Contact:
Julie McGarvie, Marketing Director
651-288-6784,
Chris Widdess, Managing Director
651-288-6780,
2009-2010 Season Announcement
May 11, 2009; Saint Paul, MN: Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation's preeminent African American theatre, proudly announced its 2009-2010 Season.
Radio Golf by August Wilson, directed by Lou Bellamy
October 1 through October 25, 2009
Black Nativity: A Season for Change by T. Mychael Rambo & Lou Bellamy
Directed by Dominic Taylor
December 3 through December 27, 2009
Black Pearl Sings! by Frank Higgins, directed by Lou Bellamy
February 18 through March 14, 2010
Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking by Gus Edwards, directed by Lou Bellamy
April 29 through May 23, 2010
Tickets on sale May 1, 2009 through the Penumbra Theatre Box Office at 651-224-3180 or at www.penumbratheatre.org.
Founder and Artistic Director Lou Bellamy stated, "While we take inventory of the collective progress made as a nation, history has taught us to take nothing for granted. At Penumbra, we take pride in representing the African American experience throughout our country's past and present, looking towards the future. Ultimately, what we find is that history lives in the people. We must care for our history and more importantly care for the people who have carried it for us. This season's lineup explores change, the notion of progress, and the role of individual and collective stories in the creation of history."
Contact: Julie McGarvie, Marketing Director
651-288-6784
Penumbra Theatre Company
Announces Fiscal Response to the Recession
February 12, 2009 - Saint Paul, MN - Penumbra Theatre Company, the largest professional African American theater in the country, unveiled prudent fiscal measures in response to the nation's economic recession.
"Over the last five years, Penumbra's board and staff established a strong infrastructure and are committed to remaining fiscally responsible, especially in light of the successful $3 million campaign in 2008," said Phyllis Goff, Chair of the Penumbra Board of Directors. "The depth and breadth of the current economic crisis has forced Penumbra to adjust its fiscal expectations for the remainder of the current year ending June 30, 2009 as well as for 2010. These adjustments will have significant impact on the timetable to complete our transition from a debt-elimination model to a sustainable one. However, we remain committed to this goal even though it will take longer."
The Whipping Man
By Matthew Lopez
A riveting story of the birth of American freedom
January 30, 2009; St. Paul, MN: Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation's preeminent African American theatre, proudly announces the opening of The Whipping Man, written by Matthew Lopez, directed by Lou Bellamy, February 19, 2009.
The production will run February 19 - March 8, 2009. Previews on February 17 & 18.
An exciting new playwright, Matthew Lopez, brings to the Penumbra stage a riveting story of violence, passion and hope surrounding the end of the Civil War and the birth of American freedom. In the spring of 1865, Caleb De Leon returns to his father's home in Richmond, Virginia badly wounded. His family gone, the once grand house has been pillaged beyond recognition. Amidst the wreckage are two familiar faces: Simon, the former slave who raised him, and John, the former slave who grew up alongside him. Out from the rubble of the fallen South, Simon, John and Caleb face one another for the first time as free men.
