Robey Theatre Company

The World Premiere of "Pity the Proud Ones" By Kurt Dana Maxey

2011-10-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

Kurt Maxey's "Pity the Proud Ones" was developed through Robey Theatre Company's Playwrights Program. Since the play was so well received at its public reading this January, it was decided that it would become a part of the fall production. Now, nine months later, the world premiere is here. Kurt Maxey's "Pity the Proud Ones" will run from October 22nd - November 13th at the Robey Theatre Company. There are two preview performances, one on October 20th and another on the 21st.

Location: 514 S. Spring St. in Los Angeles, Theater #4

Purchase Tickets Online: web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/860515
Make reservations: (866) 811-4111

General Admission Tickets: $30
Seniors: $20
Groups of 20 or more: $10

Dates:
October 22nd - November 13th

Thursday, October 20th, 8pm Preview Performance
Friday, October 21st, 8pm Preview Performance
Saturday, October 22nd, 8pm World Premiere
Sunday, October 23rd, 3pm Matinee
Thursday, October 27th, 8pm
Friday, October 28th, 8pm
Saturday, October 29th, 8pm
Sunday, October 30th, 3pm Matinee
Thursday, November 3rd, 8pm
Friday, November 4th, 8pm
Saturday, November 5th, 8pm
Sunday, November 6th, 3pm Matinee
Thursday, November 10th, 8pm
Friday, November 11th, 8pm
Saturday, November 12th, 8pm
Sunday, November 13th, 3pm Matinee

ROBEY WINS! NAACP THEATRE AWARDS

2011-09-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Robey Honored receives 5 NAACP Theatre Awards

L to r ; Dwain A. Perry, Deborah A. Morris, Kellie Roberts, Lamont Thompson, Rosie Lee Hooks, Ben Guillory, Kenyetta Lethridge, Toyin Moses, Melvin Ishmael Johnson, & Amentha Dymally.

NAACP 2011 THEATRE AWARDS

On August 30^th the Robey Theatre Company was presented with 5 NAACP Beverly Hills Hollywood branch Theatre Awards! Robey for the past 17 years has been dedicated to bringing thought provoking theatre about the global Black experience to the Los Angeles community and is deeply honored too receive these awards. Robey would like to take this moment to Thank the NAACP Beverly Hills Hollywood Branch, their Theatre Committee who are dedicated to maintain the high standards to which we all strive and who tirelessly throughout the year attend the many productions that our community presents. The recognition and continued support is appreciated by our entire creative team; Playwrights, Producers, Directors, Actors, Designers, and Technicians who work for an aesthetic that represents the Black experience and the genuine satisfaction of the creative spirit.

It would be incomplete to end without standing and applauding our audience and expressing our most sincere gratitude to All who have continually supported the Robey Theatre Company.

THANK YOU.

Ben Guillory

Producing Artistic Director

The Robey Theatre Company

THE WINNERS

Best Sound - Local

The Emperor's Last Performance - Eric Butler

Best Playwright - Local

Transitions - Kellie Roberts

Best Supporting Male - Local

The Emperor's Last Performance - Robert Clements

Best Ensemble Cast - Local

Transitions

Best Producer - Local

The Reckoning - The Robey Theatre Company and Ben Guillory in Assn. with Latino Theatre Company

The Journey of Transitions by Kellie Roberts

2011-09-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

Best Playwright Local - Kellie Roberts (WINNER)

Best Ensemble - Amentha Dymally, Joyce Lee, Kellie Roberts, Kenyetta Lethridge, Lamont Thompson, and Rosie Lee Hooks. (WINNERS)

About a month ago, Ben Guillory the Artistic Director of the Robey Theatre Company asked me to write a blog about the play that I wrote, Transitions: A Trilogy of One-Act Plays. I was certainly happy to do it but was a little daunted by the task and I procrastinated about writing it. Quite honestly, I wasn’t sure what to say or how to begin. It has been such a world wind of a year for Transitions, and a lot has happened in my life both personally and professionally. However, after a lot of pondering (procrastinating), I felt settle to write a blog about the Robey Theatre Company’s Playwrights Program, and howTransitions was written through its process. I also wanted to illuminate and give credit where credit is well overdue to the many unsung heroes at the Robey, who have helped make my stage play, and the plays of other fellow Robey writers, a living breathing reality.

For starters, I would have to acknowledge and thank Levy Lee Simon whose award winning trilogy on the Haitian revolution, For the Love of Freedom, was produced by the Robey.

Levy Lee Simon and me at the 2011 National Black Theatre Festival.

Levy was the person who introduced me to the Robey Theatre Company upon learning I was leaving New York to move to Los Angeles back in 2005. At that time, I was more comfortable as an actress than a writer and initially joined the Robey’s Advance Scene Study Class. Ben encouraged me to go ahead and submit to him 10 pages of my play, which was about all I had at the time, and after some trepidation I finally did. Those 10 pages I gave to him was what would later morph into the last of my one acts inTransitions, Why Elaine Miller Became A Photographer.

I was accepted into the morning session of the playwrights program for the newer playwrights. (The morning session has now become reserved for the more advance writers.) It was there I met Aaron Henne who changed the whole way I approach my writing process, and he still remains instrumental in my evolution as a writer. During those 10-week sessions, I was instructed to surrender all judgment, to just write, and write, and write, and trust the process; the story would be revealed. Aaron once shared with me he contemplated becoming a Rabbi and because of this I have secretly and affectionately been calling Aaron my Rabbi for years. The dictionary defines Rabbi as one who is an ordained chief religious official of a Synagogue; a Jewish scholar or teacher. Much of what Aaron gives us and what goes on at the Robey on Saturdays, to me, feels like we are in a place of worship. Although, the appearance of our work space at the Robey is far cry from looking anything like Synagogue. We sit huddled around a rather haggard-looking wooden table, eating doughnuts and cheese, drinking coffee, while constantly kicking props from Robey shows that have come and gone and are now housed underneath our work table - certainly not any one’s idea of a Synagogue for sure. And no, Aaron isn’t an ordained Rabbi. But he is a teacher who does lead us through writing exercises that feels much like “passages” into that ineffable netherworld of creation. He will often stand and move around the room of his congregation, us, the writers, as we attempt to tune our inner ear and deeply listen to our muses, seeking to access that nontangible, thrilling space of Magic and Now

A Saturday morning writing session at the Robey.

Transitions came from this Magic. It started out as one and only one, one-act play, about a woman who was being called by Spirit to take some rather interesting photos. The question for Elaine was would she heed to the call from Spirit or not, no matter how ridiculous it may seem, and in spite of what her husband or anyone else may think or say.

Lamont Thompson and me in Why Elaine Miller Became A Photographer.

