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<p class=MsoNormal><em><b><i><font size=5 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:18.0pt;font-weight:bold'>2008/09 Season of "A L'il Night
Music and </span></font></i></b></em><b><i><font size=5><span style='font-size:
18.0pt;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'><br>
<em><i><font face="Times New Roman">a Whole Lotta Blues!" </font></i></em><br>
</span></font></i></b><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>WAITIN’ 2 END HELL</span></b>
(Comedy-Drama-Midwest Premiere) <br>
By William a. Parker <br>
October 24 – November 16, 2008 (Arena) Director: Terrence Spivey <br>
Dante an d Diane Jones have been married for twelve years. What does Diane <br>
really want? The play raises issues about relationships, family values, and <br>
divorce problems in our community. This comic family drama was an
Off-Broadway <br>
and a huge hit at the 2005 National Black Theatre Festival was first produced
by <br>
theatre legend Woodie King Jr. It plays on the title of Terry McMillan’s
“Waiting to <br>
Exhale.” <br>
<br>
<u>CAST OF CHARACTERS<o:p></o:p></u></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>The play takes place in any City U.S.A.<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><u><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Dante Jones:</span></font></u> Black professional,
college graduate, Parole Agent, Mid to late 30's.<br>
<u>Diane Jones:</u> Black professional, Account Executive, Mid
to late 30's.<br>
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><u>Alvin</u></st1:City></st1:place><u>:</u>
Black, married to Angela for 5 years, was previously married, friend of
the Jones couple<br>
Mid to late 30's.<br>
<u>Angela:</u> Asian, loves her some Alvin, her husband, was previously
married, accepts her husband's leadership as head of their union, friend of
the Jones couple Mid to late 30's. <br>
<u>Shay:</u> Black, friend of the Jones couple. Was married (never
again) and divorce twice. Mid to late 30's.<br>
<u>Larry:</u> Black, friend of the Jones couple. Was
married (never again) divorce twice. Mid to late 30's.<br>
<u>Mark:</u> Black, well paid legal counselor, works with Diane at the
advertising firm, nice and smooth with an immaculate style of dress <br>
<br>
REHEARSAL START DATE: September 15, 2008<br>
<br>
<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>BLACK NATIVITY</span></b> (Musical) <br>
By Langston Hughes <br>
December 5 – December 28, 2008 (Jelliffe) Director/Choreographer: Terence
Greene <br>
Karamu alum Langston Hughes annual foot stomping, hand clapping, shouting for <br>
joy classic hits the stage once again for the Christmas holidays. This colorful
<br>
pageantry brings a new meaning to the birth of Christ and the spirit of <br>
Christmas every year. “Come All Ye Faithful” to witness this
spiritual, gospel <br>
stirring classic. <br>
<br>
<u>CAST OF CHARACTERS<o:p></o:p></u></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><u><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
</span></font></u>Seeking experienced African American singers and dancers
between ages<br>
21 and up. Singers: Must be able to sing GOSPEL and MOVE well.<br>
<br>
REHEARSAL START DATE: October 20, 2008<br>
<br>
<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>A HOUSE WITH NO WALLS</span></b>
(Drama-Midwest Premiere) <br>
January 23 – February 15, 2009 (Arena) <br>
Director: Terrence Spivey <br>
Following the extraordinary success of Permanent Collection and <br>
bee-luther-hatchee , A House With No Walls represents the final part
of <br>
Thomas Gibbons’ “race trilogy” at Karamu. The play, inspired
by real life <br>
events in <st1:City w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:City>, dramatizes the conflict
between a conservative <br>
African-American academic and an ultra-liberal, Afro-centric political <br>
activist as they battle over a proposed site for a new <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">American</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Liberty</st1:PlaceName> <br>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Museum</st1:PlaceType>, which happens to be on the
grounds of George Washington’s <br>
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:City></st1:place>
home and slave quarters. The play is a volatile exploration <br>
of whether or not African Americans should embrace the legacy of <br>
slavery as their primary cultural identity or discard this mantle of
“victim <br>
hood.” <br>
<br>
<u>CAST OF CHARACTERS<br>
</u>The present and 1796-1797, Various locations in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:City></st1:place>.<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><u><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Oney Judge:</span></font></u> Black, slave, light
skinned, mid 20's<br>
<u>Candence Lane:</u> Black, conservative, academic, tastefully dressed, mid
30's<br>
<u>Salif Camara:</u> Black, Afro-centric activist, about 60<br>
