BOBBIE AND JEROME play opens!

Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center Presents World Premiere Play: Bobbie and Jerome

Performances: October 7-26, 2008
Opening/Press Night: October 10, 2008 7:30 pm
Live Theatre Week: Stonecarving Open Studio Tour 10/13 6-8pm
Free Night of Theater 10/16

Seattle WA, -- Much like stonecarvers themselves, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center Artistic Director Jacqueline Moscou and local playwright Daniel W. Owens have been perfecting, sculpting, and shaping the play Bobbie and Jerome for over four years. They met in 1992 and planned for years to work together. In 2004 Owens asked Moscou to set up an early reading and work through some rewrites. Immediately Moscou said yes, and together they readied Bobbie and Jerome for the LHPAC stage.

Connecting with the Stonemason's Union and a seasoned stone carving professional to consult was crucial to the play's development and success. West Seattle stone carver Sabah Al-Dhaher joined the creative team and was tasked with leading a special intensive "Stonecarving Boot Camp" for the playwright, director, and actors. "I will never look at a rock the same way again! My hands are still recovering," says local actor G. To'mas Jones. who plays the role of Bobbie.

Bobbie and Jerome is the captivating story of two cousins fighting their addictions, their joined past, and each other. The complex art of stone carving is at the play's core and an authentic depiction of the craft is crucial to the play's success. Errol is the "Stone Yard's" master mason who admires both Bobbie and Jerome for their talent as stone carvers, but also fears for their futures. Set in the stone yard of a gothic Harlem cathedral in 1998, this world premiere drama opens a lens into the lives of two men struggling to save the Stone Yard and settle a past score.

"Bobbie and Jerome embodies everything LHPAC is about. We create a home for African American arts and its artists, and are dedicated to the development of new works," says Jacque Moscou. Throughout Bobbie and Jerome's development process LHPAC has pooled creative resources and connected with many different corners of the artistic community. Moscou continues, "Art transforms people's lives. This play drives that message home. Personally, connecting with art through stonecarving has been a blast!"

On October 13 the general public is invited to get a taste of "Stonecarving Boot Camp" and chat with the actors, director, playwright, and local stone carver Sabah Al-dhaher at his open studio tour. This free event will be held from 6-8 pm at 3838

Delridge Way SW and is part of Theatre Puget Sound's Live Theatre Week.

LHPAC always encourages new audiences to experience the thrill of Live Theatre. October 7 is a "Pay-What-You-Can-Preview" performance and LHPAC will participate in Live Theatre Week's FREE Night of theatre on October 16th.

Bobbie and Jerome, written by Daniel W. Owens and directed by Jacqueline Moscou, will have its world premiere at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center October 7-26, 2008. Marcel DavisG. To'mas Jones plays his cousin Bobbie. Ron Davids plays the master mason Errol. The Set Designer who brings a stone yard indoors is Tommer Peterson. Sound Designer Herbert Thompson will add jazz elements to the production. Doris Black will design the costumes and Stephen Deibert is the lighting designer.
plays Jerome and

Bobbie and Jerome is recommended for ages 12 and older. Performances will be held at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center at 17th & Yesler in Seattle. Previews are Oct.7-9 at 7:30 pm. Opening Night is October 10 at 7:30 w

ith a special "Taste of Harlem" reception afterwards. Shows run Thursdays - Sundays at 7:30 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays (no 2 p.m. matinee on Oct 26).

Advance ticket prices are $20 for adults; $15 for youth and seniors; and $24 day of show at the door. A special discount is offered to groups of 10 or more. Ticket Line: 206-386-1177. Tickets are available at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center and through Brown Paper Tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com or 1-800-838-3006.

Dan Owens'

play Mutambi and Lindstrom was read in 2006 at the McCarter Theater in Princeton, New Jersey. Stage/screen and television actor John Amos read the role of Mutambi. Owens' The Measuring Stick [aka The Chisler] was staged in 2003 as part of the 2nd Annual Seattle FringeACT Festival of New Original Works. He wrote the book for the musical Little Ham which received "rave" reviews in the New York Times and The New Yorker in December 2001. Little Ham was also produced Off-Broadway in the Fall of 2002. He also wrote the book for The MoreYou Get - The More You Want, which was produced Off-Broadway by the FDCAC. In 2002 his play Forever My Darlin' had an extended run at Chicago's ETA Theater. And in the summer of 1999 Mutambi and Lindstrom was produced at the 15th Annual National Black Theater Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