Upon the completion of Why Elaine Miller Became A photographer, I rejoiced, I thought, Whew! I finally finished a play! I showed my work to, two fellow creative friends of mine Bill Robertson and Skip Jennings, and they both loved it. It was Skip who then made the suggestion that I make a trilogy of one-act plays. I thought Skip lost his mind when he said that to me because it took me four years to complete one, 25 page script. Skip assured me the other one-acts would come to me and he was right, they did. Thanks to Aaron and his “passages,” I had written so much. I had scenes from previous writing exercises I liked and abandoned because at the time they were written, I didn’t know what to do with them. One of those scenes came from an exercise asking for us to take an object from the room and write a scene about it. Along with each writing assignment Aaron assigns, he gives us a few parameters to adhere to, none of which I can recall at the moment for that particular assignment, but I do remember choosing to write about a picture frame that I spotted in the Robey space. This brief writing scene ending up morphing into what is now the second of the trilogy of one-acts called, The Picture Frame. A play about two cantankerous elderly sisters who are arguing over the whereabouts of a missing solid gold picture frame, but in the end as with so many ridiculous family arguments, it turns out their quarrel really isn’t about the picture frame at all, but about something deeper.

: Amentha Dymally and Rosie Lee Hooks in The Picture Frame

The last of the three one-acts called, The Voice of Hope, started out as a modern day story of Job featuring two women; it evolved into a very different piece. The Voice of Hopewas by far the most challenging of the three one-acts to write and for a hot minute I thought I was not going to have a trilogy. But thanks to our dramaturge Dylan Southard, I was able to salvage The Voice of Hope, and shape it into a cohesive one-act. Dylan has what I consider an arduous task of keeping us playwrights on point by widening back and challenging us by asking the tough questions: What’s the significance of this character or this part of the play? What is this story about? What are you trying to show the audience?A running joke at the Robey is Aaron is the “nice guy” and Dylan is the “heavy.” It is an extreme exaggeration of the two, after all, both Aaron and Dylan ask hard questions and both want our plays to be successful. But it is Dylan who has the job of objectively analyzing our plays, and poses questions to help us really think about our pieces and the reasons behind the choices we are making as the writer, thereby helping us to shape our work without losing our voice.

After a dramaturge session with Dylan, it is advised and extremely helpful to take his notes back to class with Aaron, who will then give you writing exercises to attempt to remedy the concerns that speak to the storytelling of the play.

Dylan Southard (left) and Aaron Henne (right) bookend Kurt Maxey, another Robey Theatre Company playwright participant. The Robey will be producing, Pity The Proud Ones, written by Kurt this Fall 2011.

How Dylan finds the time to read all of our plays, often only having a few days to read them, and then by Saturday afternoon able to give you thoughtful notes amazes me. Dylan’s notes gave me the awareness that I needed to sculpt The Voice of Hope into a one-act about a gospel singer who was being serenaded from the netherworld by her decease finance, and her having to make the choice of letting him go or not.

Joyce Lee and Kenyetta Lethridge in The Voice of Hope )

In general, Transitions is a trilogy of one-act plays featuring women who find themselves at the crossroads of their lives. As these women attempt to navigate through the vicissitudes of the crossroads, Spirit uses the medium of sound, sometimes unbeknownst to them, to prompt and support their life changes. The question that each woman face in Transitions: Will they take heed to God’s call or not?

Transitionswould never had the success that it has had without the actors who have been with this project from the very beginning. Joyce Lee, Kenyetta Lethridge, Rosie Lee Hooks, Amentha Dymally, and Lamont Thompson. Without these actors, their talents, insights into the characters, and their self-less efforts, Transitions is just words on paper.

Cast and crew ofTransitions: Upper Row: Kenyetta Lethridge, Joyce Lee, Debra Ann Morris, Kellie Roberts, Lamont Thompson. Lower row: Amentha Dymally, Dwain A. Perry, Rosie Lee Hooks.

I feel so blessed to have had such wonderful, talented people that worked on Transitionswhich would include: Cydney Davis and Earl Buffington who were the singing voices used in The Voice of Hope, Harry Lennix who did our sound design, and our director Dwain A. Perry. It was Dwain’s insight that made me change the ending to The Picture Frame. After one reading, Dwain came up to me and said, “You know Kellie, what message did you want to leave the audience with at the end? What if….”

Dwain A. Perry and me after a performance of Transitions

I also owe the success of Transitions, to my fellow playwrights whose thoughtful comments and questions allowed me the space to ponder why I had certain elements in my play, and helped me decide what to leave in and what to take out, who have helped me find my writing voice. I treasure my time with my colleagues, the gathering, and sharing of our musings and our frustrations with each other. We get to know each other, our writing style, our characters. Even our characters in our plays can feel just as real as any one of us as they, too, sit about the table chattering with us. There is a definite camaraderie and fellowship that occurs within the playwrights program. When I found out the Robey planned on producing the Reckoning by Kimba Henderson, I went up to Kimba and said,“Kimba! They are producing our play!” And when the Robey produced Melvin Ishmael Johnson’s The Emperor‘s Last Performance, I had the wonderful opportunity to work as an actress in that production and I remember feeling so protective over Melvin’s words, knowing how long it had taken Melvin to cultivate that play, to find just the right words. It took Melvin close to 20 years to write his play about Charles Gilpin. What a blessing for all of us that he was able to finally finish it and have it produced by the Robey.

Jah Shams as Paul Robeson, Kellie Roberts as Anita Bush, and Dwain A. Perry as Charles Gilpin in The Emperor’s Last Performance. )

I am so delighted to be sharing my nomination from the NAACP Theatre Awards for Best Playwright Local with both Kimba Henderson and Melvin Ishmael Johnson. I don’t feel competition but an alliance. Whomever receives the award I think we all will feel like a victor, knowing that we were part of the process which made our plays a success, all of which would not have been possible if it wasn‘t for Ben Guillory and the Robey Theatre Company.

Since the first production of Transitions, with only a two week run in June 2010,Transitions went on to be one of the featured main stage productions at the 2010 NAACP Theatre Festival. It has since been accepted and performed at the 2011 National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it has garnered 5 NAACP Theatre Nominations:

Best Ensemble

Best Director

Best Producer

Best Playwright

Best Set Design

(The Robey Theatre Company has received a total of 12 NAACP Theatre Award Nominations for 2011.)

I am grateful to call the Robey Theatre Company my artistic home. Part of the Robey’s mission is to give artists who are relatively unknown, like myself, an opportunity to work. It certainly has given me so much more than just work. It has been a place of refuge, and has given me and so many other artists a place to grow as actors, writers, and directors.

Artistic Director of the Robey Theatre Company Ben Guillory and me doing radio promo for Transitions. )

I owe a great heap of thanks to Ben Guillory, Danny Glover, Judith Bowman, Aaron Henne, Dylan Southard, Erin Devine, Debra Ann Morris, Dwain Perry, Harry Lennix, the Robey Summer Interns, Anthony Phillips, Tony Roberts, Bill Robertson, and Skip Jennings. I also would like to thank my parents Timothy and Pearlethel Henderson for all their love and support, and for allowing me to bear witness to 54 years of marriage. And last but certainly not least, I would like to thank God, the Creator for it all, for the breathe of Life, for my transition.

Me and my parents Timothy and Pearlethel Henderson.

