Name: Reader's Theater
Start: 2021-11-08T19:00:00-05:00
Location: Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center

Reader's Theater

The Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center is a multi-purpose cultural space in the Southeast community of Newport News, Virginia. Originally built as the Walter Reed School in 1917, our historic building has been restored and open to the public since October 2008.In addition to the 276-seat Ella Fitzgerald Theater, we haverooms for meetings and events, as well as studio space for visual and performing arts. The Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center is a facility of theCity of Newport Newsdepartment of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center

Reader's Theater Series live on the Ella Fitzgerald Stage.

Our Reader&#x27;s Theater series is BACK! Join us for four new productions hitting the Ella Fitzgerald Theater Stage on select Monday nights. The stage is stripped down to the actors with the script. Witness the powerful performance without the distraction of the set. Hear the message in the words as you have never heard them before. This is an in-person event series. Capacity is limited to ensure that proper distancing can be placed between audience members. <h3>Details</h3><ul><li>Show Dates and Times</li></ul><ul><ul><li>Brownsville Song - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 7:00 pm Set in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, brownsville song (b-side for tray) is a powerful tale of resilience in the face of tragedy. Moving fluidly between past and present, this bold new play tells the story of Tray, a spirited African-American 18-year-old and his family, who must hold on to hope when Tray&#x27;s life is cut short. Kimber Lee&#x27;s lyrical social drama about the shocking death of a young African-American teenager is a poignant story for our time, and demands the attention of audiences far and wide.</li></ul><ul><li>The Colored Museum - Monday, November 8, 2021 at 7:00 pm The Colored Museum has electrified, discomforted, and delighted audiences of all colors, redefining our ideas of what it means to be black in contemporary America. Its eleven “exhibits” undermine black stereotypes old and new and return to the facts of what being black means.</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Before it Hits Home - Monday, March 14, 2022 at 7:00 pm Follows the last few months in the life of Wendal Bailey, an African-American bisexual male in his early 30&#x27;s. Examined in this drama are Wendal&#x27;s two worlds; one which revolves around his lovers, the other based in the home of his extended family - his mother, father, &quot;aunt&quot;, brother and 12-year-old son. After nearly dying of AIDS, Wendal comes home to regain his strength and find comfort, but a festive evening celebrating his return turns into a disaster. Shortly after this debacle, the only support and love he finds as he lies in his death- bed comes from an unexpected source - his previously stern, disapproving and homophobic father.</li></ul><ul><li>The Actor - Monday, May 9, 2022 at 7:00 pm This play tells the hilarious and moving story of a young man, bitten by the acting bug, who&#x27;ll make any sacrifice to keep his dream of a theatrical career from being crushed under the weight of his parents&#x27; expectations for him.</li></ul><li>Ticket Price: $5</li><li>Ages: 13+ (Ages 13-15 must be accompanied by an adult or older sibling)</li><li>Location: The Ella Fitzgerald Theater at Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center </li><li>Phone: 757-247-8950</li><li>Email: downing-gross@nnva.gov</li><li>Website: <a href="http://downing-gross.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.downing-gross.org</a></li></ul><h3></h3><h3>Ticketing Policy:</h3>To view the full Ticketing Policy, please visit our website at <a href="http://downinggross.org/tickets" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">downing-gross.org/tickets</a><h3>COVID-19 Building Practices:</h3>To learn more about how business practices have changed to slow the spread of COVID-19, please visit our website at <a href="http://downing-gross.org/covid" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">downing-gross.org/covid</a>

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Reader's Theater

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Reader's Theater

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Discover more events from Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center, from Arts to other experiences you might love.

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