African-American Shakespeare Company to Present CINDERELLA, XTIGONE, & More
By: Kelsey Denette Jun. 29, 2011
San Francisco's African-American Shakespeare Company proudly announces the lineup for its 17th season. The season marks African-American Shakespeare Company's second season under the artistic leadership of acclaimed actor and director L. Peter Callender. The season opens in December with an enchanting holiday production of CINDERELLA directed by Executive Director Sherri Young; this new take on the timeless fairytale has become a seasonal favorite for families and children of all ages. The season continues in March with Shakespeare's political potboiler JULIUS CAESAR, directed by Michael Gene Sullivan. Closing the season in April is the company's first World Premiere production, playwright and actress Nambi E. Kelley's XTIGONE, directed by Darryl Jones. Productions will be staged at the Buriel Clay Theater at the African American Art & Culture Complex in San Francisco. Tickets for the 2011-12 season on sale August 1. For tickets and information, the public may visit African-AmericanShakes.org or call 1-800-838-3006.
"I am ecstatic about our 2011-2012 season," said African-American Shakespeare Company Artistic Director L. Peter Callender. "At African-American Shakespeare Company, we are dedicated to envisioning the classics with color. Just as we celebrate the many facets of diversity in the Bay Area, we are also actively trying to expand the definition of ‘classic,' including American classics and classically-inspired new works in our repertoire as we continue to build upon our history of vibrant, creatively staged works. While looking forward, we also maintain our commitment to entertaining, engaging, and enriching our community."
Continues Callender, "I hope that this season continues to engage our audiences and the wider artistic community. We are in an exciting period of artistic growth at African-American Shakespeare Company and I would love for everyone to be a part of this new chapter in our history."
In chronological order, African-American Shakespeare Company's 2011-12 season is as follows:
CINDERELLA
Directed by Sherri Young
December 2-18, 2011
Press Opening: December 2
San Francisco's African-American Shakespeare Company opens the 2011-12 season with an enchanting new production of CINDERELLA. This timeless tale, brought to whimsical, magical life just in time for the holidays, is an uplifting re-telling of the classic fairytale, featuring all of the pageantry, hilarity, and charm of the original, but with a soulful twist. This heartwarming story finds Cinderella, a young, beautiful dreamer, toiling away as a lowly scullery maid for her evil stepmother and stepsisters. With the help of a fabulous Fairy Godmother who makes the magic happen, Cinderella finds her Prince Charming and learns that anything is possible, even miracles. African-American Shakespeare Company Executive Director Sherri Young directs.
JULIUS CAESAR
Directed by Michael Gene Sullivan
March 10-April 1, 2012
Press Opening: March 10
JULIUS CAESAR is not a history play. At a time in our country when partisanship has gone from bombast to blood sport, when patriotism and violence have become commingled, and when the people are so desperate for a leader they will follow anyone who promises them security while playing on their fears, the violent political struggles of Caesar are not history, they are nightly news. Full of passion and intensity, this political thriller about life and death political struggles tells us not only about the dead leaders we see etched in stone or live on TV each night, but also about the people who put them in power in the first place.
Directed by renowned actor and playwright Michael Gene Sullivan (San Francisco Mime Troupe) and featuring a small ensemble cast, African-American Shakespeare Company's version of JULIUS CAESAR highlights the similarities of the politicians who will say anything, and do anything, to win.
XTIGONE
World Premiere
By Nambi E. Kelley
Directed by Darryl Jones
April 20-May 13, 2012
Press Opening: April 20
Closing African-American Shakespeare Company's 17th season is the World Premiere of XTIGONE, acclaimed Chicago-based actress and emerging playwright Nambi E. Kelley's urban adaptation of Sophocles' tragedy Antigone. XTIGONE is Kelley's impassioned response to the untimely deaths of youths in her native Chicago as a result of gang violence, which has risen sharply in the past several years. Distressed by similar recent events in San Francisco, Oakland, and other Bay Area communities, African-American Shakespeare Company, in partnership with California State University-East Bay, brings to the stage this profoundly moving and resonant reflection of our troubled times. Directed by CSU-East Bay professor Darryl Jones, this ancient drama for our contemporary moment is a stirring depiction of the immense human cost of violence in our cities.
African-American Shakespeare Company was introduced in 1994 to create an opportunity and a venue for actors of color to hone their skills and talent in mastering some of the world's greatest classical roles. The company is dedicated to producing classic stage works from an African-American cultural perspective, providing opportunities and accessibility for minority artists and their communities to view these works in a manner that is inclusive of their cultural heritage. African-American Shakespeare Company has produced over 30 productions, toured to over 97 schools, and reached over 105,000 patrons through its main stage productions and arts education program.
Videos