I often have my moments of doubt whenever I sit down to write, but the Robey Theatre Company’s Playwrights Program has helped me become better equipped to work through those areas of apprehension. It also helps me to remember this quote:

“Whatever you do may seem insignificant to you, but it is most important that you do it” -Mahatma Mohondas Karamchand Gandhi.

FOR THE LOVE OF FREEDOM

2011-08-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

For the Love of Freedom
Revisited

For years Levy Lee Simon and I have talked about adapting Levy’s trilogy about the Haitian Revolution of 1793. The telling of the story of how enslaved Africans freed themselves from French colonial slavery is the stuff of myth based in fact and makes for epic theatre that is ultimately truth. The rise of the Haitian Triumphrate Toussaint L’Overture, Jean Jacques Dessalines, and Henri Christophe and there subsequent taking of the island, liberating the enslaved Africans, establishing a constitution, and ultimately defeating the French is a captivating story.

Robey’s production of the Trilogy over a 4 year period is a high point and we felt that the intial draft could be adapted to less than the original 11 hours running time. To that end Levy has been working on the adaptation and on July 24th a company of 36 actors many who had been in the original productions along with Musical Director Leon Mobley and percussionist Malik with the original Production Stage Manager John Freeland Jr. read Lee’s adaptation for an audience of 150 plus. There was a break where Haitian food was served to the actors and audience and with almost 3 decades of history to cover our audience rotated and new members came and joined in to hear the powerful tale of how Africans now Haitian took their country back.

Next reading New York City.

Ben Guillory
Producing Artistic Director
RTC

CAMP LOGAN READING!

2011-08-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

Based on the 1917 Court- martial and execution of 19 Black soldiers of the 24th Infantry the play Camp Logan by Celeste Bedford Walker was read on Sunday May 29th in Theatre 2 of LATC. Directed by Alex Morris with Kirk Bovill, Sammie Wayne IV, Dorian C. Baucum, Bill Lee Brown, Dwain Perry, Lee Stansberry, and Kaylon Hunt the audience of one hundred plus that attended the Camp Logan reading recieved a glimpse of what will be a Spring production in Robey’s LATC 2012 season. The reception that followed and open conversations prompted much excitement and anticipation about the up coming season and seeing a fully mounted production of Celeste Bedford Walker’s award winning play. Look for Camp Logan in April.

The Audience

The Cast!

Bronzeville at Manzanar: Breakdown

2011-07-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

2007 June: Tim Toyama caught me in the hallway one day to talk about his idea for a play, and his feeling that partnering with an Afro-American playwright would bring authenticity to the story.

2007 July: I introduced Aaron Woolfolk to Tim, and we went to work, meeting once, sometimes more, a month to bring the story of Japanese-American Tahara, and the African American Goodwin families to the Robey stage. The James Irvine Foundation provided funding support for this commissioned piece. The fit between Tim and Aaron was good. The collaboration worked.

Rehearsal at LATC

2009 July: As a result, the Los Angeles Theatre Community was presented with the World Premiere of Bronzeville. The five week run went well. Audiences responded enthusiastically, critics approved, houses were sold out from the first preview to the last added performance. The Japanese American community, some of whom had been interred at Manzanar, were tremendously moved by the performances and responded by returning bringing friends, relatives and even purchasing entire houses. The Robey Artists, staff, designers, and technicians were extremely proud of this work, and Judith Bowman, Robey’s Development Director, had an idea. Take the play to Manzanar!

Manzanar

Manzanar is a National Historic Site. In the early months of 1942, following America’s entry into World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the U.S. Army to remove nearly 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry from their homes and communities on the west coast; two-thirds were American citizens. Manzanar was one of ten remote war relocation centers to which they were sent. Enclosed by barbed wire, the square-mile camp area contained barracks, mess halls, and other buildings, and was home to more than 11,000 internees between March 1942 and November 1945.

Today, the Manzanar National Historic Site, as a unit of the National Park Service, preserves and interprets the many stories of Manzanar’s past.

Robey felt it was an appropriate setting to present Bronzeville to the Inyo County population, especially the students of that area. The story of the Tahara and Goodwin families in Bronzeville is inspired by the experience of a young Japanese-American student, Robert Hirahara and a Black family of Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, who respected his efforts to avoid internment. Bronzeville tells the story of the families’ interaction, the relationships that develop, the choices made, and the ultimate consequences of their actions.

Again, The James Irvine Foundation’s Rick Noguchi pledged support. The schedule was set, and Tim & Aaron set out to work on the adaptation of the play for the Bronzeville @ Manzanar dates.

Richard Potashin, a member of the Manzanar Interpretative Staff, was our initial contact at Manzanar and introduced us to Les Inafuku, Manzanar Site Superintendent and plans were laid out. Much of 2010 and 2011 were spent putting the pieces together for Robey’s first off-site production. Manzanar is located on U.S. Highway 395 in Inyo County, between the very small towns of Lone Pine (population 2035) and Independence (population 660), 225 miles north of Los Angeles.

Manzanar meeting - l to r Liz McAteer, Les Inofuku, Tom Meleck, Judith Bowman

Lynn Cooper, Inyo Council for the Arts Executive Director, along with Liz McAteer, the Council’s School Arts Coordinator, and husband, Terry McAteer, Inyo County Superintendent of Schools, were brought on. Judith and I met each of them several times along the way, and with many emails and phone conference calls in between, the plans were laid.

The five ton

May 15th 2011: Sunday, early afternoon, the first 5-ton truck, loaded with steeldeck platforms that would become the stage rolled out of Los Angeles. Inside: the set designed by Tom Meleck and built by Vision Scenery; costumes designed by Naila Alladdin Sanders; set furniture, once again, generously provided by Cal State LA’s Tech Director Elizabeth Pietrzak, and props acquired by Prop Master Robert Clements. With Ben Guillory at the wheel, and actor Larry Luv Powell in the passenger seat, the four hour drive to Manzanar began.

5:30 pm: We arrived at Lone Pine none the worst for wear, and parked the truck at the Whitney Portal Hostel, where the actors, crew, and technicians would reside for the nine-day stay.

Entering the museum

Museum playing area before the build

Tony Brockliss, our Master Carpenter, had driven in from LA and was already there, awaiting the load-in that would begin Monday morning, with the arrival of the second 3-ton truck, loaded with lighting equipment and accessories, driven by Production Stage Manager, Sammie Wayne with actor/director Dwain A. Perry escorting him in his trusty pickup truck.

8:00 pm:Tom Meleck, the set and lighting designer, and his son, Michael, arrived and awaited the Monday load-in. Judith Bowman and her shotgun passenger, actor Robert Clements, arrive and settle in.

May 16th: Monday, 7am load-in begins: The steeldeck is put in place and the set is assembled. Sammie and Dwain arrive late morning. With our work crew fourteen strong, plus the generous help of the Manzanar Ranger staff, and an electrcian or two brought into make sure all is well with the museum’s power source, we unload the three ton of equipment and the theatre inside the museum begins to take shape. The remaining cast members arrive throughout the day. Judith, our Road Manager, makes certain all are accommodated and settled into the hostel. Over the next four days we work fast and furiously.

