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Hattiloo Theatre

Our Mission is to develop a Black theatre that is accessible, reflective, and relevant of a multicultural community.

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    Hattiloo Theatre

    656 Marshall
    Memphis, TN 38103-3218

    Phone: 901-525-0009

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• Current &
  Upcoming Events

  • Current Events

    There are no current events available for this organization at this time.

  • Upcoming Events

    09/04/10	Hattiloo in the Park Hattiloo in the Park Presented by Hattiloo Theatre September 4, 2010 Hattiloo in the Park - Each summer, we take a free performance to various neighborhood parks for the residents to come out and enjoy live theatre, dance, and singing
    09/11/10	Hattiloo in the Park Hattiloo in the Park Presented by Hattiloo Theatre September 11, 2010 Each summer, we take a free performance to various neighborhood parks for the residents to come out and enjoy live theatre, dance, and singing
    09/16/10- 09/26/10	Stories About The Old Days Hattiloo Theatre Stories About The Old Days Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre September 16-September 26, 2010 A former blues singer living in a decaying church in Detroit never ventures out into the world that rejected him. While playing checkers he and Ivy, one the last members of the congregation, move from animosity to friendship. Both have secrets from the old days: he conceals his struggle of faith and despair and she withholds a searing loss as they rescue each other from emotional numbness and terminal loneliness. This wonderful play was produced to acclaim in New York at the Henry Street...
    09/18/10	Hattiloo in the Park Hattiloo in the Park Presented by Hattiloo Theatre September 18, 2010 Each summer, we take a free performance to various neighborhood parks for the residents to come out and enjoy live theatre, dance, and singing
    09/23/10- 10/17/10	Joe Turner's Come and Gone Hattiloo Theatre Joe Turner's Come and Gone Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre September 23-October 17, 2010 Set in a Pittsburgh boarding house in 1911, this play tells the story of Herald Loomis, a man illegally enslaved on a chain gang, as he searches for his wife. Herald, troubled by his past, becomes increasingly unstable, causing problems at the boarding house. A local traveling salesman helps Herald find his wife. When she tries to renew his faith in Jesus, he refuses angrily and performs a violent and personal act that sets him free.
    09/25/10	Hattiloo in the Park Hattiloo in the Park Presented by Hattiloo Theatre September 25, 2010 Each summer, we take a free performance to various neighborhood parks for the residents to come out and enjoy live theatre, dance, and singing
    12/17/10- 12/19/10	Hattiloo Childrens Theatre Hattiloo Theatre Hattiloo Childrens Theatre Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre December 17-December 19, 2010 This season, Hattiloo Children's Theatre will expose your child to the inner workings of the administrative and artistic elements of theatre, as they work with others to produce: CHRISTMAS SPIRIT: THE CONVERSION OF MRS. SCROOGE Written by Sue Russell December 17th – 19th.

