Events: Arizona - Phoenix - Scottsdale

Arizona-based Actor/Playwright, Michael Washington Brown, returns to his hometown to one again present, “BLACK!,” November 2 - 3 at Tempe Center for the Arts.

Last year’s Phoenix debut of this one man show received rave reviews from acclaimed media outlets including the Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Theatre Beat, NPR’s WBEZ FM and WGN AM to name a few.

Back again due to popular demand, this limited engagement of “BLACK!,” features multimedia enhancements and a live Q&A at the end of each night’s performance. And, like the original, Brown inhabits an array of characters from Africa, the United States, England and Jamaica, performing each person’s individual perspective and sharing his experiences. The production highlights the nuances and life perspectives of various people who are from the Black global community. 

Many stereotypes currently exist which seem to ‘mesh’ all black people and their stories together.  The truth is that there are distinct differences and very definite similarities between Black people from all walks of life. 

In addition, each carries their own distorted and often exaggerated opinions about the other, which is a way to distinguish a separation, even though in truth, they are more alike than they believe.

“BLACK!” uses the power of language and performance to delve into these characters to reflect on this communities’ history and their future as well as what they do and do not share of the global Black experience.

Brown, was born in England and created “BLACK!” in 2016. The production has been included in the Asheville Fringe Festival, the FRIGID Fringe Festival in New York City, the Seattle Fringe and at the San Francisco Fringe Festival in 2017.

WHEN:           7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2 and Nov. 3

(Running time is 100 minutes with a live Q&A immediately following each performance.)

WHERE:         Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Pkwy, Tempe

TICKETS:       Tickets are $25 and available at www.tempe.gov/tca or (480) 350-2822