Legendary Tony Award winner George Faison has announced that his recently staged theater production “Except” has been overwhelmingly endorsed at the Faison Firehouse Theater and will be extended thru July 22.
Written by Karimah, the play focuses on the struggle for justice in America from slavery to modern day Gay Rights. In attendance on opening night, opera singer Kathleen Battle, Woody King, director of the New Federal Theater and Robert Johnson, the first African-American district attorney to represent the Bronx each seemed amused and entertained by the production.
The storyline follows two individuals caught between centuries to tell a familiar 21st century story.
Both are young, ambitious, Black and fearful of their bigoted community.
That they meet in a tree in a New York City park provides enlightening focus when each seek refuge from pursuing mobs.
One is a former slave from 1741, the other a young woman in 2012.
The cast is led by young spoken word artist/poet and actress Cynthia Keteku, known as Ceez Liive and Tyree L. Young.
Together they provide insight to humorous and poignant perspective on the very short distance some segments of the society has travelled since slavery.
“How much has the world changed in 250 years, how far we still have to go to achieve equality? Faison questions and argues that timeline.
“The play is based on the 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution and my mission and my theater’s purpose is to pursue the truth, confront the issues and present positive alternatives and possibilities for living,” Faison added.
Located in Harlem at 6 Hancock Place at West 124th Street between St. Nicholas and Morningside Ave., the theater is staged inside a beautifully, refurbished firehouse.
Recently, the setting has hosted a film festival and will soon host cabaret in the pole-significant section of the landmark space.
This is the second installment in the author’s series of five presentations.
See it to understand and unravel the distance, if any we have travelled.
The performance schedule is as follows:
July 12, 7:30 p.m.
July 13, 7:30 p.m.
July 14, 3:00 p.m.
July 14, 7:30 p.m.
July 19, 7:30 p.m.
July 20, 7:30 p.m.
July 21, 3:00 p.m.
July 21, 7:30 p.m.
July 22, 3:00 p.m.
For more info. call: 212-665-7698 or 212 868-4444 or log onto. www.Smarttix.com.