The build begins

The build continues

The set is complete

May 18th: By Wednesday we succeeded in transforming the Manzanar space into a 120 seat theatre, complete with a smoke machine. Preparations go forward for our first on-site rehearsal. Tech/dress rehearsals commence under the watchful eye of the Director, PSA Sammie, and designer Tom Meleck.

Throughout it all, the veteran cast remain excited, focused, poised, and reverent, deeply conscious of the value of what we were doing and about to accomplish, mounting five performances of Bronzeville on the Manzanar site.

May 19th: Thursday, 7pm, evening preview: This had its share of hiccups. The audience, noting they were viewing a preview, was sincerely moved by the actors work and the content of the play.

May 20th: Friday morning, 11am: Our first student matinee began with busloads of young people from various schools in the county, many who had never been to Manzanar, arriving excitedly, anticipating the performance. Teachers had been given study guides prepared by Robey, and the students were familiar with the circumstances surrounding the play. They were very impressed with the company and story, and said so during the Q & A following the performance.

7:00 pm: The Friday evening performance for the general public played to a full house and we welcomed Robey Board member Karen Chappelle, accompanied by several supporters, who made the drive from Los Angeles to attend performances.

Purchasing tickets for opening night

Karren Chappelle and Judith Bowman prepare to distribute programs

Student matinee audience

The Audience

May 21st: Saturday’s 7pm performance: Again, there was an enthusiastic and receptive audience. Staunch arts advocate, Irving Meyer and wife, artist Kathy Lyn Foley, also made the drive, mentioning they’d been in the audience of the original LATC World Premiere performance of Bronzeville in 2009. Friends of the cast also came and appreciated the work, and the fact that we’d mounted the play on hallowed ground of the Manzanar Camp. The company was delighted to see that playwright Tim Toyama, and Naomi were able to make the drive and attend this performance.

Performance in progress

A poignant moment

A standing ovation

Curtain Call

Standing l to r: Sammie Wayne, Larry Powell, Tim Toyama, Ben Guillory, and Robert Clements Sitting l to r: Dana Lee, Adenrele Ojo, Dwain Perry, Iman Milner, Jeff Manabat, CeCe Antoinette

Iman Milner and Jeff Manabat

May 22nd: Sunday 3pm: The matinee was sold out, with the help of word of mouth endorsements from local residents and a radio interview of the play’s Director Ben Guillory, by Sierra Wave CEO, Benett Kessler. Local city administrators attended this performance and expressed an interest in future performances of Bronzeville in Inyo County.

May 23rd: Monday morning, 11am: The student matinee, again, played to a full house of students from local schools who, after being prepped by their teachers armed with the Robey study guide, were well prepared and aware of the circumstances which set the sequence of events in motion resulting in camps like Manzanar. The Q&A that followed included the actors answering questions about the preparation for the work presented.

He had interred there almost 50 years ago

The Inafuku family, Dawn, Les, and Nikki

Naomi and Tim Toyama

Later that day, the majority of the company of actors left to make the trip home, while the crew remained to strike the set. Seven hours later, the set, stage, and lights, were loaded into the two trucks and all that remained were goodbyes to the Manzanar staff and other crew members, along with sincere expressions of appreciation as to what had been accomplished there and the drive home the following morning.

It should be said the experience of bringing Bronzeville to Manzanar and the dramatic presentation of some of what happened there to the students and local residents, many of whom had not been to Manzanar and knew little of what had occurred there, was of great value. The circumstances leading to the displacement of tens of thousands of Japanese-Americans and its grim and despicable consequences, is something that should be viewed as a tremendous telling of one more chapter in the history of the United States’ rush to judgment and condemnation based in fear of a specific people, without due process and apparently, little remorse once called to make reparations for these acts of injustice. The work of the Robey Theatre Company has always been to present socially conscience productions that enlighten, as well as entertain. We are hopefully providing our audiences with revelations that provoke thought sometimes in areas uncomfortable, but are in dire need of being examined if we are to continue to mature as humane beings.

Bronzeville at Manzanar, the work done by playwrights Tim Toyama, Aaron Woolfolk, the gifted cast of the production, Judith Bowman’s vision of setting the play on the ground from which the story was cultivated, the entire creative team, and the collaboration of all the parties in Inyo County with Robey, has been a profound experience, and we are honored to tell the story.

Larry Powell

Sammie Wayne

Dana Lee

Dwain Perry

Judith Bowman and Ben Guillory

l to r: CeCe Antoinette, Jeff Manabat, Larry Powell, Adenrele Ojo and Dwain Perry

Thank You for Your Support.

Ben Guillory
Producing Artistic Director
Robey Theatre Company

Superior Donuts / Anthony B. Phillips

2011-02-11T03:34:00.000-08:00

The Robey Theatre Company would like to send a congratulations to company member, Anthony B. Phillips, for booking the lead role of Franco Wicks in Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning author Tracy Letts hot new play "Superior Donuts" with the San Diego Repertory Theatre Company.

Opening Night: Feb 11th, 2011.

For more information click here: http://www.sdrep.org/event2.aspx

L.A Stage Times Article!

2010-10-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

The Robey Theatre Company

by BEN GUILLORY | October 12, 2010

Ben Guillory

(Artistic Director / Co -Founder)

“Robey” was the legendary actor Paul Robeson’s athletic nickname when he played college football at Rutgers and became an All-American.

Co- founder Danny Glover and I had long admired Paul, understanding what he stood for in terms of social consciousness and humanitarian efforts. It was natural then that when Danny and I came to LA and felt a need to fill a void we found that would give audiences here an opportunity to hear Artists of Color particularly Black Playwrights- we chose Robey believing that was a very appropriate name.

The Robey Theatre Company’s creative standards are grounded in the spirit & legacy of its namesake, the Renaissance Man who was able to transcend barriers to achieve artistic success for the betterment of all humanity.

In that spirit, Robey’s Mission is to develop, explore, and produce plays written about the global Black Experience sometimes reinterpreting works that have become classics. We believe that one of the theatre’s responsibilities is to tell stories that reflect our relationships as human beings. In theatre, we are allowed to examine how we behave toward each other. How circumstances and events bring us together and more time than not, keep us apart. Robey is dedicated to offering an environment for telling those stories from a black perspective.

Robey began in 1994 as a readers’ theatre. Mostly the classics and not limited to black work. We quickly became aware there was very little support for Artists of Color who were interested in the creative process. We realized that there was further need not only for classes and workshops but for an actual environment– a community that would be a place to safely nurture those who needed support, time, and an acknowledgment for the belief in the continued development of the Black aesthetic as a priority.

Toyin Moses and Jacob Sidney

Robey’s collaboration with artists, audiences, and especially our playwrights has cultivated relationships & trust that is the foundation of our collective. It is the force that drives the Company.

The past two years have been particularly satisfying. During that time, Robey has produced five plays.

Bronzeville was commissioned by Robey based on an idea presented to me by playwright Tim Toyama. Tim worked with co-writer Aaron Woolfolk in 2009 and then later that year, Robey selected Joseph A. Walker’s Tony Award winner The River Niger an American classic. Both plays and Robey’s production-cast & designers were recognized this year by seven NAACP Theatre Awards Nominations.