<u>Allen Rosen:</u> White, mid 30's<br>
<u>Park Ranger:</u>20White, about 60<br>
<u>Austin Judge</u>: Black, slave, few years older than Oney, mid 20's<br>
<u>Steven Gardner:</u> White, about 60<br>
<u>Tobias Humphreys:</u> White, early 30's<br>
<u>Jacob Easton</u>: Black, mid 40's<br>
<u>"George Washington:"</u> White, about 60<br>
<br>
REHEARSAL START DATE: December 8, 2008<br>
<br>
<br>
17TH Annual R. Joyce Whitley ARENAFEST - Festival of New Works <br>
March 30 – April 10, 2009 <br>
<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>THE BOW-WOW CLUB</span></b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>(Comedy Drama-Regional World Premiere-<br>
Women’s Month) <br>
By Levy Lee Simon <br>
March 13 – April 12, 2009 (Jelliffe) Director: Hassan Rogers<br>
The recipient of the Lorraine Hansberry Award, The Bow Wow Club is a serious <br>
comedy about friendship, love, responsibility, and survival. Five teenage <br>
friends reunite after twenty years to reconnect emotionally and through <br>
discovery, revelation, and realities, they are forced to choose between their <br>
stunning and fundamental differences and the undeniable power of their lifelong
<br>
bond. <br>
<br>
<u>CAST OF CHARACTERS<br>
</u><br>
<u>Kirk Bright:</u> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
Army retiree, married to Diane sixteen years, jovial, maybe a little
overweight, late 30's<br>
<u>Diane Bright:</u> married to Kirk, large beautiful woman, born again,
late 30's<br>
<u>Sal <st1:City w:st="on">Anderson</st1:City>:</u> transit worked, former
football prospect, married to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Beverly</st1:place></st1:City>
for fifteen years, possible<br>
alcoholic, angry and bitter, has a limp<br>
<u>Beverly Anderson:</u> married to Sal, wants out of her marriage<br>
<u>Alexander Earle:</u> college professor of African American History, not
taken serious by The Bow Wow Club, recently married to Freida, late 30's<br>
<u>Freida Earle:</u> White, a professor, politically and culturally
aware, <br>
<u>Lester McMichael:</u> World-renowned singer/dancer, ladies man, sharp
dresser, late 30's<br>
<u>Loita Clarveax:</u> White French Model, sexy and exotic, Lester's
girlfriend, has her own way of looking at the world, 25 <br>
years of age, (must be at least 5' 9 or taller)<br>
<u>Chuck Hooter:</u> Associate professor of philosophy and religion, former
minister, soft spoken, 38 years of age<br>
<u>Perry Pennick:</u> Chuck's lover, preppy and realistic, doesn't know when to
stop talking<br>
<br>
REHEARSAL START DATE: January 26, 2009<br>
<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR AND GRILL</span></b>
(Musical Drama-Ohio Premiere) <br>
By Lanine Roberston <br>
April 24 – May 24, 2009 (Arena) Director: Caroline Jackson
Smith<br>
The time is 1959. The place is a seedy bar in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:City></st1:place>. The audience is <br>
about to witness one of Billie Holiday’s last performances, given four
months <br>
before her death. More than a dozen musical numbers are inter laced with salty,
<br>
often humorous, reminiscences to project a riveting portrait of the lady and
her <br>
music. <br>
<br>
<u>CAST OF CHARACTERS<br>
</u>The play takes place in small bar in south <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:City></st1:place> - 1959.<br>
<br>
<u>Billie Holiday</u>: the great jazz singer in the last year of her life (44)<br>
<u>Jimmy Powers:</u> a piano player any age <br>
<br>
REHEARSAL START DATE: March 9. 2009<br>
<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'><br>
IT AIN’T NOTHING BUT THE BLUES (Musical Revue) <br>
</span></b>By Charles Bevel, Lita Gaithers, Randal Myler, Ron Taylor and Dan
Wheetman<br>
Based on an original idea by Ron Taylor <br>
June 19 – July 12, 2009 (Jelliffe) <br>
Director: Terrence Spivey <br>
Co-authored by Karamu Alum, Charles “Mississippi” Bevels, this is a
not-to-be <br>
missed, foot stomping, finger snapping, an d hand clapping sizzling revue of
the <br>
blues and blues infused songs that changed the way the world hears the human <br>
heartbeat with ravishing songs that trace the evolution of the blues from<b><span
style='font-weight:bold'> <br>
</span></b>Africa to Mississippi to Memphis to Chicago. The musical was
nominated for<br>
four Tony’s including Best Musical.<br>
<br>
<u>CAST OF CHARACTERS<br>
<br>
Seeking seven strong singers; 4 males, 3 females</u> from ages 21 and up who
can sing<br>
the BLUES, know the BLUES and maybe at times, lived the BLUES. The range
of songs in the production consist of "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie
Man" to Strange Fruit" and artist from Huddie Ledbetter to Robert
Johnson.<br>
<br>
Please come prepared with a BLUES song for the auditions and comfortable
clothing to move. <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'><br>
</span></b>Also seeking a Banjo player.<br>
<br>
REHEARSAL START DATE: May 25, 2009<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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