forced to let go of his dream for major league success. Now his son has won the attention of college football recruiters – an opportunity to achieve the dream his father could not. Can Troy quiet his own demons enough to support his son or will he strike out once more? Set in 1957, Fences is the heartbreaking story of a man and his last chance at bat.
Starring: James T. Alfred (Cory), James Craven (Gabriel), Marion McClinton (Jim Bono), Elayn J. Taylor (Rose) Kevin D. West (Lyons), James A. Williams (Troy Maxon), and Marianna McGee and Mahogany Ellis (sharing the role of Raynell).
Contact: Julie McGarvie, Director of Marketing
651-288-6784 or
Word(s) PLAY!
New Play Series at Penumbra
Funded in part by the Jerome Foundation
May 22, 2008; St. Paul, MN: Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation's preeminent African American theatre, proudly announced today the launch of Word(s) PLAY!, an annual forum designed to develop new plays by African American playwrights.
Word(s) PLAY! will introduce three new plays to the Twin Cities May 30 - June 1, 2008.
This three day event will offer a staged reading of each play followed by an open talk back with the playwright, artists, audience and dramaturge Sydne Mahone, Professor of Theatre, University of Iowa. This year the lineup includes an adaptation by Keli Garrett of Charles Johnson's Faith and the Good Thing, Etymology of Bird, a contemporary play by Zakiyyah Alexander, and The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry, a historical play by Marcus Gardley.
Word(s) PLAY!
May 30 at 8:00 PM:
Faith and the Good Thing an Adaptation by Keli Garrett,
Directed by Dominic Taylor
May 31 at 8:00 PM:
Etymology of Bird by Zakiyyah Alexander,
Directed by Faye Price
June 1 at 3:00 PM:
The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry by Marcus Gardley,
Directed by Dominic Taylor
The plays will be read by a company of professional actors that includes: Ansa Akyea, Terry Bellamy, Jamecia Bennett, James Craven, Santino Craven, Adam Harris, Rex Isom Jr., Celeste Jones, Iman Milner, Greta Oglesby, Thomasina Petrus, Renardo Pringle, Ron Schultz, Ashford Thomas, Corey Walton, Harry Waters Jr., Ahanti Young, and Austene Van.
Reservations can be made through the Penumbra Theatre Box Office: 651-224-3180.
The event is free and open to the public.
Contact:
Julie McGarvie, Penumbra Theatre
651-288-6784 or
2008 - 2009 Season Annoucement
May 7, 2008; Saint Paul, MN: Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation's preeminent African American theatre, proudly announced its 2008-2009 Season.
Fences by August Wilson, directed by Lou Bellamy
August 21 through September 21, 2008
Black Nativity—Hear Again the Christmas Story!
Co-Conceived by T. Mychael Rambo & Lou Bellamy, directed by Austene Van
November 28 through December 28, 2008
The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez, directed by Lou Bellamy
February 19 through March 15, 2009
Radio Golf by August Wilson, directed by Lou Bellamy May 7 through June 7, 2009
Tickets on sale March 12, 2008 through the Penumbra Theatre Box Office at 651-224-3180 or at www.penumbratheatre.org.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, directed by Lou Bellamy
A Penumbra Theatre production presented at the Guthrie Theater
March 13 through April 11, 2009
Tickets for A Raisin in the Sun go on sale July 7, 2008 through the
Guthrie Theater Box Office at 612-377-2224 or at www.guthrietheater.org.
Founder and Artistic Director Lou Bellamy stated, "The plays selected this season emphasize legacy. Each of these playwrights deftly illustrates that the ethical fabric binding a culture together is made from the lessons learned by those who came before. As we examine the African American interpretations of this experience, we find a story relevant to many Americans - the choice between your dream and your family, the choice between wealth and integrity, the choice between your future and your past."