Early this year featured a collaboration with The Towne Street Theatre resulting in the premiere of a commissioned work by playwright Bernardo Solano. The play, Nicolas & Langston, recounted the moving relationship between Langston Hughes and Cuba’s poet laureate, Nicolas Guillen.

This year we produced three plays, all developed over several years through Robey’s Playwrights Program. We started the year with Melvin Ishmael Johnson’s The Emperor’s Last Performance. That play helps audiences understand and recognize the significance of Charles Gilpin often lauded as one of the early great actors of African descent in the US. Gilpin was tapped by Eugene O’Neill to star in the legendary playwright’s play, Emperor Jones on Broadway. That was a first in this country. No Black actor had ever headlined a multi-racial cast on Broadway til then. Melvin took audiences backstage and allowed a glimpse into those two men’s psychological and philosophical struggle over language in that play. Kellie Roberts’ Transitions turned out to be a real crowd pleaser. The play was really three one-acts united by a theme. Family members in each vignette-just two in each scene-asking to connect with the other family member and just not quite being able to. We’re now in production until the end of October with Kimba Henderson’s The Reckoning at the LATC.

Tiffany Boone and Kendrick Sampson

It’s important to understand that each of the playwrights has gone through a rigorous process of development in the program with our writing instructor, Aaron Henne & dramaturge Dylan Southard working two, three, & four years bringing the work to where it was ready for production.

The program consists of three 10-week sessions each year. The playwrights meet 10am -1pm and 2pm - 5pm. Those who are interested in further details please visit our web-site www.robeytheatrecompany .

The historical & archival value in developing these plays speaks to Robey’s Mission of exploring & developing work about the Black Experience as seen through our own eyes. Other institutions can’t explore aspects of Black history & the black experience with the same insight & sensibility.

Making these works available to new generations of all ethnic backgrounds is an ongoing mandate of Robey. Robey’s creative staff feels strongly that preserving the events through dramatic depiction that have shaped the history of Black culture is an exciting way to ensure the future of our community’s voice.

The Reckoning production photos by Carlos San Miguel.

Ben Guillory is the Producing Artistic Director at Robey Theatre Company.

( Source: http://www.lastagetimes.com/2010/10/the-robey-theatre-company/ )

PHOTOS FROM THE RECKONING!!!

2010-10-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

Actor Tarnue Massaquoi, Actor Terese Aiello, Actress Toyin Moses

and Actor Alex Morris

Actor Tarnue Massaquoi and Actress Terese Aiello

Actress Tanya Lane and Actor Kendrick Sampson

Photo Credit John Freeland Jr

RECENT REVIEW ON THE RECKONING!!!

2010-10-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

By Joe Straw

“You clean up nice.” – Nicholas Burnside

Somewhere, locked away in a dusty cedar chest, is a journal. In it are the juicy tidbits, and the unpredictable innermost secrets of family life.

It is opened and gazed upon only when there is a sincere interest in family history. But then one discovers some ugly truths: that families steal from each other.

They steal not with guns but signed pieces of paper, side agreements, and notes laid out in a family journal for future generations to see. Generally, the keepers of the land keep that journal, locked away, behind closed doors, “until it’s time”.

(“We don’t talk about the dead.” is a favorite expression among my southern relatives. It’s a need to know thing: “And, you don’t need to know.”)

And by the time one is curious about one’s family history, the participants are dead. All forgotten but there in the book, for that day, the day of reckoning.

The Robey Theatre Company, Ben Guillory Producing Artistic Director in association with The Los Angeles Theatre Center presents The Reckoning written by Kimba Henderson and directed by Ben Guillory.

Set in 2005 The Reckoning is a fantastic story of a family struggling to keep a crawfish plantation running in Louisiana. It is an engaging story from the opening moment to the end, filled with wonderful characters. Spread out over countless generations with loitering ghosts who believe they are the rightful heirs and who ultimately know a day of reckoning will come. And for that reason they wait. Even in death, families never forget. Run to see this production because it closes October 24, 2010.

The play opens on a day a figurehead with a bad ticker comes home from the hospital. Nathalie Robillard (Toyin Moses) is putting up a “Welcome home Daddy” sign and Ashley Robillard (Terese Aiello) is upstairs dancing to some very loud music. Nathalie asks her to turn it down and when that happens we hear chimes and whispers and know that ghosts inhabit the home they call Rubaiyat.

Helene (Tanya Lane) is an old friend of the family and drops by to tell Nathalie, who has recently gotten her doctorate, that she will try to get her into a professional society Sigma Phi Pi. Nathalie also tells her she has applied for a job with Tulane University and wants to leave the farm.

Christophe Robillard (Tarnue Masaquoi) a former professional football player and now the official playboy of the family has ideas of taking over the farm himself much to the dislike of his father LJ Robillard (Alex Morris).

LJ wants his daughter to run the farm and so announces it to the entire family. After all she is the brains of the family and recognizes that a well though out studied process can correct any misconceptions others may have about running a successful farm. But she is conflicted because she feels her life is better suited elsewhere.

Christophe, hearing the news, is devastated and runs off with Helene for a few days leaving his wife, Ashley to fend for herself.

In the meantime a farm worker, Nicholas Burnside (Jacob Sidney) comes to the farm to look for work. LJ takes a liking to him and says he can sleep in the cabin. Later LJ invites him to live in the house.

Nicholas is immediately enchanted by Nathalie but Nathalie wants nothing to do with him because Nathalie is in love with Philipe (Dorian Christian Baucum) a doctor living nearby who wants to take a job in Atlanta and bring Nathalie with him.

Nicholas runs into the ghost of Captain Burnside (Michael Harrity) a former relative who gives him instructions to burn Rubiayat to the ground. Unfortunately Captain Burnside tried this long ago but was caught in the fire that cause his unfortunate demise.

As the story progresses and Nathalie reads the journal and the audience is transported back in history to the lives of Natty (Tiffany Boone) and Auguste Robillard (Kendrick Sampson). Auguste has taking a liking to Natty but because of her race he is forced to marry Katherine (also Terese Aiello) daughter to Captain Burnside.

Auguste unable to have children with Katherine at first has turned to Natty and as luck would have it now has two women who are with child. Katherine finds out about it leaves the marriage and Rubiayat altogether much to the dismay of Captain Burnside.

Morris as the patriarch LJ gives us another incredible, magical performance. His moments are captured effortlessly. It is also a physical role that has him falling down a small flight of stairs. His objective moving us toward the ultimate reckoning is flawless.

Massaquoi, last seen in The River Niger, gives another wonderful performance. He wears many hats, slightly off centered as he moves from being a landowner, to a womanizer, to a lion of redemption.

Moses as the sophiscated enchanting Ph.D. is a match for any man that may want to take over Rubaiyat. She fights her way through the maze of men seeking her attention. And never gives an inch in her quest for the ultimate goal.

Baucum as Philippe wears a very proper mantel. His mistake is thinking that others will blindly follow his path. It is a miscalculation that keeps him out of harm’s way.