• Past
  Events

  • Past Events

    04/15/10- 05/09/10	MAHALIA presented by Dorothy O. Kirsch Hattiloo Theatre MAHALIA presented by Dorothy O. Kirsch Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre April 15-May 9, 2010 Dorothy O. Kirsch presents MAHALIA April 15th – May 9th Written by Tom Stolz Directed by A. J. Tucker Starring Deborah Manning Thomas as Mahalia Sold out - April 17th, 18th, 22nd, 25th, 29th & May 2nd Equal parts gospel musical, biography and revival meeting, ‘Mahalia’ creates a spirited look at Mahalia Jackson, ‘The Queen of Gospel Music,’ and is guaranteed to lift you out of your seats...
    03/11/10- 03/28/10	Shakespeare's Women Hattiloo Theatre Shakespeare's Women Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre March 11-March 28, 2010 In celebration of Women's History Month, we stage scenes, soliloquies and songs to present an imaginative exploration of the Bard's women, from his celebrated leads (Rosalind, Juliet, and Lady Macbeth) to his lesser-known but no less intriguing ladies (such as Othello's Emilia and Henry VI's Joan). Shakespeare's female characters represent not only the many faces of womanhood; they illuminate the depth of human experience. Directed by Leslie ‘Stickey’ Reddick.
    03/06/10- 03/07/10	The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ring (Children's Play) Hattiloo Theatre The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ring (Children's Play) Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre March 6-March 7, 2010 Rebeca Adeleman and the Hohenberg Foundation present – They Mysterious Case of the Missing Ring. The morning after the big Detective's Ball, the Queen wakes to discover the Royal Ring is missing. To ensure the Royal Ring gets found, the Queen calls on every detective in the kingdom. This cute and quirky 45-minute production answers the age-old question, "how many detectives does it take to find a ring?" Directed by Maya Robinson.
    02/04/10- 02/28/10	Piano Lesson Hattiloo Theatre Piano Lesson Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre February 4-February 28, 2010 The play – awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1990 – takes place in Pittsburgh in 1936. The play centers on a piano that was once traded by the Charles’ family's white master for two of the family's ancestors. Boy Willie and Berniece, the siblings who inherit the piano, argue about whether or not to sell it. Berniece's climactic refusal to allow Boy Willie to move the piano exorcises the ghost of the white slave owner who has been haunting the family. This play is directed by...
    01/07/10- 01/24/10	Willie & Esther Hattiloo Theatre Willie & Esther Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre January 7-January 24, 2010 Willie and Esther are a longtime couple with long-term troubles. When it seems their luck is about to run out they hatch a plan, because "Don't nothing beat a failure but a try." Hilarious, touching, and real as a bad day, this play's truth is that sometimes the only way to overcome your troubles is to laugh at them with someone you love.
    12/03/09- 12/27/09	Black Nativity Hattiloo Theatre Black Nativity Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre December 3-December 27, 2009 Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP sponsors Black Nativity – a retelling of the classic Nativity story with an entirely Black cast. Traditional Christmas carols are sung in gospel style, with a few songs created specifically for the show. Originally written by Langston Hughes, the show was first performed on Broadway on December 11, 1961. Directed by Ekundayo Bandele. Musical Director – Marsha Neely. Choreography by Collage Dance Collective.
    10/29/09- 11/15/09	For Colored Girls Hattiloo Theatre For Colored Girls Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre October 29-November 15, 2009 A series of twenty poems, this play is performed through a cast of nameless women, each known only by a color: "Lady in Yellow." The performances of the nine actresses are focused on their specific stories; i.e., Lady in Green embodies youthful determination as she runs away from home to live with Dominican liberator Toussaint L’Ouverture. The play ends evoking the power of womanhood as the Lady in Brown begins the mantra “I found God in myself/ and I loved her/ I loved...
    09/24/09- 10/11/09	A Streetcar Named Desire Hattiloo Theatre A Streetcar Named Desire Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre September 24-October 11, 2009 Set in New Orleans following World War Two, Blanche DuBois, exiled from her hometown for seducing a seventeen-year-old boy, shows up at her sister Stella’s doorstep. When Blanche claims she has recently loss the family plantation, Stelle’s boyfriend Stanley demands to see the bill of sale – this sets-off Blanche and Stanley’s war. When Stanley’s friend Mitch arrives on the scene, Blanche begins to see a way out of her predicament. Yet, as rumors of Blanche's...
