Peopled by junkies, pimps, drag queens, sweatshops workers, crooked cops, prisoners, lovers, and dreamers, Melvin Van Peebles’ Ain’t Supposed To Die A Natural Death is a tradition shattering and trend setting work which reinvigorated artistic explorations of urban life through new forms, including spoken word and rap music. Ain’t Supposed To Die A Natural Death was a huge hit on Broadway in its original inception running for 325 performances and garnering seven Tony nominations, including Best Musical. This production, interpreted vividly by The Classical Theatre of Harlem, remains raucous, irreverent, and as participatory as ever.
Rock, Paper, Scissors, three short plays written by Ben Snyder and directed by Kamilah Forbes and Monica Williams, explores a relationship between the U.S. Army and the hip hop industry, teamed up to enlist young people who live in depressed areas into the military. Snyder says of this recruiting tactic, “They have a whole hip hop marketing ad campaign that includes driving Hummers, playing hip-hop music, holding freestyle contests, and giving away video games at historically black colleges.” The show has intrigued sold-out audiences at Center Stage New York, P.S.122, New York Theater Workshop, and HBO’s U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.
Taking inspiration from the legendary speeches, interviews, and private notes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the obscured history of his last days shine with new meaning in this powerful performance. The Last Year in the Life…, directed by Tom Ridgley, succeeds by adding new texture to the untold King history with soulful songs, pithy readings, and stunning performances that will rouse and inspire. Although Dr. King was known as a pacifist, this stunning re-enactment reveals the intensity and fiery determination behind the quiet storm that was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
via: CPF
Posted on July 29, 2008 by D. Bell