Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Drama Dael Orlandersmith's Yellowman Begins April 24 at The Billie Holiday Theatre
Directed by Timothy Douglas Featuring Jessica Frances Duke and Tyrone Mitchell Henderson
BROOKLYN, N.Y., March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Marvel movie Black Panther sweeps across the globe, this phenomenon also stirs up the age-old topic of colorism. Playwright, Dael Orlandersmith tackled this topic head-on in 2002, when her Pulitzer Prize finalist in Drama, Yellowman, premiered to critical acclaim. The Billie Holiday Theatre closes it 2017-2018 Season with this highly-relevant work under the direction of renowned director Timothy Douglas with Jessica Frances Duke (Bootycandy) and Tyrone Mitchell Henderson (Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk on Broadway). Previews begin April 24, 2018 with the Opening on April 26 and running through May 20 at The Billie Holiday Theatre, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11216.
In Yellowman, Alma and Eugene have known each other since they were young children. As their childhood connection matures into love, Alma struggles to free herself from her mother's life of poverty and vices, while Eugene must contend with the legacy of being "yellow" — lighter-skinned than his unforgiving father. This seminal work in the American Theater canon is a powerful examination into the intraracial tensions that exist and impact individual lives and communities.
"To curate storytelling in the epicenter of the largest community of people of African descent in the nation - Central Brooklyn – demands a keen eye towards artistic excellence and equity," stated Dr. Indira Etwaroo, Executive Director, The Billie Holiday Theatre at RestorationART. "Orlandersmith's Yellowman, led by the ingenious Timothy Douglas, is a piercing narrative that breaks a longstanding silence in our community around intraracial prejudgment and provides a meaningful platform, as theater, to inspire difficult dialogues with dignity."
"Propelled by searing language and rigorous insight, Dael Orlandersmith's Yellowman remains as urgent in its layered reveal of black-identity as it did when it first premiered," stated Timothy Douglas. "In this lyrical drama, Alma and Eugene are unflinching in their quest to define self and each other - determined to break free of an American history that threatens to consume them."
General Information
Yellowman will run from April 24 - May 20, 2018. Tickets range from $25 - $65 at (866) 811-4111 or www.thebillieholiday.org.
SOURCE The Billie Holiday Theatre
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