World Premiere of Rain Pryor's FRIED CHICKEN & LATKES-- June 2nd - 28th (Harlem)

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New Federal Theatre and National Black Theatre presents the hilariously, irreverent and poignant “Fried Chicken & Latkes.” Directed by Kamilah Forbes, this is Rain Pryor's one woman theatrical, cabaret-styled show based on her life growing up Black and Jewish. Along the way she offers a unique perspective on race, identity and the loss of her iconic father Richard Pryor. 

Tickets On Sale Now June 2 - 28th

Purchase tickets here.

Keith Josef Adkins' THE LAST SAINT ON SUGAR HILL opens FRIDAY at The National Black Theatre (Harlem)

Keith Josef Adkins' THE LAST SAINT ON SUGAR HILL opens FRIDAY (with previews starting tonight) at The National Black Theatre in Harlem. To purchase tickets and to learn more about The National Black Theatre and the celebration of its 45th season, please click here.

Bill T Jones & Gregory Vuyani Maqoma TONIGHT at NBT (NYC)

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To purchase tickets, please click here.

AAPEX Interview: Nathan James

Nathan James

Nathan came to AAPEX's attention when he brought to life the lead role in DC Copeland's "Jitterbug!" (then called "Once Upon A Time In Harlem: A Jitterbug Romance") which was directed by Petronia Paley last March at the National Black Theatre in Harlem. "Nathan's the kind of actor playwrights dream of," Copeland said. "He took Billy Rhythm off the page where he had resided for so long and made him into a living, breathing, passionate and fearless man. If Billy had been embedded in clay, this would have been in Genesis, James is God, and the world would be much more different than the one we see today."

What role did theatre and the arts play in your childhood and upbringing? 

Being from my neighborhood of Beltzhoover in Pittsburgh Pa, there are not many opportunities provided that enables youth to see past the allure of street life. Many of my childhood friends are dead or in jail as a result of gang activity and drug dealing/use. Theater and good parenting literally saved me from this harsh reality. When I was promoted to middle school from the 5th grade, I had no doubt in my mind that I wanted to follow behind my brother and attend Rogers C.A.P.A middle school (which is now merged with CAPA high school in Pittsburgh). The problem was, my mother and I couldn't figure out a talent which I could enter the school with. My mother finally remembered how good she thought I was in our church Easter plays. She decided to bring me home a monologue from "You're a good man Charlie Brown" in order for me to audition for the acting program. I was accepted in and immediately fell in love with the craft of acting. At our 8th grade performance at the Fulton Theater in Pittsburgh, my comedic character brought the audience to their feet for a standing ovation. I immediately gave up my childhood dreams of wanting to be a scientist, and knew from that moment I wanted to be in this business for the rest of my life 

Tell us about your own evolution as an artist? 

I often found myself living in two completely different worlds as a kid. On one end, I grew up in the hood. On the other end, I was fortunate enough to have parents who scraped together what little money they had to involve me in acting classes and conservatories to keep me too busy to get into trouble. This gave me a unique opportunity to gain a social education by becoming an observer of the two different ways of life (especially since I had never been able to completely fit in to either environment because of my affiliation with the other). I wasn’t “Hood” enough to be completely “Hood” because of my interest in the arts, yet I was too much of a product of my upbringing to be completely accepted among the “Privileged” in my acting classes. The inability to fit completely in to both worlds transitioned from childhood resentment to a sociological advantage in my artistic endeavors. I'm able to see things from both ends of the spectrum when I take on roles, and in my writing 

How do you prepare for a role? 

I first read the entire script to gather all the given circumstances. Then I sit down and create a list of similarities/differences between myself and my character in order to compliment him and find his heroics in the world of the play. After all table work is finished, I put my self on foot and begin to establish some mannerisms and rhythm. 

What's on your agenda for 2013? 

