AAPEX Presents EVERYTHING HAPPENS TO ME 2/21 (Nashville)

Please click program images to enlarge.

Artwork by Courtney McClellan

AAPEX Invites you... (Nashville)

AAPEX invites you to see some VERY talented actors on the stage of the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center/Vanderbilt University on Monday, Feb 21  at 7:30 pm when we present EVERYTHING HAPPENS TO ME: A Literary Cabaret.  America as seen through the lives of four legendary performers - Hattie McDaniel, Paul Robeson, Lorraine Hansberry and Billie Holiday, with excerpts from 2 new plays by AAPEX award winner Hershell Norwood.

"My talent was the weapon, the power, the way for me to fight. It was the one way I might hope to affect a man's thinking."

Sammy Davis, jr

Our amazing cast includes 

Helen "Olaketi" Shute-Pettaway & Dr. Dara Talibah

Kenneth Dozier & Shawn Whitsell

Max Desire & Shelena Walden

Vilia Steele & Courtney McClellan

Molly Breen & Special Guest Musician Mr. Bob Teague

Some things just can't be ignored. Talent is one of them.

For reservations, call Jaz Dorsey at             615-915-0891      

Come to Nashville and Go to the Theatre.

For more information or to reserve a seat, contact

Jaz Dorsey

Dramaturg/Director of Education

The African American Playwrights Exchange

Nashville, Tennessee

AAPEX at Vanderbilt: Our 3rd Black History Month Show

AAPEX is looking forward to our third Black History Month Show at The Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center on the campus of Vanderbilt University.

This year we will feature Oregon playwright Hershell Norwood with a tribute to Paul Robeson and Billie Holiday which will incorporate scenes from two of Hershell's plays - one of which - BILLIE'S BLUES - seems to be at some level of production in Portland, Oregon, thanks to the dedication of Mr.Charlie Rule.

The event will take place at 7 pm on Monday, February 21 at the Bishop Joseph Johnson Center.

We have an awesome talent line up, including Helen "Olaketi" Shute-Pettaway, Dr. Dara Talibah and Vilia Steele.

Dr. Frank Dobson, Jr's YOUNG MESSIAHS FLY next AAPEX reading (Nashville)

Dr. Frank Dobson Jr, Executive Director of the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center at Vanderbilt University, will join Ted Swindley ("Always..Patsy Cline"), Diane Diianni, and AAPEX founder Jaz Dorsey for the reading of YOUNG MESSIAHS FLY, November 16th . The reading will take place in Gallery F, the art gallery on the campus of Scarritt Bennett, the Nashville conference center whose agenda focuses heavily on issues of race and racism.

Young Messiahs Fly, was first presented at the Frank Silvera’s Writers Workshop in Harlem, NYC, in April of 2008. It is a revision of Dr. Dobson's full-length play, “Black Messiahs Fly” which was presented at the 2007 National Black Theatre Festival.

This reading marks the first production of the Nashville Readers Theater at Gallery F on a quarterly basis. One of the four readings each year will be of an AAPEX script.

Please click the post's title to learn more about the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center at Vanderbilt.

And stay tuned for more information regarding Young Messiahs Fly and the Nashville Readers Theater.