Filipino Student Association at UCSC

AFRICAN AMERICAN THEATER ARTS TROUPE
PERFORMANCES

Black History Month at UCSC will include a look at black slavery, history, and modern day professionals, courtesy of the African American Theater Arts Troupe.

The troupe’s performances are just part of the celebration of Black History Month on campus, which included the Jan. 30 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation and will feature performances, a documentary, concerts and lectures, and more.

“The Trial of One Short-Sighted Black Woman vs. Mammy Louise and Safreeta Mae,” which features an imaginary courtroom that examines persistent stereotypes, will be performed in February and March, and is a presentation of the UCSC Theater Arts Department.

The Broadway gospel play, written by Karani M. Leslie and directed by Don Williams, brings up the “Aunt Jemima figure” and the black prostitute as stereotypes. A young, upwardly mobile black woman brings a lawsuit to the imaginary court, complaining that jokes at her expense are based on these demeaning character types. Since there is really no courtroom, the prosecutor and defender can summon any witnesses they want, real or imaginary, and get the whole truth from them.

The show will be performed at the UCSC Stevenson Event Center at 7 p.m. on February 22-23 and at 3 p.m. February 24. Tickets are $12 for general admission, $9 UCSC students and seniors.

The troupe will also perform off campus at 7 p.m. February 29 and March 1 at Santa Cruz High School. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $9 for UCSC students and seniors. In addition, there will be a performance at 7 p.m. on March 15 at the Oldemeyer Center in Seaside.

The African American Theater Arts Troupe, directed by Don Williams, is designed to enhance the climate of the cultural diversity on the campus and in the community. The group also encourages the development of abilities through annual scholarship awards. It has raised and awarded more than $60,000 in scholarships to UCSC students who work with the African American Theater Arts Troupe.

Other Black History Month events include:

* Saul Williams Spoken Word at 8 p.m. February 6 at Porter College Dining Hall. Free. To thousands of youth across America, Saul Williams has defined and redefined poetry as an accessible, living art form. He has performed, toured, and lectured worldwide, and his writings have been added to the curricula of dozens of high schools and colleges across the country. Information: 459-1861.

* A Rose Among Thorns: Ella Joyce at 8 p.m. February 9 at Stevenson College Event Center. Free. Ella Joyce explores Rosa Parks as real human being, not just an iconic figure. Joyce presents a collection of historical information seeking to straighten out the occasional misinformation that sometimes surrounds Parks’s “famous incident.” Information: 459-1861.

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Don Williams
Director of Cultural Arts and Diversity
University of California
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz Ca. 95064
voice: (831) 459-1861
Email: dwilliam@ucsc.edu