I've recently been granted an August Wilson Center fellowship with the August Wilson Cultural Center, and I will be commissioned to create a new piece of work to be produced at the center. I'm cast in the Off-Broadway production "Easter" with the August Strindberg Repertory Theater at the Gene Frankel Theater (3/3 - 3/31). In march I will be performing in the reading of Michael Dinwiddie's play "The Carelessness of Love" at the Spiral Theatre Studio. Also, for Valentines day, I will be hosting a poetry performance/open mic with fellow poet Ayo "The NigerianNightmare" in SOHO. 

What are a couple of your dream roles? 

My dream roles are: "Citzen" from "Gem of the Ocean," "Othello", and Sgt. Waters in "A Soldier's Play". I would also love to portray "Tupac". 

Website link: http://www.officialnathanjames.com 
Blog: http://nathanjamespoet.blogspot.com 
Twitter: @ImNateJames 
Agent contact: Mary Anne Claro (215) 465-7788  http://clarotalent.net/

Saint Petronia: Patron Saint of Playwrights

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If you're a playwright, you should get to know Petronia Paley. She is an indefatigable champion of playwrights who, if she likes your play, will find stages all across New York City to present your work. Last Friday night she did that for me at the Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre in Harlem. My play "Once Upon A Time In Harlem: A Jitterbug Romance" received its first "radio" reading of the full-length play that included music and dance at the NBT's black box theatre on the building's third floor. If you've never had your characters come to life before your eyes, you don't know what you're missing. It's life changing. When I went to bed that night, I knew without a doubt I was the luckiest person in the world because my play had just received a powerful performance by some of the most talented people in the New York theatre world at the legendary NBT in America's most mythic city: Harlem. To have your work performed by artists of this caliber is something that can only be achieved in a handful of cities in the world, but to have them do it gratis is a miracle, a miracle that can only be attributed to one person: Petronia Paley. Although I think of her as a saint (who likes her chardonnay COLD) I suspect there is a little of the Godfather in her too. How else can you explain the large cast she was able to wrangle up? Maybe one or more of them asked her for a favor and she granted it and then when it was her turn, she gave them an "offer they couldn't refuse." Either way, the playwright wins.

Or maybe it's Godmother. Knowing I didn't have a lot of money and lived out of town, how else can you explain her finding me a free room to crash in for the night (a thankful shout-out to Michael Manning for offering up his apt while he was away to a guy he never met)? Or meeting me and walking me around the city so I wouldn't get lost?

And the fact that she did all of this-- including chasing down actors she felt were right for the roles and holding rehearsals-- without expecting compensation? Are these not the actions of a saint?

As for the Patron Saint's Church of the Playwright, it can only be Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre in Harlem. What they're doing up there is so worthy and inspiring. The black box theatre (accessible by an elevator) has a raised stage and tiered seating for about 100 people. It has space set aside in the rear for sound management and a sealed off lighting control booth behind the audience to handle the stage lights hung from the ceiling. In this instance, 15 actors sat in shadow in a row of chairs behind a line of six black metal music stands bathed in light. When it was an actor's time to perform, they would walk up to the stand and place their script upon it to read and when they were done, they'd return to their seats. The dance scenes were interpreted by dancers who danced in and out of the shadows in front of the stage. Just outside the entrance to the theatre separated by a curtain is a small lobby where they set up a table to sell refreshments and goodies to eat. When I arrived at the theatre that afternoon, the larger space across the lobby-- lit by natural lighting by a skylight surrounded by golden African bas-reliefs-- was getting good use as a place for the kids in the neighborhood to rehearse their songs for a future performance. Lots of great voices and energy! The NBT is something all of NYC can be proud of. I can never thank the NBT enough for its imprimatur on my work. As for its staff, I am forever in their debt for making me feel at home. To Shirley Faison, Jacque Jeffries and BJ, you are the greatest! May only good things come your way.

Casting complete for DC Copeland's "Once Upon A Time In Harlem: A Jitterbug Romance" (Harlem)

Please click post's title for a readable version.

