TONIGHT
Presented by IAMA Theatre Company
Co-Presented by: Skylight Theatre Company, Echo Theater Company, Highways, Lower Depth Theatre, The Inkwell Theater, Celebration Theatre, LA Stage Alliance, DOMA Theatre Company, and Unbound Productions
Juneteenth Theatre Justice Project
In the American Theatre, we have long been guided by the principle that we can “change the world, one play at a time.” What if it was also one day at a time with the same play? Today, Juneteenth, June 19th 2020, at 6:00 p.m., theatre communities around the country will provide their response to the current moment – the civil uprising that has come as a reaction to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others before them – with simultaneous free readings of Vincent Terrell Durham’s bold new play, Polar Bears, Black Boys & Prairie Fringed Orchids. About the Play: A liberal white couple open the doors of their renovated Harlem brownstone to host a cocktail party for a Black Lives Matter activist, his gay white lover, a sistah named Shemeka and the mother of a slain 12 year-old black boy. A night of cocktails and conversation spark emotional debates ranging from under-weight polar bears, Lana Turner, saving the planet, gentrification, racial identity, and protecting the lives of black boys. CONTENT WARNING: Intended for mature audiences. Contains references to police violence. Watch the Play - Tonight at 6pm PST Fund for Black Theatre in the U.S. "Black Theatre is alive and vibrant; however, Black Theatre is not funded." - August Wilson 1996 Black Lives Matter. This is a fact that must be affirmed. The artistic representation of Black life on stage, also matters. Black Theatre needs funding. Black Theatre has the power to educate, elevate, and emancipate, but it needs funding. This fund will help. It is a giant step in the right direction. It will make a difference, if you make a difference. Artists who dedicate themselves to this challenging work, deserve an opportunity to succeed. Your donation will make a difference. Your donation will make a difference for Black artists. Your donation will make a difference for Black Theatre! When actor Margo Hall said, "We need a GoFundMe for Black Theatre", the Juneteenth Theatre Project, inspired by Project 1 Voice, was created. A committee, in collaboration with the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, will distribute the proceeds of this fund to Black Theatres. Make a donation to: https://bit.ly/GoFundJuneteenth All proceeds are to be distributed to fund Black Theatres.