Lane as Helene lets her hips do the thinking. Making a play for a control of Rubiayat seems to be her motive in capturing Christophe. This is a very fine performance.

Sidney as Nicholas is an amazing actor with a characterization that grows on you as the story unfolds. He is a seasoned professional with a Robert Stack like voice that keeps the audience guessing with his next passing remark. His southern trailer park trash like manners, appropriate or inappropriate, hit the mark. At one point he sits on the porch holding the shotgun, knowing family matters can sometimes get out of hand. His family or hers, it doesn’t matter. Still, he caresses the shotgun like an old family friend. It is a wonderful moment of many moments in this play.

Sampson as Auguste fills out the cast nicely with his girlfriend Natty (Tiffany Boone) playing ghosts from another time that haunts the house. These are young roles that need work on character and also needs strengthening the physical relationship.

Aiello as Katherine/Ashley Robillard offers us a fine performance but one is not sure of her objective. Is it as imaginative as it could be? There is more here in this character’s objective than witnessed on this particular night. Nevertheless, this was a very fine performance.

Harrity as Captain Burnside/Gentry plays the big bad white guy. He was serviceable in the role but not imaginative. Possibly, not that mean, not that driven, not that evil, or physical. Certainly this is a role of someone whose has seen the depths of hell and wants to recreate it here on earth. It’s a role that needs a little more exploration.

Kimba Henderson has written a play that in some respect is old fashioned, but don’t let that fool you. This is an exciting play, with clever dialogue, and characters rich in every respect. One would like to roll around it in its richness.

Ben Guillory has directed a very fine play and has done a masterful job. The after dinner scene was fantastic, subtle and beautifully choreographed. These silent moments were quite incredible and subtle in execution. There were things that were objectionable, the rubber shotgun, which bent as actors were leaning it against the fence. Also, the choreographed shootout, which had audience members laughing for reasons not quite clear, needs reworking.

One of the things I find interesting is that from another time period, men and women were quite proper. Four feet away from each other and acting all prim and proper. It’s a wonder anyone ever had babies. And yet everyone got pregnant and the relationships remained the same.

Naila Aladdin Sanders did a fine job with the costumes.

www.robeytheatrecompany.com

Ticket Reservation: 866-811-4111

(Source: http://joestraw9.blogspot.com/2010/10/reckoning-by-kimba-henderson.html)

OPENING NIGHT WAS A SUCCESS!

2010-10-02T21:07:00.001-07:00

AUDIENCE COMMENTS:

"Your plays are amazing...."

- Jaime Saginor

"Congratulations on a wonderful show! My friends and I loved it!

You did a fantastic job! Wishing you, the playwright and cast a spectacular run!

- Toni Ann

" I just wanted to comment that the play was fantastic all around, from the actors, set, and costumes. "

- Rodney Sanders

Opening Night is only 2 Days Away!!

2010-09-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

Playwright Kimba Henderson & Director Ben Guillory

Playwright Kimba Henderson

Director Ben Guillory

The Ensemble

Terese Aiello / Dorian Christian Baucum / Tiffany Boone / Michael Harrity / Tanya Lane / Tarnue Massaquoi / Alex Morris / Toyin Moses / Kendrick Sampson / Jacob Sidney

The Reckoning cast lounging around the set!

Reckoning Rehearsal Shots

2010-09-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

Check out these shots from a recent rehearsal of the Reckoning!

Opening night is only 4 days away so make sure you reserve your tickets!!!!

Actress Toyin Moses & Actor Jacob Sidney

Actress Tanya Lane, Toyin Moses, and Terese Aiello

Actress Terese Aiello, Actor Tarnue Massaquoi, Actress Toyin Moses
Actor Alex Morris, Actor Jacob Sidney, Actress Tanya Lane, and Actor Dorian Christian Baucum

Actor Dorian Christian Baucum and Actress Toyin Moses

Director Ben Guillory

Promo Rehearsal Shots from THE RECKONING!

2010-09-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

Congrats!

2010-09-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Ben Guillory, Artistic Director of the Robey Theatre, for winning the Los Angeles NAACP Theatre Awards Best Local Producer Award - THE RIVER NIGER

NAACP Festival Weekend and NAACP Theatre Awards

2010-09-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

The Reckoning!

2010-09-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

Rehearsals are underway for the The Reckoning!

Written by Kimba Henderson, Directed by Ben Guillory.

Developed through the Robey Theatre Company's Playwrights Program.

Below are photos from a recent table read for the production.

Directed Ben Guillory, Actor Alex Morris and Actor

Jacob Sidney

Actor Alex Morris and Actor Jacob Sidney

Actress Toyin Mose, Dramaturge Dylan Southard

Actress Tiffany Boone, and Actress Tanya Lane.

PRODUCTION DATES

Runs September 25th - October 24th

Opens Saturday, September 25th, 8pm

Sunday, September 26th, 3pm

Thursday, Sept 30th, 8pm

Friday, October 1st, 3pm and 8pm

Saturday, October 2nd, 3pm and 8pm

Sunday, October 3rd, 3pm

Thursday, Oct 7th, 8pm

Friday, October 8th, 3pm and 8pm

Saturday, October 9th, 3pm and 8pm

Sunday, October 10th, 3pm

Thursday, October 14th, 8pm

Friday, October 15th, 3pm and 8pm

Saturday, October 16th, 3pm and 8pm

Sunday, October 17th, 3pm

Thursday, Oct 21st, 8pm

Friday, October 22nd, 3pm and 8pm

Saturday, October 23rd, 3pm and 8pm

Sunday, October 24th, 3pm

http://www.robeytheatrecompany.com/

Transitions: Quotes From The Cast

2010-08-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Each Robey production has generated creative offerings from many of our friends and colleagues. These images were created by Robey's Development Director, Judith Bowman in that spirit.

Playwright, Kellie Roberts

"The story is not in the plot but in the telling" - Ursula K. LeGuin

Producer, Ben Guillory

"The only one who is wiser than anyone is everyone" - Napoleon Bonaparte

Earl Buffington

"Everyone has talent - it takes courage to follow where it leads"

Cydney "Wayne" Davis

"Most of us go to our grave with music still inside us"

Amentha Dymally

"Forgiveness is the scent that the rose leaves on the heel that crushes it"

Rosie Lee Hooks

"When two quarrel, both are to blame"

Joyce Lee

"To change your life:
1. Start immediately
2. Do it flamboyantly
3. No exceptions"

Kenyetta Lethridge

"There are two ways of spreading light...be the candle or be the mirror that reflects it"

Lamont Thompson

"Talent does what it can, genius does what it must"

ROBEY THEATRE COMPANY JUST RECEIVED 7 NAACP NOMINATIONS!!!!!

2010-08-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

ROBEY THEATRE COMPANY RECEIVES SEVEN NAACP THEATRE AWARD NOMINATIONS, GRANT

Robey Theatre Company, Los Angeles’ most acclaimed African-American theatre company, received seven nominations this week from the NAACP Theatre Awards:

Best ensemble: The cast of “The River Niger.”
Best ensemble: The cast of “Bronzeville.”
Best director: Ben Guilory, “Bronzeville.”
Best playwrighting: Timothy Toyama and Aaron Woolfolk, “Bronzevile.”
Best production: “The River Niger.” Robey Theatre Company and Ben Guillory.
Best set design: John Paul Luckenback, “The River Niger.”
Best lighting: Luke Moyer, “Bronzeville.”