    09/05/09- 10/24/09	Hattiloo in the Park September 5 - October 24, 2009 Hattiloo in the Park September 5 - October 24, 2009 Presented by Hattiloo Theatre September 5-October 24, 2009 Hattiloo in the Park is a series of free performances that takes theatre beyond its traditional four walls and out to the community. Sponsored by First Tennessee Foundation, Tennessee Arts Commission, Federal Express, City of Memphis Parks Division, and Center City Commission, the free performances will take place each Saturday,noon - 3p.m ., from September 5 to October 24, in 8 Memphis parks that were selected to represent the entire city. In each community, Hattiloo Theatre will perform a...
    08/13/09- 09/06/09	God's Trombones (A Musical) Hattiloo Theatre God's Trombones (A Musical) Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre August 13-September 6, 2009 Avg. Event Rating (1.5 Stars): Inspirational sermons of Black preachers are re-imagined as poetry, reverberating with the musicality and eloquence of spirituals. This play is a celebration of the power and passion that comes out of both the pulpit and the choir-stand.  Written by James Weldon Johnson God's Trombones Review by ArtsMemphis Rants & Ravers Bo List “The old-time Negro preacher is rapidly passing. I have here tried sincerely to fix something of him”. - -...
    05/16/09	Annual Hattiloo Block Party Hattiloo Theatre Annual Hattiloo Block Party Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre May 16, 2009 Hattiloo brings to you some of Memphis' most dynamic bands!!! FREE FREE FREE FREE Bring a lawn-chair... Bring a picnic blanket and chill across the street on the grass... But come ready to... ROCK THE BLOCK!!! Information and donation booths for United...
    05/07/09- 05/24/09	Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope (Musical) Hattiloo Theatre Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope (Musical) Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre May 7-May 24, 2009 Hattiloo is ending its 3rd season with this dynamic production. This all-singing, all-dancing show celebrates the Black American experience with a series of pseudo-inspirational tunes focusing on such topics as rat-infested tenements and slumlords, the joy and strife of ghetto life, student protests, black power, and feminism. The music is a mixture of gospel, calypso, and soft rock. SPONSORED BY DOROTHY O. KIRSCH Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope (Musical)
    04/02/09- 04/19/09	Back to the Water Again Hattiloo Theatre Back to the Water Again Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre April 2-April 19, 2009 Avg. Event Rating (5.0 Stars): The winner of Hattiloo’s first Faith-Based playwriting contest, this tender and often comical play introduces you to four siblings who all grew up as PKs (preacher’s kids). Linked by unconditional love, they journey through the hardships that rise from prison life [on both sides of the walls] and struggle to observe the faith that their minister-father and prayerful mother instilled in them. Faith-Based Contest Winner BACK TO THE WATER AGAIN Written by: Joyce...
    03/12/09- 03/22/09	A TEMPEST (Drama) Hattiloo Theatre A TEMPEST (Drama) Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre March 12-March 22, 2009   A Tempest was written as a post colonial response to The Tempest by William Shakespeare. The story is the same: a big storm, an angry Duke who's been usurped by his brother, all the devoted courtesans, and, of course, the natives. This play deals mostly with the natives, Ariel and Caliban. It is Cesaire's comment on the colonization of the "New World." A TEMPEST (Drama) Written by: Aime Cesaire March 12 – 22
    01/29/09- 02/15/09	The Colored Museum Hattiloo Theatre The Colored Museum Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre January 29-February 15, 2009 The Colored Museum satirizes the Black experience in America in the 1980’s. Although the play is controversial, its comedy is found through satirical, exaggerated images of black life. The Colored Museum accentuates the extreme stereotypes of Blacks by splitting the show up into eleven vignettes, or museum exhibits. Audience’s Pick THE COLORED MUSEUM Written by: George C. Wolfe January 29 – Febebuary 15
    12/18/08- 01/04/09	If Scrooge Was A Brother (Musical) Hattiloo Theatre If Scrooge Was A Brother (Musical) Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre December 18, 2008-January 4, 2009 It’s Christmas Eve and Eb Scroo is seeking to snuff out the season’s cheer by demanding that all debts owed him be satisfied before nightfall. Facing imprisonment or a Christmas without presents and a feast, the residents are desperate. In this urban spin of Dicken’s Christmas Carol the ghosts and characters are icons of Black culture and the songs stem from the traditions of gospel, R&B, and even reggae. If Scrooge Was A Brother (Musical) Written...
    11/20/08- 12/07/08	FENCES (Drama) Hattiloo Theatre FENCES (Drama) Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre November 20-December 7, 2008 Fences presents a slice-of-life in a black tenement in Pittsburgh. Set in the late 1950s through 1965, the main character, Troy Maxson, struggles for fairness in society, which seems to offer none. In his struggle he builds barriers between himself and his family. Troy also wrestles with the idea of death and claims that he sees death as nothing but a fastball, something he can handle. FENCES (Drama) Written by: August Wilson November 20 – December 7
