Dennis Haybert
Gary Dourdan
Jason George
WordTheatre’s Storytales: Featuring celebrities performing stories from acclaimed African-American author John Edgar Wideman’s literary anthology ‘Briefs’
WordTheatre will present “Storytales,” a special one night production at the Ford Amphitheatre on Saturday, October 6, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. The presentation was announced today by WordTheatre Artistic Director, Cedering Fox. Based on ‘Briefs’, MacArthur ’Genius Grant‘ recipient John Edgar Wideman’s most recent collection of stories, “Storytales” features celebrity film, television and Broadway actors giving voice to Wideman’s words; musician Chuck Inglish of The Cool Kids playing his original score live; and a dance troupe from Culture Shock LA performing hip hop dance.
Wideman, who will be flying out from the East Coast for the event, is the only writer to earn the Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction twice. He is a National Book Award finalist, a one-time Rhodes Scholar and a tenured English professor at Brown University. His stories personally and powerfully chronicle the African-American experience.
“As soon as I read John’s manuscript, I knew it was meant to be performed by actors. WordTheatre launched ‘Briefs’ on the eve of its publication in 2010 with readings in Los Angeles and New York. The response was overwhelming and it became immediately clear that Wideman’s words needed to be heard by wider audiences. We’re proud to announce that our LA production at the Ford Amphitheatre features a stellar lineup that includes most of the cast from the debut performances as well as some dream-come-true additions. It’s fantastic to be collaborating with John Edgar Wideman, Chuck Inglish and Culture Shock LA to create something new.” says Cedering Fox, producer and director of “Storytales.”
“Storytales” presents Wideman’s literary exploration of his African-American heritage, accompanied by explosions of rap music and hip hop dance. In the rhythmic, spellbinding vernacular of the streets, Wideman’s characters articulate the human impact of race, politics, violence, sex, love and loss.
The one-night celebration of Wideman’s work at the Ford Amphitheatre will include performances his stories by: Keith David (Cloud Atlas, Crash), Dennis Haysbert (24, The Unit), Omar Dorsey (Django Unchained, The Blind Side), Gary Dourdan (CSI, Alien: Resurrection), Edi Gathegi (X-Men: First Class, Twilight), Marla Gibbs (The Jeffersons, 227), Roger Guenveur Smith (American Gangster, Final Destination), Tracie Thoms (Rent, The Devil Wears Prada), Barry Shabaka Henley (Collateral, Flash Forward), Mark Christopher Lawrence (Chuck, The Pursuit of Happiness), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Tower Heist, Tony Award Nominee for Fences), Dorian Missick (Southland, Lucky Number Sleven), James Pickens Jr. (Grey’s Anatomy, The X-Files), Ron Simons (Night Catches Us, Law and Order), Lorraine Toussaint (Saving Grace, The Soloist), Lynn Whitfield (The Josephine Baker Story, Eve’s Bayou), Robert Wisdom (The Wire, Face/Off), Sterling K Brown (Army Wives, Righteous Kill), Jason George (Grey’s Anatomy, Barbershop), Michael Jace (The Shield, Forrest Gump), Brent Jennings (Moneyball, Witness), Nicki Micheaux (Lincoln Heights, Their Eyes Were Watching God), Nyambi Nyambi (Mike & Molly, Day Night Day Night), Dayo Okeniyi (The Hunger Games, The Spectacular Now), Sterling Sulieman (Pretty Little Liars, In Time), Glynn Turman (Super 8, Men of Honor), and Bill Cobbs (Go On, Night at the Museum). All appearances are subject to change.
Ticket prices start at $15-$45 and $12 for full-time students with ID and children 12 and under. $100 VIP Admission includes access to an exclusive pre-party with the cast and author as well as a signed copy of Briefs. Tickets are available at www.FordTheatres.org or 323 461-3673 (for non-visual media 323 GO 1-FORD). For groups of 8 or more, please call 323 769-2147. For more information, visit: http://fordtheatres.org/en/events/details/id/382. The Ford Amphitheatre is located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068, just off the 101 Hollywood Freeway across from the Hollywood Bowl and south of Universal Studios