The Robey Theatre Company presents plays that open windows onto the global Black experience. The NAACP Theatre Awards will be handed out in a ceremony on August 30 at the Directors Guild of America building.

In other news, CBS has continued its ongoing support of the Robey Theatre Company by awarding it a new $10,000 grant.

The next show from Robey will be the World Premiere engagement of “The Reckoning” by Kimba Henderson. It opens September 25 at Los Angeles Theatre Center.

THANK YOU!

2010-07-01T15:47:00.001-07:00

Thank you to our audience for once again coming out to supporting the Robey Theatre Company's production of TRANSITIONS!

Make sure to look out for playwright Kimba Henderson's, THE RECKONING, directed by Ben Guillory and produced by the Robey Theatre Company which will be opening this fall, Sept 24 at the LATC.

Congragulations Robey!!!!

2010-06-11T15:38:00.000-07:00

Robey Theatre Company receives grant recognition

by LA Stage Alliance | June 10, 2010

The Robey Theatre Company is Los Angeles’ long established and much acclaimed group of artists devoted to the cultural exploration of the global Black experience. It has offices and performs at downtown’s Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC), in the city’s Historic Core.

The California Community Foundation has selected Robey among a chosen few ethnically-specific organizations to receive CCF continuing support and is awarding Robey a grant of $70,000 over a two-year period. This will be the third and fourth year of an ongoing project: Strengthening Our Capacity- Building Culture in Los Angeles.

Funds will be utilized to execute a strategic plan crafted during the previous two years designed to strengthen the internal structure of the organization. The effect of the new grant is to support a new administrative infrastructure while giving Robey access to technical assistance.

Robey Theatre Company, named for actor and activist Paul Robeson, was founded in 1994 by international star Danny Glover and current Artistic Director Ben Guillory. Last month, Guillory received the Award from Playwrights Arena for Outstanding Contribution to Los Angeles Theatre. For more information about Robey Theatre Company, visit www.robeytheatrecompany.com

As L.A.’s foundation, the California Community Foundation has been around since 1915 and has about $1 billion in assets. The CCF has more than 1.600 funds whose donors chose it because of its personal service and expertise. To learn more, visit myccf.org

710 ESPN AM Radio talks about upcoming production Transistion! Listen Now!!

2010-06-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

The Southern California Experience with LaFern Cusack, is the 710 ESPN AM public affairs show. Airing Sunday mornings, from 5-6am, The Experience strives to present topical guests and stories in an entertaining and comfortable format. This Sunday hear an interview with Artistic Director Ben Guillory talking about the upcoming production Transitions Written By Kellie Roberts.

Follow the link below to hear the interview online!

http://www.laferncusack.com/audio/ESPNLosAngeles_Robey061310.mp3

Congrats!

2010-05-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Ben Guillory, Artisitic Director for the Robey Theatre Company, was honored by Playwrights Arena for his contributions to the Theatre in Los Angeles. Congrats!

Transitions

2010-04-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

More photos!

2010-04-21T12:50:00.001-07:00

Photo Credit: Evita Castine

Pictures from our Advance Scene Study Class!

2010-04-14T13:46:00.001-07:00

Photo Credit: Evita Castine

The next sessions begins May 3rd!

The Playwrights Lab begins May 8th!

2010-04-12T12:13:00.001-07:00

Instructor Aaron Henne is excited about the new session of the Playwrights Lab starting May 8th! Check out the website for more information! www.robeytheatrecompany.org

photo credit: Evita Castine

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN! HARIMAYA BRIDGE REVIEWS!

2010-04-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

-Wade Major, boxoffice.com
“…ultimately moving tale…impressively polished…”
http://boxoffice.com/reviews/2010/03/the-harimaya-bridge.php

-Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
“It is a unique, complex, consciousness-raising accomplishment.”
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-capsules26-2010mar26,0,3925389.story

-Kam Williams, Newsblaze
“Accolades are in order to Woolfolk for his admirable, engaging effort... A poignant parable…”
http://newsblaze.com/story/20100315111632kamw.nb/topstory.html

-Tom Long, Detroit News
“…its heartfelt message ultimately wins the day.”
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100326/ENT02/3260320/1034/ent02/Review---Harimaya-Bridge--uses-Japan-as-backdrop-for-redemption

-India C. Allen, L.A. Watts Times
“The Harimaya Bridge doesn’t just represent two varying cultures on a single screen. It truly bridges and merges them, creating an entirely new experience for the viewer”
http://www.lawattstimes.com/life-and-style-mainmenu-31/arts-a-culture/1629-the-harimaya-bridge-forges-a-cultural-identity.html

-Bob Townsend, Atlanta Journal Constitution
“It truly shows the real Japan, not the romanticized samurai-geisha Japan nor the dazzling metropolitan Japan, but the real lives of real people who live in the Japanese countryside.”
http://blogs.ajc.com/arts-culture/2010/03/04/japanese-film-festival-at-woodruff-arts-center

-Jason Sanders, Hawaii International Film Festival
“an intriguing surprise”
http://filmmakermagazine.com/festivalcoverage/2009/12/hawaii-international-film-festival-by.php

African Diaspora Film Festival
“…This is a very rare portrayal of black people's experiences in Japan, and would be a remarkable film for that reason alone.…”
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2432856/17th_african_diaspora_film_festival.html?cat=40

The Emperor's Last Performance

2010-03-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

For tickets and times please visit
www.robeytheatrecompany.org

Photo Credit: Victoria Bellocq

LA TIMES REVIEW -- HARIMAYA BRIDGE

2010-03-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

Complex, unique 'Harimaya'For his powerful "The Harimaya Bridge," writer-director Aaron Woolfolk was inspired by such classic Japanese films as "Ikiru" and "Tokyo Story" to take his time in telling his tale. And, indeed, Woolfolk needs a full two hours for his hero to work through understandable bitterness to his first steps toward acceptance and reconciliation.Ben Guillory's Daniel Holder is a wealthy San Francisco widower determined to go to Japan to retrieve the paintings left behind by his son, who had been teaching English in a Japanese middle school when he was killed in a traffic accident. Daniel had worked so hard to make a better life for his son Mickey (Victor Grant) that he had little time for him. Having lost his own father to a hideous death as a prisoner of the Japanese in World War II, Daniel vehemently opposed Mickey going to Japan. Wracked with guilt and anger, plus his hatred toward the Japanese, Daniel arrives in Kochi Prefecture demanding that Noriko, a board of education official (Saki Takaoka), round up for him all of Mickey's paintings, even those his son had given to friends as gifts.Not surprisingly, Daniel's mission proves complicated and involves some surprises. Although exasperated and put upon by Daniel, Noriko is a compassionate woman moved by his plight and is willing to stick by him in his gradual, painful journey of self-discovery. "The Harimaya Bridge" has accomplished portrayals from Guillory, Takaoka and others and a remarkably authentic Japanese feel to it -- and an African American perspective. (Indeed, Woolfolk is believed to be the first African American to make a feature film in Japan.) It is a unique, complex, consciousness-raising accomplishment.