    11/08/08	Art Bazaar Hattiloo - The Color of Theatre Hattiloo Theatre Art Bazaar Hattiloo - The Color of Theatre Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre November 8, 2008 Every First Saturday of the Month come to Hattiloo Theatre for the Art Bazaar.
    10/23/08- 11/02/08	ANNIE (Musical) Hattiloo Theatre ANNIE (Musical) Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre October 23-November 2, 2008 Due to the cruel orphanage matron, Miss Hannigan, Annie, a spunky orphan, decides to run away and find her parents. After being captured and returned, billionaire Oliver Warbucks decides to invite an orphan over to his house for Christmas and Annie is chosen. The two quickly hit it off and he agrees to help Annie find her parents. This play includes the songs ‘Tomorrow,’ ‘I Think I’m Going to Like it here,’ and many others. ANNIE (Musical) Written...
    09/18/08- 10/05/08	FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA (Drama) Hattiloo Theatre FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA (Drama) Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre September 18-October 5, 2008 This production takes us on the journey through the life of Phelia – a girl born into the depths of poverty in the heart of the segregated South. Phelia finds her painful childhood and reckless adolescence transformed by opportunity and courage as the Civil Rights movement sweeps through the Delta. FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA (Drama) Written by: Endesha Ida Mae Holland September 18 – October 5
    09/04/08- 09/06/08	Richard Wright at One Hundred: National Civil Rights Museum Richard Wright at One Hundred: Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at National Civil Rights Museum September 4-September 6, 2008 Richard Wright at One Hundred: Hattiloo Theatre, First Tennessee Foundation, National Civil Rights Museum, Rhodes College and Joysmith Gallery, all team up to celebrate renowned Black author Richard Wright. Richard Wright at One-Hundred is a collaborative retrospective of the author, in which the First Tennessee Foundation has made it possible for Hattiloo Theatre to partner with the National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM), Joysmith Gallery, and Rhodes College, to commemorate the birth...
    08/21/08- 09/07/08	MAHALIA (Musical) Hattiloo Theatre MAHALIA (Musical) Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre August 21-September 7, 2008 Equal parts gospel musical, biography, and revival meeting, Mahalia creates a spirited look at Mahalia Jackson, "The Queen of Gospel Music," and is guaranteed to lift you out of your seats with such songs as "His Eye is on the Sparrow," "How I Got Over," and "Move On Up a Little Higher." In Hattiloo’s first season, this production brought down the house with praise and foot-stomping. Back By Popular Demand MAHALIA (Musical)
    07/12/08	Hattiloo Annual Block Party Hattiloo Theatre Hattiloo Annual Block Party Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre July 12, 2008 This year's block party is going to be the best yet. We will have 7 Bands in the back parking lot and it is FREE! tell your friends. The party will be from 4 pm- 7 pm on July, 12th.
    04/25/08- 05/11/08	SPUNK: George C. Wolfe Hattiloo Theatre SPUNK: George C. Wolfe Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre April 25-May 11, 2008 Utilizing the blues, choral narrative, and dance, three tales focus on men and women trapped inside the "laughin' kind of lovin'...that comes from being human."
    03/14/08- 03/30/08	Topdog/Underdog: Susan-Lori Parks Hattiloo Theatre Topdog/Underdog: Susan-Lori Parks Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre March 14-March 30, 2008 Winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize. This fable tells the story of Lincoln and Booth; two brothers whose names foretell a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment. Haunted by the past, the brothers are forced to confront the shattering reality of their future.
    02/08/08- 02/17/08	The Starry Road to Freedom: Darius Wallace Hattiloo Theatre The Starry Road to Freedom: Darius Wallace Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre February 8-February 17, 2008 Witness Frederic Douglas transform from a slave into an emancipator, by using courage, literacy, and charisma as his tools.
    01/18/08- 02/03/08	MACBETH (In Partnership with Opera Memphis) Hattiloo Theatre MACBETH (In Partnership with Opera Memphis) Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre January 18-February 3, 2008 Shakespeare's Scottish tragedy is told within a lively and humorous story-theatre frame. Macbeth and his Lady covet the crown while witches, ghosts, kings and soldiers weep across the landscape, carving out the battle between good and evil.
    01/12/08	Sushiloo Hattiloo Theatre Sushiloo Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre January 12, 2008 Learn the art of rolling sushi and relish the fish of your labor. 5 course authentic Japanese meal.
    01/04/08- 01/06/08	The Magic of Kim Edmonds Hattiloo Theatre The Magic of Kim Edmonds Presented by Hattiloo Theatre at Hattiloo Theatre January 4-January 6, 2008 An evening of magic, mind-reading, and fantasy. Combining theatrical elements, with music, comedy, audience-participation, and cutting-edge illusions.