In 1997, Owenswas commissioned by Seattle's ACT Theatre, as part of their "FirstACT" play development project, to write Aunt Lou and Miss Sara. His 1992 play, The Gang on the Roofd his work produced by: The New Federal Theater, The Frederick Douglass Creative Arts Center (FDCAC), The Negro Ensemble, The George Street Playhouse (New Brunswick, New Jersey), and The Westport Summer Playhouse (Westport, Conn.). He was twice a participant in the Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference (Waterford, Conn.) and was the recipient of a Rockefeller Grant for Playwriting. Mr. Owens graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Boston with a B.A. in English, attended Yale School of Drama, and receivedhis M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is a native of Malden, Massachusetts and currently lives in Seattle with his daughter Gabriela. was one of six grant recipients from the Fund for new American Plays - Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. That play was successfully produced by the Capital Theater Company in Albany, New York. While living in New York City Mr. Owens ha

Sabah Al-Dhaher was born in Nasriyah, Iraq. At the age of fifteen he was accepted to the Institute of Fine Arts in

Basra, Iraq, where he lived and received his training in classical art, graduating

first in his class in 1989. Al-Dhaher fled Iraq in 1991 due to his involvement in a failed uprising against the regime of Saddam Hussein at the end of the first Gulf war. After spending 2 ? years in a refugee camp in the desert of Saudi Arabia, he came to the U.S. as a political refugee in 1993. Al-Dhaher currently teaches stone carving at the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle. Visit www.aldhaher.net for more information.

The Fall 2008 Underground Railroad series begins Sept. 24!

The Underground Railroad Film Series is the neighborhood participation component of the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center’s African American Film Festival. The URFS uses the metaphor of the Underground Railroad to illuminate that community can exist over many miles and many backgrounds with one common cause. Each month from September through February, at various ‘safe houses’ in greater King County, the Underground Railroad Film Series partners with community groups, organizations and traditionally marginalized populations to host a screening of films by or about Black people that intersect across cultures, providing opportunities for community engagement and self-reflection. This moveable feast of provocative films is deepened with post-screening panels that provide context, stimulate thoughtful discussions that wind back to the Underground Railroad: Community can exist over many miles and many backgrounds with one common cause: Human integrity for all.


SEPT. 24: HOW DO I LOOK Documentary – USA 2006; 80min Director- Wolfgang Busch A chronicle of the gay Harlem Ball tradition, featuring the gritty and glamorous testimony of African American and Latino gay & transgendered people who excited the runways of Harlem and beyond. Panel Discussion to follow. Time: 7:00 pm Location: Central Cinema, 21st @ Union streets, central Seattle. Admission: $5.00 Pictured: Anthony Revlon. Photo credit: Matusha. Presented in partnership with the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film festival, which begins October 17!

THANK YOU for your support!

2008 Festival: A Community Success
The Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center's Fifth Annual African American Film Festival was an amazing gathering of films, artists and community. We were all transformed in each others' company and moved by the power of cinema to bring us all closer together.

Art defines a person and a people. It effects all who participate. In 9 days, Langston's Film Festival ran the gamut from serious to funny, from fiction to reality, from short to long, from local to international, from first efforts to epics from seasoned masters. And the collective effect: we talked, we laughed, we cried, we cheered, we questioned, and we were together as a community.

A big thank you to all who made this event possible.
See you in September for the Underground Railroad Film Series.

AUDIENCE AWARD
1st prize - TIE: THIS IS THE LIFE, Ava DuVernay and PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL, Gini Reticker
Honorable mention - TIE: DEATH OF TWO SONS Directed by Micah Shaffer and produced by Alrick Brown and I’M THROUGH WITH WHITE GIRLS by Jennifer Sharp

JURY AWARD
1st prize: MORNING DUE by Barbara Allen
Honorable mention: SOMETHING IS KILLING TATE by Leon Lozano
Honorable mention: LALIBELA by Sentayahu Mengesha

LOCAL FILMMAKER AWARD
1st place: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by Eddie Smith
Honorable mention: WOMEN TOGETHER AS ONE by Gilda Sheppard
Honorable mention: YOKES AND CHAINS by Michael Lienau

Festival Schedule and Ticket Sales are now live!

Please visit our website, http://www.langstonblackfilmfest.org/, for a full festival schedule and online ticket sales. You may also purchase tickets at the box office an hour before each screening or workshop begins. THe box office is on the ground floor of the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, 104 - 17th Avenue South. The phone number is (206)386-1177.
Bookmark this blog -- schedule changes, updates, and news will appear here. Two Metro bus lines will bring you close to the building. Take the #27 or the #14.

We look forward to seeing you at this year's festival, and hope that you will enjoy the wide variety of films!

2008 LHAAFF begins April 12!

Festival Runs: April 12 – April 20, 2008
Opening Reception & Special Guest: Donnie L. Betts (4/12; 7:00)
Closing Reception & Special Guest: Charles Burnett (4/20; 7:00)

SEATTLE –Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center (LHPAC) will host its Fifth Annual African American Film Festival, featuring a powerful lineup of documentaries, narratives, film shorts and animation. The festival is thrilled to announce that Honeydripper , a film by John Sayles will be featured on Opening Night April 12th. Audience members will get the rare opportunity to see behind the scenes footage of the film and filmmaker Donnie L. Betts will be on hand to share a "making of" insight into the film. On April 20th the festival will wrap with a special showing of Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation and the film’s director, Charles Burnett will be on hand to discuss his work.