-- Kevin Thomas "The Harimaya Bridge." MPAA rating: Unrated. Running time: 2 hours. At the Music Hall, Beverly Hills.
(Source)

THE EMPEROR'S LAST PERFORMANCE PREVIEW TONIGHT! $15

2010-03-25T13:59:00.001-07:00

****TONIGHT ONLY****
There will be a preview tonight of The Emperor's Last Performance for half price! $15! Get your tickets now -- limited seating is available! www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/714515

Friday's Performance is SOLD OUT, Tickets still available for Saturday and Sunday!

2010-03-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

THE HARIMAYA BRIDGE

2010-03-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

THE HARIMAYA BRIDGE

Starring Ben Guillory, Saki Takaoka,

Misa Shimizu, and Danny Glover
in an exclusive Los Angeles engagement at the Laemmle's Music Hall 3 Theatre
March 26 – April 1, 2010
Check here for showtimes and to purchase tickets:

www.theharimayabridge.com/theater/theater.html

The Emperor's Last Performance

2010-03-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

The Emperor's Last Performance VIDEO PROMO from Robey Theatre Company on Vimeo.

Multimedia promotion by Roy Hurst

The Emperor's Last Performance

2010-03-05T13:37:00.001-08:00

THE EMPEROR'S LAST PERFORMANCE
by Melvin Ishmael Johnson / Director Ben Guillory
http://www.theemperorslastperformance.blogspot.com/

Preview
Thurs. March 25th 8pm performance

Peformances
Opens Friday March 26th 8pm
Sat. March 27th 3pm matinee & 8pm performance
Sun. March 28th 3pm matinee & 7pm performane
Fri. April 2nd 8pm
Sat. April 3rd 3pm matinee & 8pm performance
Sun. April 4th 3pm matinee & 7pm performance

Blackgivesback! Shoulder to Shoulder!

2010-02-17T10:39:00.000-08:00

Please check out this article below from Blackgivesback.com about Robey's very own Danny Glover and the event, Shoulder to Shoulder: African-Americans, the Arts, and Autism, which we are sponsering along.

Shoulder to Shoulder: African Americans, the Arts and Autism

An Evening of Theatrical Performances to Celebrate Black History Month and The Pursuit of Human Rights that include Danny Glover, Anna Maria Horsford, James Avery, and CCH Pounder

(Los Angeles, CA--February 1, 2010)--Special Needs Network, Inc. (SNN), The Robey Theatre Company and Ebony Repertory Theatre will present the 1st annual “Shoulder to Shoulder: African-Americans, the Arts and Autism” on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles from 6pm-9pm. This special event benefiting children with autism and related disorders will feature celebrity actors in an evening of theatrical performances celebrating African American heritage and the pursuit of human rights.

SNN is proud to partner with the City of Los Angeles in raising awareness of autism during African-American Heritage Month. Through this partnership, the City is exercising its commitment to the thousands of children and adults in the City of Los Angeles who have autism and related disorders. Danny Glover joins a renowned group of civic leaders and arts philanthropists as Honorary Co-Chair of this event, including legendary actor Blair Underwood and Dr. LaDoris McClaney.

Joining Honorary Co-Chair Danny Glover on stage will be prominent actors: James Avery, Margaret Avery, Vanessa Bell-Calloway, Elliott Gould, Ben Guillory, Omari Hardwick, Anna Maria Horsford, Harry Lennix, Dawnn Lewis, CCH Pounder, Glynn Turman and other guest performers, subject to availability.

“I am excited about the opportunity to collaborate with the City of Los Angeles, Ebony Repertory Theatre and the Robey Theatre Company during African-American Heritage month on such a unique event,” said Areva D. Martin, Esq., Managing Partner, Martin & Martin, LLP and SNN Co-Founder and President. “Indeed the many rights that children and adults with disabilities enjoy today are because of the sacrifices, vision and shear determination of the pioneers we celebrate this month. We at SNN are humbled and immensely grateful for the many talented actors who are volunteering their time to help us fulfill our mission of raising awareness of autism and its impact on communities of color.”

“The arts is a unique a way to bring attention to the needs of children with autism. The Robey Theatre team and I are glad to be able to share our love of the theatre and to work with SNN on such an important project,”says actor and Honorary Co-Chair Danny Glover.

Source: http://www.blackgivesback.com/2010/02/shoulder-to-shoulder-african-americans.html

SHOULDER TO SHOULDER EVENT! Feb 25th!

2010-02-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

SHOULDER TO SHOULDER
African - Americans, the Arts and Autism

Thursday, February 25, 2010
6-9pm
Nate Holden Performing Arts Center
4718 West Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90016

A Celebration of African-American Heritage and the Pursuit of Human Rights.

>>>>>>>click here to purchase tickets<<<<<<<<

PLEASE BE SURE TO MARK YOUR CALENDAR & SAVE THE DATE FOR THIS AMAZING EVENT SPONSERED BY THE ROBEY THEATRE COMPANY, SPECIAL NEEDS NETWORK INC, AND THE EBONY REPERTORY THEATRE.

THE HARIMAYA BRIDGE AT THE 2010 PAFF, FEB 16th & FEB 17th

2010-02-15T13:30:00.000-08:00

THE HARIMAYA BRIDGE

http://www.theharimayabridge.com/

Narrative Feature

Pan African Film Festival

Best First Feature Competition 2009 120 min Japan/US/Korea English

View Trailer

Tickets Screening(s):

*Tue, Feb 16th - 1pm

(seniors connection screening)

Wed, Feb 17th - 7pm

Venue:

Culver Plaza Theatres

9919 Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA

Genre: Drama Sub-Genre(s): African-American Asian/South Pacific Canadian Family

Synopsis: Daniel Holder's father was killed fighting the Japanese during the Second World War...something he thought he had made peace with long ago, until a recent discovery revealed to him the cruel and brutal way in which his father died. So when Daniel's beloved artist son Mickey takes a job in Japan teaching English, it creates a rift between them. Mickey dies in a traffic accident, and Daniel's profound regret at their estrangement is matched only by his increased resentment towards Japan...a country he thinks took not only his father, but now his only child as well. Despite these feelings, Daniel goes to Japan to retrieve Mickey's final paintings. But despite the kindness he is shown and the evidence of the happy life his son led, he cannot let go of his hatred. But some unexpected discoveries about Mickey's life and legacy change everything for Daniel, forcing him to reassess his feelings and the life he will henceforth lead. Starring Ben Guillory, Saki Takaoka, Misa Shimizu, Danny Glover, Victor Grant.
Director: Aaron Woolfolk Written By: Aaron WoolfolkProduced By: Ko Mori & Aaron WoolfolkCast: Ben Guillory, Saki Takaoka, Misa Shimizu, Danny Glover, Victor Grant