Directed by

Petronia Paley

National Black Theatre

2031-33 National Black Theatre Way

5th Avenue between 125 & 126th Street

Harlem

7PM

Friday, March 30th

Please RSVP for the free reading of the play to

212-722-3800

or email info@nationalblacktheatre.org

To learn more about the play and NBT, please click the post's title.

National Black Theatre presents DC Copeland's "Once Upon A Time In Harlem: A Jitterbug Romance" 3/30 (Harlem)

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What: The "radio" reading version of
D.C. Copeland's

award-winning full-length play

"Once Upon A Time In Harlem: A Jitterbug Romance."

Directed by Petronia Paley

When: 7pm, Friday, March 30th

Where: The National Black Theatre

(celebrating its 44th year of "keeping soul alive!")
5th Ave., Btwn 125 and 126th Streets, Harlem

Cost: Free

RSVP: info@nationalblacktheartre.org or call 212-722-3800.

Seating limited.

For more information, please play the video.

Please click the post's title to visit the National Black Theatre website.

DC Copeland's ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM: A JITTERBUG ROMANCE will premiere at the National Black Theatre

DC Copeland's award-winning "Once Upon A Time In Harlem: A Jitterbug Romance" will have the premiere of the "radio" reading version of the full-length play at the National Black Theatre (NBT) in January 2012 in Harlem. The NBT is the country's first revenue-generating black theater arts complex and in 2012 will be celebrating 44 years "keeping soul alive."

"It's exciting and an honor to premiere my work at this legendary and important theatre," Copeland said. "Its prime directive from the get-go was to empower playwrights to tell the often overlooked African American story. 'Once Upon A Time In Harlem: A Jitterbug Romance' couldn't be a more fitting, uplifting, choice. I know my director Petronia Paley will do it right."

The production will include music and dancers from The Harlem Swing Dance Society.

To learn more, please click the post's title.

David D. Wright's OSHUN celebrates 10th Anniversary 4/17-5/9 (Harlem)

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OSHUN, A YORUBA DANCE DRAMA, written by David D. Wright and directed by Roderick Giles, is a biographical account of the female Orisa of the Ifa tradition, who represents the gamut of human emotions. Oshun's story starts from Creation, until she is confronted with the choice of sacrificing herself to save her peers and humankind. It is the depiction of an extraordinary feminine power through the ages. A must see for young and old alike.

Please click post's title to visit National Black Theatre website.

It's HURRICANE SEASON at the National Black Theatre 7/10-8/2 (Harlem)

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Orisha Tales Repertory Radio Theatre Company New Show July 17th (NYC)

We Are Creative People
Orisha Tales Repertory Radio Theatre Company

Invites you to the event

ORUNMILA (THE ADVENTURES OF THE FATHER OF IFA DIVINATION)

on We Are Creative People!

Time: July 17th thru August 10, 2008 from 8pm to 10pm

Location: THE NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE

Organized By: Orisha Tales Repertory Radio Theatre Company

Event Description:

ORUNMILA (THE ADVENTURES OF THE FATHER OF IFA DIVINATION),

A YORUBA DANCE DRAMA,

COMES TO THE NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE.

What do you get when you’ve had twenty-two years as a retired NYPD police officer and sixteen years as a initiated Yoruba priest, who happens to be a radio dramatist, composer, sound designer and playwright, with a story to tell? The must see dance drama, a spectacular mixture of music, song, dance, lights, puppetry and costumes, explores the finite but myriad possibilities of the human condition, regarding the never ending question of fate versus one’s will as it is tested time and time again by Orunmila in his arrogance, ego, self deception and his defiance of Olodumare’s (God) wisdom. This must see production is written by the multiple award winning David D. Wright, directed and choreographed by the AUDELCO AWARD winning, Baraka de Soleil, with the creative input and consultation of The National Black Theatre, Founder, Dr Barbara Ann Teer. This is the THIRD collaboration of David D. Wright, Orisha Tales, and The National Black Theatre, which includes the multiple Audelco Award winning OYA, and Sango (Lord of Thunder).

Contact: 212.722.4881
See more details and RSVP on We Are Creative People here.

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