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Monday, April 18, 2011

THE THEATER PROJECT PRESENTS HISTORICAL, PROVOCATIVE SHOW AS FINAL PRODUCTION AT UCC

THE AFRICAN COMPANY PRESENTS RICHARD III
By Carlyle Brown
Directed by Mark Spina

WHEN:  April 28 through May 15; 3 weekends only: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM
WHERE:
the Roy Smith Theater at the Cranford campus of Union County College, 1033 Springfield Avenue in Cranford.
TICKETS: $10-25 and are available at Brown Paper Tickets at 800-838-3006 or at www.brownpapertickets.com. More information is available at www.TheTheaterProject.org
Thursdays only (all) $18; Senior Sunday (5/1 only) $15
Audience and cast Q&A meet-and-greets after each and every performance

image134 years before Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, 108 years before Martin Luther King, Jr was born, and 6 years before enslavement of blacks fully ended in New York state, a theater company of free black actors was passionately performing Shakespearean adaptations and original works in front of packed houses in 1821 Manhattan. The African Company, as they were known, then dared to open their production of Richard III on the same night and right next door to another Richard III production by New York City's leading theater of the time starring English tragedian Junius Brutus Booth. The African Company's refusal to close down and capitulate to the pressure of their white competitors is depicted in this provocative and empowering drama. (Portrait of Ira Frederick Aldridge in pastel, by Taras Shevchenko, 1858)

CLICK HERE FOR STUDY GUIDE.

NOTES ON ACCESSIBILITY

  • Wheelchair accessibility
    All Theater Project activity takes place on the ground level of Union County College’s two-story Cranford complex. An 8-foot wide sidewalk with a curb cut leads to the entrance of the College nearest the theater, and when desirable, patrons with special needs can be driven to these doors and disembark at that point. The Theater Project’s 75-seat venue is able to accommodate as many as 12 wheelchairs. The flexible seating allows for companion and seeing-eye dog accommodation.
  • Audio Described performance
    The Theater Project has developed a strong collaborative effort with the Springfield Lions Club, The Union County Association for the Blind and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, to offer audio described performances. The Audio Described performance for “The African Company Presents Richard III” will be held on Thursday, April 28, at 8 PM.
  • Large print programs
    Large print programs are available upon request; audio taped programs can also be made available with prior notice.

Begun in 1994, The Theater Project is known as Union County College’s Professional Theater Company and is currently in search of a new performance venue beyond Spring 2011. An award-winning Associate Member of the New Jersey Theater Alliance, The Theater Project strives to cultivate a more thoughtful and creative community by inspiring and challenging our audiences in an intimate and engaging setting through powerful, relevant and rarely-seen theatrical productions that explore contemporary values and topical issues, as well as through educational offerings and programs that benefit our Central New Jersey community. The Theater Project has recently received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the New Jersey State Council for the Arts, and the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. More information is available at TheTheaterProject.org.