BLACK BOOK

MAY 10 – 25

Written and performed by Austin Dean Ashford

Directed by Dexter J. Singleton

Welcome to Melvin Tolson High School, it’s summer school, it’s hot, the barbwire fence is fixed, and a young African American boy has been shot, leaving his group of friends reeling from the loss and wondering if their voices can ever be heard. Enter a former Great Debater to teach a master class on public speaking and challenge this group of boys to speak out and give voice to their hopes and fears. Filled with pressing issues, inspiring characters, and grace with comic flourishes, this one person dramedy debates what happens to young minds when our educational spaces begin to resemble a prison more than school and a place to learn and grow.

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