UOFL AFRICAN AMERICAN THEATRE PROGRAM SELECTS SHOWS FOR CHINA TRIP
LOUISVILLE , KY – The University of Louisville’s African American Theatre Program (AATP) announces tickets are on sale for their Three Plays for China production. The limited seated engagement will run November 19 th and 20 th at 8 pm at the Thrust Theatre. This will be the first university theatre group to ever tour and perform in China. The group received an invitation from Dr. Zhang Lilong, Chair of the English Department in the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures. He states that he "believes that [their] forthcoming visit will be very beneficial to [their] department and university."
The selected three plays will be previewed at the University of Louisville before being performed at China’s Xiamen University and Beijing Foreign Studies University where UofL has a PhD program in Humanities. A delegation of 16 students, alumni, faculty and staff will leave for China this December 2nd and return on December 18th.
With one of the goals of this trip being to improve cultural understanding between Chinese and American cultures, UofL’s African American Theatre Program will perform three different productions that touch on many aspects inherent in the cultural identity of African Americans. “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters” is a play that is based on an old Zimbabwean fable that teaches through songs and dances the dangers of being prideful. “Seven Stops to Freedom” is set a decade before the Civil War and chronicles one family’s journey from Mississippi to Michigan through Kentucky along the Underground Railroad with melodious spirituals. The third show that the delegation will be performing is “The New Harlem Renaissance Revue” which features poetry, songs and dances from the Harlem Renaissance era from such artists as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Ma Rainey. The revue will also showcase a portion of George C. Wolfe’s “Spunk.”
The delegation was personally invited to Xiamen University June 29th at a reception held for Xiamen University’s only African American professor, Dr. Jasmin Lambert. Lambert, a theatre history professor, is a former student of Dr. Thomas who is the director of UofL’s African American Theatre program. Lambert moved to China without knowing how to speak the language and was surprised by how little was known about African Americans. In fact, many Chinese are surprised to find out that Lambert is American.
“Many Chinese are not clear about the identity of African Americans or their place in American society. Their immediate feeling is that all Americans are only of European ancestry,” Lambert said.
Dr. Lundeana M. Thomas directs the productions, which are choreographed by Dionne Griffiths, while Andrea Reynolds provides Musical Direction. General Admission tickets are available for $15 and senior and student tickets are available for $10.
Also donations are still being solicited for the trip. For more information and ticket reservations, call Dr. Lundeana Thomas at 502-852-8442.