Get a fascinating look into the life of one of the great writers of American theater when Capri After School Theater (CAST) presents To Be Young, Gifted and Black – A Portrait of Lorraine Hansberry In Her Own Words, adapted by Robert Nemiroff, at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, November 9 and 10 at the Capri Theater, 2027 West Broadway. The performances are free and open to the public.
Playwright, author and activist Lorraine Hansberry was best known for her play, A Raisin in the Sun which was the first play produced on Broadway by an African American woman. Hansberry was also the first Black playwright and the youngest American, at age 29, to win a New York Critics’ Circle award.
“One of the goals of our CAST program,” says Director Kevin West, “is to expose our students to the world of theater, and to show them examples of artists who were once artists-in-the-making, just as they are today. As our students study and learn more about Lorraine Hansberry it opens up a whole new way of thinking for them, new possibilities and more options. I see their eyes lighting up and the light bulbs coming on every day.”
West is working with 10 students who have committed to the program for the full school year. “We are providing access and opportunity to these young people,” said West. “That’s what the Capri does. I invite everyone to come see and support their work – and enjoy this timely, thought-provoking play.”
The CAST program is free and open to all students currently enrolled in high school. To enroll, for info on CAST or To Be Young, Gifted and Black, contact Kevin West at 612-643-2039 or kwest@pcyc-mpls.org.