NBTF Only Weeks Away c :o; M I N G A It; It; R I A; C IT; i; 0 N S A King, Turman Bring Love Story to Festival Yolanda King, the daughter of the late Martin Luther King Jr., and Glynn Turman of the hit TV series "A Differ ent World" will star in "Willie & Esther" at the 1993 National Black Theatre Festival. "Willie & Esther" is a fast-paced, poignant love story with hilarious moments. The play opens with two performances on Aug. 6 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and two performances on Aug. 7 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. The ticket price is $20. Both King and Turman are members of D.S. Produc tions, which performed in the 1991 festival in the heart- ? wrenching production of "Tracks.** Yolanda King and Glynn Turman will star in "WiUie & Esther" during a production in the National Black Theatre Festival. A The Life of Lorraine Hansberry Depicted Elizabeth Van Dyke in " Love to All, Lorraine >1 The Arena Stage at the North Carolina School of the Arts will come alive with the story o? renowned black playwright Lorraine Hansberry in the moving play "Love to All,* Lorraine." The play is written and performed, by Elizabeth Van Dyke. This production opens on ~~ Aug. 5 with two shows at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and two performances on Aug. 6 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. This one-woman play focuses on the emo tional state of HansberTy during certain signifi cant periods of her life. There are memories of being raised in a family that refused racial prejudice, learning African history from W.E.B. Dubois, working for Paul Robeson, marrying a man of Jewish heritage and strug- , gling to write during a losing battle with can cer. When Hansberry expressed her emotions in writing, she displayed a brilliance that won her national acclaim for productions like "A Raisin in the Sun" and "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window." k Music, Dance, Drama Aplenty with "Cultural Odyssey" ? . ? : 1 ? . ? : . ? ? - - ? The 1993 National Black The atre Festival will showcase eight exciting productions that will blend music, dance, drama and experi mental theatre during festival week, Aug. 2-7. Cultural Odyssey, a Cali fornia-based production company, has combed the country to find unique talent to present their pro grams in the "New Performances in Black Theatre Series'* that will grace the stage of SECCA. Idris Ackamoor of Cultural Odyssey serves as the curator of this event that promises to be an exciting addi tion to the 1993 National Black Theatre Festival. This innovative addition to the theatrical landscape of the festival showcases eight different perfor mances that will run from 10 to 15 minutes each. The program is kicked off on Aug. 3 with a cabaret/variety show entitled "Pot pourri Noir: A Cabaret Evening." The production of Aug. 4 blends the acting of Ntozake Shange with the music of Idris Ackamoor in their production of "The Love Space Demands," which explores the battle of love and passion against the evils of drug addiction, AIDS, child abuse and racism. This -performance is followed by "The Circle Unbroken is a Hard Bop," which is performed by Stephanie Alston, Sekou Sundiata and Craig Harris. This heart-wrenching story deals with an exiled dancer and her poet brother as they try to overcome disillusionment. Keith An tar Mason and the Hit tite Empire take the stage on Aug. 5 in their vibrant production of "Shango Walk through Fire." Laurie Carlos and Robbie I " Tribes " and "The Hittite Empire " are two productions in the "New Per formances in Black Theatre Series" during the festival , Aug. 2-7. McCauley in "Persimmon Peel," appear in the Aug. 6 performance, an analysis of patriotism through the eyes of some African Americans. TOe audience is then taken into the world of African culture and roots when Judith Alexa Jackson electri fies the stage in 'Tribes." A series of autobiographical works on Aug. 7 examine the world as seen through the eyes of Rhodessa Jones in her production of "The Blue Stories: Black Erotica about Letting Go." The evening explodes with rhythmic excitement afterward when tap dancer Idris Wayne Doha team up in "Shoe horn." This "New Performance in Black Theatre Series" is a ground breaking event for the National Black Theatre Festival. Cultural Odyssey hopes to make this series an important aspect of the festival. Cultural Odyssey annually pre mieres at least two original works. The company stages its work Mbonda Afrika to Perform at SECCA Mbonda Afrika will perform a concert by the lake at the Southeast ern Center for Contempofary Art (SECCA) on Aug. 8. In case of rain, the concert will be held in the McChesney Scott Dunn Auditori um. The 10-member group bases its music on Zairian songs and Lin gala lyrics, adding American musical ideas. Attendees are encouraged to pack a picnic and bring the kids for an evening of rhythm and dance in SECCA's natural beauty. The concert begins at 6 p.m., and people are encouraged to come early to enjoy the Putt-Modernism exhibition. Tickets are $5 for SECCA members, students and senior adults, $7 for the general public. Mbonda Afrika will perform music from Zaire atSECCA on Aug. 8. Children under 12 arc free. the Education Department at 725 For more information contact 1904. throughout the country and around the world. Idris Ackamoor says that Cultural Odyssey "utilizes theatre to cnhancc self-esteem of incarcerated women and at-risk African-Ameri can youth. Our organization pro duces music, dance and theatre root ed in the African-American tradi tion." 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