The African American Film Festival runs nine consecutive nights from April 12th – 20th and all the showings will take place at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. The festival includes a record number of entries from emerging and established filmmakers from around the world. The selection of powerful, diverse, intelligent and evocative films will include a robust shorts program designed to give rise to the emergent filmmaking voice, and a wide array of talkbacks, panels and receptions provide a much needed bridge for artists and community patrons to engage in meaningful dialogue.

This annual event is expected to draw over 1000 people who are passionate about creating and appreciating films by and about Black people in the world . The Festival spotlights over 40 feature-length and short films by independent filmmakers, and includes panel discussions, readings, special screenings for senior & youth and the rare opportunity to chat face-to-face with prominent filmmakers, industry professionals and community leaders.

“Our goal for each year’ is to present as wide, and as honest, a variety of portrayals of Black life as possible.’ said Zola Mumford, the festival’s curator. “People of African descent are doing all sorts of interesting things all over the world; and this little gem of a festival invites audiences to learn and expand their view of the African experience.”

A few of the films & workshops currently scheduled include:
• Honeydripper is a Rock n’ Roll fable about Guitar Sam set in 1950’s Alabama. It is directed by John Sayles, stars Danny Glover and features music by Keb Mo
• The Seattle premiere of Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation. An epic tale by legendary director Charles Burnett about the rise of Sam Nujoma, the first President of Namibia. Burnett will be on hand to discuss his work
• Seattle filmmaker Eddie Smith premieres two films, Man to Man, a psychological drama; and Behind Closed Doors, a courtroom drama exploring racial identity.
• Women Together as One by Gilda Sheppard is a documentary about Liberian women refugees and child soldiers
• Seattle poet and filmmaker Stacey Tolbert premieres Got Breast?
• Pariah is a coming-of-age drama about a lesbian teenager who unsuccessfully juggles multiple identities to avoid rejection from her friends and family.
• Adopted by Aliens Animators Shawnee and Shawnelle Gibbs will be in town to host an animation workshop
• Alonzo Crawford, Howard University Cinematography Professor and filmmaker will also host a film workshop

Photos and background info on these, and other films are available upon request. A complete list of films and schedules will be released in early April.

All festival activities take place at the historic Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center on 17th & Yesler (104 17th Ave. S). The opening night event, Honeydripper begins at 7 pm. The closing night event, Namibia also begins at 7 pm. All evening showtimes are 7:00 pm. Matinees are at 4:00 M-F and 2:00 pm Sat. & Sun. Tickets are $ 7 for adults $5 for seniors and $2 for youth. An all-access “Langston Pass” is $75. Film details and ticketing information are available at www.langstonblackfilmfest.org or by calling 206-326-1088.

The African American Film Festival is supported by The Lucky 7 Foundation, Seattle Parks and Recreation, 4 Culture, the Washington State Arts Commission, the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, and a host of local businesses and organizations. The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival gives Northwest audiences a chance to view a diverse array of irreverent, poignant, provocative documentary films on topics such as youth, politics, history, social justice and relationships.
About the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival: The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival supports community building by providing opportunities for artists and audiences to connect using the medium of film as a catalyst for dialogue that leads to social change. The festival creates year round opportunities to enhance media literacy, self reflection, and community discussion. By creating the shared experience of films that are by and about black people, the festival is a creative and collaborative opportunity to build cultural competency across the aisle and across neighborhoods in greater Seattle. www.langstonblackfilmfest.org

About Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center: Established in 1969 as a dynamic and creative cultural arts center under the Model Cities, Urban Renewal program the Center provides a cultural institution in Seattle’s Central Area, where arts specific to the African American experience could be taught, explored, expressed, and enjoyed by all. LHPAC has been at the core of experimental, cutting edge, traditional, and emerging art forms for more than 35 years. LHPAC became a program of Seattle Parks and Recreation in 1972. It has been a core gathering place for an African American cannon of work in a neighborhood that has seen numerous demographic changes over the past three decades. The Center remains committed to championing that voice and building powerful connections with the diverse cultures in our community. This is accomplished through the creation of dynamic performing arts experiences for all. LHPAC partners with organizations such as: The Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas, Seattle Public Schools, the Paramount Theater, Book-It-Repertory Theater, ReAct Theater, the Seattle Symphony, Earshot Jazz and many more organizations that share our commitment to quality programming for a diverse audience. www.seattle.gov/parks/Centers/langston.htm

Join us for our 5th anniversary, April 12-20!

Join us at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, 104 – 17^th Avenue South, April 12-20, 2008 for the annual Langston Hughes African American Film Festival! News about this year's films will be posted soon.

www.langstonblackfilmfest.org / http://lhaaffbside.blogspot.com / (206)326-1088

Photo: Inye Wokoma