February is Black History Month. Here's a sampling of what's happening around town.
The Obie Award-winning Classical Theatre of Harlem (645 St. Nicholas Ave. at 141st St.) will be presenting "The Blacks: A Clown Show," by Jean Genet. Directed by Christopher McElroen, the piece will run through Feb. 23 on Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm. For tickets, call (212) 206-1515.
To further commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the American premiere of Genet's work, the Classical Theatre of Harlem, in collaboration with The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (515 Malcolm X Blvd.), hosted a panel discussion, "Back Talk: The Blacks," featuring Gene Frankel, Amiri Baraka, Ed Bullins, Vinie Burrows, Arthur French, and Judith Malina. The discussion, was held Mon., Feb. 3 at 7 pm, and focused on the historical significance of the 1961 production and how it helped shape and change American theatre.
Other events scheduled at The Schomburg Center throughout the month are panel discussions--e.g., the state of black studies, the influence of jazz on hip-hop--films, concerts, dance, and music. For more info, call (212) 491-2252.
The H.A.D.L.E.Y. Players Theater (207 W. 133rd St.) will offer the world premiere of 2002 AUDELCO Best Playwright Don Glenn's "American King Umps." The play, directed by David Roberts, is both melodrama and high comedy set in the Civil War. The play runs from Feb. 7 through March 16. Performance dates and times are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sunday matinees at 2:30 pm. For more info, call (212) 368-9314 or (212) 926-0281.
BlackGirl Ensemble Theater is producing "On Their Shoulders," three short plays written by J.E. Franklin, at the St. James Theater of the St. James Presbyterian Church (409 W. 141st St.) on Sun., Feb. 9 at 3 pm. The plays examine such issues as reparations for the forced labor of enslaved Africans to the world of African-American beauticians and the economic impact of changing hairstyles on their survival. Call (212) 283-8666 for reservations.
Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop has a series of readings and critiques of new plays. These include "The Delta Phoenix Blues" by Anasuya Isaacs (Feb. 10), "Thicker Than Water" by Veona Thomas (Feb. 17), and "Laughing at Life" by Stacy Presha (Feb. 24). All readings will be held on Mondays at 7:30 pm at the Harlem Theatre Company (473 W. 150th St.). Call (212) 281-8832 for more information.
Ujamaa Black Theatre (at the New Yorker Hotel, 34th St. and 8th Ave.) will mount a "Black History Month Theatre Fest" focusing on dramatic portraits that make up a "Salute to African American Heroes" such as Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and Marcus Garvey. Performances for young people are scheduled for Mondays through Fridays at 10:30 am and 11:45 am, Feb. 3-28. "For the Love of My Black Woman" is slated for Feb. 14 and 15 at 8 pm. And on Feb. 21, "Tribute to Malcolm X" is scheduled for 8 pm. For more info, call (212) 642-8261.
New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study and the NYU Center for Music Performance have scheduled a month-long series of black history events--panels, walking tours, films, and concerts--around town that celebrate "Voices of Protest and Liberation: From Spirituals to Hip-Hop." All events are free and open to the public. Call (212) 998-9163.
The 92nd Street Y (at 92nd St. and Lexington Ave.) will be showing "Strange Fruit" on Feb. 6 at 7:30 pm, a 2002 film by Joel Katz that explores the genesis and legacy of the controversial song of the same name about black lynching in America. Billie Holliday made the song famous, but Abel Meeropool, a New York City Jew who later became famous as the adoptive father of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg's children, wrote it. Following the film, an interracial panel--with Russell Simmons, creator of "Def Poetry Jam"; filmmaker Joel Katz; Rabbi Marc Schneier; and Dr. Patricia Williams (a professor of law at Columbia Law School)--will discuss black-Jewish relations. For more info, call (212) 415-5500.
