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Karamu House Inc. Announces the Beginning of the 16<SUP>th</SUP> Annual <BR>
R. Joyce Whitley Arenafest: Festival of New Play Readings<BR>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; mso-pagination: none"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 22pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Viner Hand ITC'; mso-default-font-family: 'Viner Hand ITC'; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Viner Hand ITC'; mso-latin-font-family: 'Viner Hand ITC'; mso-greek-font-family: Arial; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Arial; mso-armenian-font-family: Arial; mso-hebrew-font-family: Arial; mso-arabic-font-family: Arial; mso-currency-font-family: Arial; mso-latinext-font-family: Arial; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN">The Year of <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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*ADMISSION FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC<BR>
<BR></I></FONT><FONT size=2></B></FONT><FONT face=Stencil>
Ms. Lady Lincoln<BR></FONT><FONT face="Arial Narrow">
by Naomi Brown<BR>
This challenging period piece set in 1940s Mississippi follows one woman’s search for identity and answers to the one fundamental question. Who am I? Set against the backdrop of the past, this piece mirrors the struggle of woman to find a place in a sometimes hostile world.<BR><B>
Monday<BR></B>
January 7th, 6pm<BR>
January 14th, 8pm<BR></FONT><FONT face=Stencil>
Not My Father <BR></FONT><FONT face="Arial Narrow">
By Joyce Andrea Sampson<BR>
This terrific family drama addresses issues of loss, grief and forgiveness. Washington D.C. playwright, Joyce Andrea Sampson, pens an explosive narrative on how a dysfunctional family can sometimes pull together in times of crisis and find the courage to love one another.<BR><B>
Monday<BR></B>
January 7th, 8pm<BR>
January 14th, 6pm<BR><I></I></FONT><FONT face=Stencil>
Conner’s Boy<BR></FONT><FONT face="Arial Narrow">
By Zetta Elliot<BR>
This domestic drama explores the social and racial politics that occur when an African American man named Conner kills himself and leaves behind a son. Soon a custody battle ensues leaving "Connor’s boy" trapped between Connor’s African American fiancee and the white family that raised Connor.<BR><B>
Thursday<BR></B>
January 10th, 6pm<BR>
January 17th, 6pm<BR></FONT><FONT face=Stencil>
Hurting Starr<BR></FONT><FONT face="Arial Narrow">
By Ameena Brown <BR>
This engrossing heart rending drama follows the plight of Starr, a young girl who, due to the death of her grandparents who were raising her finds herself back with her mentally unstable mother. Refusing to properly medicate herself, the mother spirals down a tragic path of drug addiction. Starr attempts to find the strength to persevere through mental and physical abuse.<BR><B>
Tuesday<BR></B>
January 8th, 8pm<BR>
January 15th, 6pm<BR></FONT><FONT face=Stencil>
All Over<BR></FONT><FONT face="Arial Narrow">
By Jamie Brunson<BR>
This fascinating romp alternates between drama and comedy and follows the adventures of Clive a newly discharged Gulf War veteran. Upon his release from the armed services Clive finds himself up to his ears in trouble and winds up in purgatory. This wonderful piece explores Clive’s desperate attempt to escape purgatory and get back to the arms of East, his lady love.<BR><B>
Wednesday<BR></B>
January 9th, 6pm<BR>
January 16th, 8pm<BR>
<BR></FONT><FONT face=Stencil>
The Heart of God<BR></FONT><FONT face="Arial Narrow">
By Joan Wheeler<BR>
This poignant piece explores one man’s loss of faith and the journey he must take to re-strengthen the beliefs given to him by his beloved mother.<BR><B>
Thursday<BR></B>
January 10th, 6pm<BR></FONT><FONT face=Stencil>
That Word<BR></FONT><FONT face="Arial Narrow">
By Henry Miller<BR>
This comic curtain raiser deals with America’s pre-occupations with the word Nigger and the social impact of the word in the African American Theater.<BR><B>
Thursday<BR></B>
January 17th, 6pm<BR></FONT><FONT face=Stencil>
Summer Night and <BR>
Fireflies<BR></FONT><FONT face="Arial Narrow">
By Bianca Samms<BR>
This wonderfully delightful piece centers on the story of Zandra, a young woman who is struggling to get over a hurtful past. In love with Sean, the best man she has ever known, Zandra must discover a away move-on and accept love. Set in an East Texas bar in the ‘80s this atmospheric piece is quietly surprising and uplifting.<BR><B>
Tuesday<BR></B>
January 8th, 6pm<BR>
January 15th, 8pm<BR></FONT><FONT face=Stencil>
Ride the Rustling Wheat<BR></FONT><FONT face="Arial Narrow">
By Francesca Sanders<BR>
This engrossing drama follows the story of Laurie, a young idealistic African American professor who lands her first job in a small Kansas University. Soon this dream job as a botany professor turns out to be a nightmare, as she realizes that she has been deceived by her department chairman, who secretly intends to force her to teach African American history because she is black. Laurie is thrown into a tailspin and soon visited by ghosts from the past who teach her the value of her people and her culture.<BR><B>
Friday<BR></B>
January 11th, 6pm<BR>
January 18th, 6pm <BR>
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*All 8pm show times are tentative and may be briefly pre-empted by earlier performance.<BR></I></FONT><br /><hr />Share life as it happens with the new Windows Live. <a href='http://www.windowslive.com/share.html?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_sharelife_012008' target='_new'>Start sharing!</a></body>
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