Brett Singer & Associates, LLC
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The Classical Theatre
of Harlem Presents
EMANCIPATION
March 16, 2008
The OBIE, Drama Desk and Lortel
Award-winning Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH) will present the final show of
their 2007/2008 season: EMANCIPATION, a new play by longtime company
member and OBIE Award-winner Ty Jones.
Performances will be at The Shabazz Center at the historic Audubon
Ballroom, located at 3940 Broadway, between 165th and 166th Street. Performances will begin on Thursday, April
10th. Opening night is scheduled for Thursday, April 17th
and the show will run through Saturday, May 3rd. Press is invited beginning on Saturday,
April 12th.
About The Play
On August 21, 1831, Nat Turner led a slave
rebellion that became a watershed event in America's long and troubled history
of slavery and racial conflict. EMANCIPATION
is a thoughtful, powerful, and visceral examination of this pivotal moment in
American society. Developed in the Classical
Theatre of Harlem’s 2007 Future Classics program, EMANCIPATION is written by OBIE Award-winning actor and writer
Ty Jones. Mr. Jones recently starred in
Brian De Palma's controversial film "Redacted"; additional film
credits include "The International" with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts,
and "Heaven's Fall" with Timothy Hutton and Anthony Mackie. Television credits include all three
versions of "Law & Order", "Rescue Me" and "The
Jury." His numerous theater
credits include his OBIE Award-winning performance in CTH's production of THE
BLACKS: A CLOWN SHOW, and appearances on Broadway in HENRY IV with
Kevin Kline and JULIUS CEASAR with Denzel Washington.
Ty Jones will appear in EMANCIPATION, joining a cast that includes Sean Patrick Reilly,
Stephen Conrad Moore, Happy Anderson, Jenny Bennett, Gisela Chipe, Michael E.
Cummings, James Jorsling, Jason Podplesky, Angela D. Polite, Wayne Pyle, James
Singletary and Lelund Durond Thompson.
CTH co-founder Christopher McElroen will direct.
Mr. McElroen staged the production of WAITING FOR GODOT for CTH that was
also performed in New Orleans, and also directed the multiple OBIE
Award-winning production of THE BLACKS. The design team will be Troy
Hourie (sets), Aaron Black (lighting), Aaron Rhyne (projections), and Kimberly
Glennon (costumes).
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The Classical Theatre of Harlem Presents
EMANCIPATION
Page 2
About The Shabazz Center
at the historic Audubon Ballroom
The show will be performed at the Audubon
Ballroom, where Malcolm X gave many of his famous speeches, and also where he
was assassinated on February 21, 1965.
Built in 1912, it has been used as a vaudeville house, a movie theater
and a meeting hall. When Malcolm X
founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) after leaving the Nation
of Islam in 1964, he used the space for the group's weekly meetings. The Audubon Ballroom now houses The Malcolm
X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, after an extensive
renovation by the NYC Economic Development Corporation. CTH is proud to be presenting EMANCIPATION
at this historic venue.
The Shabazz Center is a 501 c(3) that honors
the lives and legacies of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz by promoting human
and civil rights through knowledge of the history and culture of the African
Diaspora; education and self-empowerment; family values; and facilitating
racial and religious reconciliation.
Speaking about the production, Dowoti Désir, Executive Director of The
Shabazz Center, said, " El Hajj
Malik -- Malcolm X -- is connected to Nat Turner by a tradition of liberation
and resistance found in the African Diaspora. 'By any means necessary' is a
reflection on the arguments, paths, and techniques employed by Black folk to
free themselves. That struggle continues. In recognition of how our pasts spill
into the shared present, our organizations are working together to tell this
important American story."
About The Classical
Theatre of Harlem
Since being co-founded in 1999 by Alfred
Preisser and Christopher McElroen, the Classical Theatre of Harlem has staged
thirty-four productions, which have included numerous works by Shakespeare,
Melvin Van Peebles’ AIN’T SUPPOSED TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH and Jean
Genet’s seminal political drama, THE BLACKS: A CLOWN SHOW. The Classical
Theatre of Harlem is dedicated to producing theatre that truly reflects the
diversity of ideas and racial tapestry of New York City. Their long list of
awards includes 5 OBIE Awards, 2 Lucille Lortel Awards, a Drama Desk Award and
the Edwin Booth Award for Artistic Excellence, among many others. Their most recent work includes Langston
Hughes’ BLACK NATIVITY presented by the New 42nd Street and a
site specific production of Samuel Beckett’s WAITING FOR GODOT staged
outdoors in the Lower Ninth Ward and Gentilly neighborhoods of New Orleans.
EMANCIPATION will begin performances on Thursday, April
10th with the opening scheduled for Thursday, April 17th
and will run through Saturday, May 3rd. The schedule will be
Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30PM and Sundays at 3PM. Tickets are $35 and
can be purchased by calling Smarttix at (212) 868-4444 or by ordering online at
www.smarttix.com. For more information about The Classical Theatre of Harlem,
visit their web site at www.classicaltheatreofharlem.org.
EMANCIPATION
A New Play by Ty Jones,
Directed by Christopher McElroen
At The Shabazz Center, 3940
Broadway between 165th and 166th Streets
SCHEDULE:
Performances begin on April 10th. The show will open on April 17th
and run through May 3rd
Wednesdays through
Saturdays at 7:30PM and Sundays at 3PM
Tickets: $35, call
(212)868-4444 or visit www.smarttix.com
# # #
Phone: (212) 307-7181 Fax: (212) 813-9162