The New York Public Library will host a series of programs that explore African and African-American storytelling, poetry, and music, including salutes to jazz luminaries Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, and Duke Ellington. Among the highlights: Kathi Farmer & Her Trio will perform a selection of Duke Ellington compositions at the Bloomingdale Regional Branch Library (150 W. 100th St.) on Sat., Feb. 15 at 2:30 pm. In the Bronx, Cliff Lee Plus Three will present a program called "African-American Classical Jazz" at the Castle Hill Branch Library (947 Castle Hill Ave. at Bruckner Boulevard) on Sat., Feb. 8, at 2:30 pm and again at the Belmont Regional Library (610 E. 186th St. at Hughes Ave.) on Sat., Feb. 22 at 2 pm. Also in the Bronx, the Pearls of Wisdom Storytellers will offer stories at the Eastchester Branch Library (1385 E. Gun Hill Rd., near Eastchester Rd.) on Wed., Feb. 19 at 3:30 pm, and again at the Morrisania Branch Library (610 E. 169th St. at Franklin Ave.) on Mon., Feb. 24 at 3:30 pm. In Staten Island, The Inner Circle All Stars, featuring Don Hanson on tenor saxophone, will pay tribute to the music of Dexter Gordon at the St. George Library Center (5 Central Ave., near Borough Hall) on Sat., Feb. 22 at 2 pm. For more information about any of these programs, call (212) 340-0972.
The Brooklyn Public Library provides an array of special programming throughout the month of February--from dancing and concerts to readings and author talks to a free film series to videos and discussions (centering on black leadership figures) to special events for children. Among the most striking performances: African-American Stilt Ballet at the Central Library (Grand Army Plaza) on Sat., Feb. 22 at 2 pm; the Brooklyn Philharmonic performing the music of contemporary African-American composers, also at the Central Library, Sat. Feb. 15, 4 pm; and "The Story of Langston Hughes," featuring actor-writer David Mills bringing to life the characters of Langston Hughes' poetry in a one-man show.
The latter show is presented by Urban Stages and can be seen at the following libraries in Brooklyn: Pacific, Mon., Feb. 3, 4 pm, call (718) 638-153l; Ulmer Park, Tues., Feb. 4, 3:30 pm, call (718) 265-3443; Kings Bay, Wed., Feb. 5, 4 pm, call (718) 368-1709; Cypress Hills, Fri., Feb. 7, 3 pm, call (718) 277-6004; Park Slope, Sat., Feb. 8, 2 pm, call (718) 832-1854; Canarsie, Mon., Feb. 10, 4 pm, call (718) 257-6547; DeKalb, Tues., Feb. 11, 3:30 pm, call (718) 455-3898; Windsor Terrace, Thurs., Feb. 13, 3:30 pm, call (718) 686-9707; Sunset Park, Sat. Feb. 15, 2 pm, call (718) 567-2806; Saratoga, Thurs., Feb. 20, 4 pm, call (718) 573-5224; E. Flatbush, Mon., Feb 24, 4 pm, call (718) 922-0927; Washington Irving, Wed., Feb. 26, 4 pm, call (718) 628-8378; Flatbush, Thurs., Feb. 27, 4 pm, call (718) 856-0813; Brownsville, Fri., Feb. 28, 3:30 pm, call (718) 498-9721.
At the Brooklyn Academy of Music (30 Lafayette Ave.), BAMcinematek presents "The Best of the African Diaspora Film Festival," Feb. 15-20, which offers a selection of black independent films--including animated flicks, documentaries, and fictional features--from all over the world. Among the countries represented: France, USA/Senegal, Brazil, USA/Cuba, Sweden, Uruguay, and Mexico. BAM will also be hosting the Black Rock Coalition Chamber Ensemble at BAMcafe (30 Lafayette Ave) for the four Fridays in February. For more info, call (718) 636-4100 or visit www.bam.org.
Also in Brooklyn, the Forty Greene Ave. Cultural Center (40 Greene Ave.) will present Jeff Stetson's "The Meeting," an imagined conversation between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. Directed by Evira Dechane Atwell, "The Meeting," which is conceived for schools, senior centers, and businesses, will begin Sat., Feb. 8 at 8 pm. All other performances will be weekday matinees on Mondays through Fridays (Feb. 10-28) at 11 am. Call (718) 783-9794.
In Queens, Queens Theatre in the Park (Flushing Meadows Corona Park), will celebrate Black History Month with its presentation of Denise Burse-Fernandez's one-woman show "Harriet's Return," the life story of Harriet Tubman, for one performance only, Sat., Feb. 15, 2 pm. For more info, call (718) 760-0064.
And throughout the month of February, McDonald's will be offering a musical celebration to mark African-American history at participating McDonald's restaurants within New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.