EXTENDED RUN - 12 SHOWS ADDED!
The Piano Lesson by August Wilson
Directed by Lou Bellamy
March 4, 2008; St. Paul, MN: Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation’s preeminent African American theatre, announces the addition of twelve performances of The Piano Lesson due to popular demand. The extension runs through Sunday, March 30, 2008. Details included in quick reference below.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, The Piano Lesson is the story of a family haunted by the living legacy of American slavery. At the center of this play is an old, upright piano, hand carved to depict the family history—an unofficial plantation marriage, birth, funeral, and the removal of two slaves from Mississippi to Georgia. The figures carved in the piano create a keepsake album, a sacred relic, a repository of family lore. The piano now sits in the salon of the Charles home and is very valuable. For Berniece, it holds the spirit of her grandparents, sold away in exchange for it during slavery. For her brother, Boy Willie, it holds the key to his freedom from the burden of sharecropping for a meager wage. The struggle between the siblings over the symbolic and literal value of the piano escalates into a conflict that threatens to tear the family apart.
The stellar ensemble features the talents of Ansa Akyea (Boy Willie), Lerea Carter (Grace), James Craven (Doaker), Natalia Gaston (Maretha), Greta Oglesby (Berniece), T. Mychael Rambo (Avery), Dennis W. Spears (Wining Boy), and Ashford Thomas (Lymon).
Performances run Wednesdays through Sundays, times vary. Details follow on quick reference.
The Piano Lesson by August Wilson
Penumbra launches Wilson's "Twentieth Century Cycle"
Presented by The Cargill Foundation
January 30, 2008; St. Paul, MN: Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation's preeminent African American theatre, proudly announces the opening of The Piano Lesson written by August Wilson, directed by Lou Bellamy, February 21, 2008. The production will run February 21--March 16, 2008.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, The Piano Lesson is the story of a family haunted by the living legacy of American slavery. At the center of this play is an old, upright piano, hand carved to depict the family history - an unofficial plantation marriage, birth, funeral, and the removal of two slaves from Mississippi to Georgia. The figures carved in the piano create a keepsake album, a sacred relic, a repository of family lore. The piano now sits in the salon of the Charles home and is very valuable. For Bernice, it holds the spirit of her grandparents, sold away in exchange for it during slavery. For her brother, Boy Willie, it holds the key to his freedom from the burden of sharecropping for a meager wage. The struggle between the siblings over the symbolic and literal value of the piano escalates into a conflict that threatens to tear the family apart.
Starring Ansa Akyea (Boy Willie), Thomas Ashford (Lymon), Lerea Carter (Grace), James Craven (Doaker), Natalia Gaston (Maretha), Greta Oglesby (Berniece), T. Mychael Rambo (Avery), and Dennis W. Spears (Wining Boy).
For immediate release.
December 4, 2007
Contact: Julie McGarvie, Marketing Director
651-288-6784,
Penumbra Theatre
Enters New Era With Successful Track Record
December 4, 2007; St. Paul, MN: Penumbra Theatre Company, one of the nation’s preeminent African American theaters, announced today the successful completion of a four-year restructuring effort and the implementation of a five-year New Era capacity building plan.
Fiscal Report: 2007 Audit and Completion of Restructuring
Fiscal 2007 was a profitable year for Penumbra, and marked the fourth consecutive year the organization ended in the black. It also marked the successful culmination of its four-year restructuring plan during which it eliminated $600,000 of old debt and established solid administrative and financial practices. “This is great news. Paying off the debt through operations counters national trends and we are very proud of that,” stated Warren Simpson, board treasurer. “Penumbra received a clean opinion from its auditors, Wilkerson Associates, and our net assets increased $194,820 from the year prior. While we do not expect comparable increases this year, we remain confident that we have taken the appropriate steps to ensure the financial solvency of Penumbra in the years ahead, particularly as our New Era Campaign gains momentum.”