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    • Event Name: Shakespeare's Women
      "Review by Bo List - ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver"
      Comment posted by: Bo List - ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver from Memphis, TN, Mar 23, 2010
      

      A Nina Simone recording pleads musically, amidst the scene changes of Hattiloo Theatre’s current production Shakespeare’s Women, “I’m just a soul whose intentions are good…oh Lord, please... Expand

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      A Nina Simone recording pleads musically, amidst the scene changes of Hattiloo Theatre’s current production Shakespeare’s Women, “I’m just a soul whose intentions are good…oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood!” Willy S. himself couldn’t have more poetically expressed the pleasures and challenges of Hattiloo’s ambitious effort. Earnest and aspirant, this hodgepodge of scenes and speeches from the Stratfordian’s more estrogen-filled works tickles and amuses and intrigues with the implication that an empowering and unifying thread runs through the plays – though never makes the connection. As an academic exercise (and perhaps even more as a company-enriching endeavor), this pastiche of the Bard’s bits and pieces is a success. Revealed compellingly is the fact that a few hundred years before women were voting, they were - at least in the fantasy of the theatre – trying court cases, taking the reins of romantic courtship and influencing world events. That Hattiloo Theatre (which bills itself as a black repertory) has tackled this project is a further testament to the universality and pliability of the source material. Shakespeare may have originated from an oppressively white literary tradition, but his words and ideas sound swell coming out of anyone. As a theatrical event, Shakespeare’s Women comes off as, well, bits and pieces and not a whole. Unclear is why these particular scenes were assembled (what, no Cleopatra?), what idea runs through them all and – alas – no playfulness in how they are presented, save for a few sung moments in Act II. A conceptual piece with no concept, it would be hoped that focus would have been spent on the language but, with some notable exceptions, the varied experience of the company occasionally obscures the work of the author. Standouts include, but are not limited to, Lorna Jefferson, (acting out a powerful Queen Elizabeth and “Mad” Margaret and singing out “Valentine’s Day”), Pamela Poletti (as splendid Viola and Hermia) and Don Rico Webber (a simmering Shylock). Once, in a Shakespeare-in-Film class, I got back the following comment on a paper: “As charming as your ramblings are, this rambles.” So too does Shakespeare’s Women, though with charm to spare and potential abounding. Collapse

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    • Event Name: Piano Lesson
      "Review by Bo List - ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver"
      Comment posted by: Bo List - ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver from Memphis, TN, Feb 16, 2010
      

      Any theatre wanting to produce Hamlet or King Lear or Hedda Gabler, or other well-known play with a difficult title role, would be well advised to make sure that an actor is available to play it... Expand

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      Any theatre wanting to produce Hamlet or King Lear or Hedda Gabler, or other well-known play with a difficult title role, would be well advised to make sure that an actor is available to play it before you put it on. The entire purpose of a play can rest on the shoulders of one person, or in the case of The Piano Lesson, one item. Alas, like a King Lear audition where no old men show up or a violin recital played by a banjo, Hattiloo Theatre's The Piano Lesson is sunk early and often by a lousy lead instrument. Pittsburgh, 1936. Bernice (Mary Pruitt) lives in a house with her uncle Doaker (TC Sharpe) and daughter Maretha (Anitra Higgins). Life is upended by the arrival of Bernice's brother Boy Willie (Cooli Crawford) and his crony Lymon (Robert Olsen, Jr.). Boy Willie, a Mississippi sharecropper, has arrived with a truckload of watermelons. Once they're sold, he intends to load up and sell the piano. It's an heirloom of staggering importance, having passed through the family over three generations of death, heartache, slavery and recovery. The plot - a tug of war between Bernice and Boy Willie - is complicated by possible romance between Bernice and Lymon and the colorful storytelling between Doaker and washed up friend Wining Boy (newcomer Anthony Bell who, through sheer presence and authenticity to the material, delivers one of the most delightful performances in Memphis this season). Also lurking in the house - a ghost, either real or imagined, who has a stake in the fate of the piano. The piano is terrible. Forget that the production breezes over the script requirement that it be played throughout the show. It is a cheap, battered 20th century upright with two thin strips of wood clumsily affixed with indecipherable scratches in the surface to approximate the lovingly adorned carvings so intricately described. Not the magnificent item described throughout. And while a lousy prop shouldn't be a dealbreaker - this isn't a prop. It's the prop. The set is no better - a 20th century hodgepodge that totally obscures the play's 1936 setting. So while the cast is winning and evenly talented, the physical world provided the audience make it impossible to fully understand the big deal about the piano, believe in the bewildering, supernatural ending, or grasp the play's much-deserved 1990 Pulitzer Prize. Collapse

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    • Event Name: Willie & Esther
      "Review by ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver Bo List"
      Comment posted by: Bo List - ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver from Memphis, TN, Jan 16, 2010
      

      There is almost no plot in Hattiloo Theatre's Willie and Esther. An absurd couple schemes to rob a bank. They don't. Later, they scheme again to steal from a skuzzy slumlord and make off with a... Expand

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      There is almost no plot in Hattiloo Theatre's Willie and Esther. An absurd couple schemes to rob a bank. They don't. Later, they scheme again to steal from a skuzzy slumlord and make off with a toaster oven. Finis! Never mind that there's hardly any narrative. The title characters are storied enough themselves. If these two oddballs actually accomplished anything, their predicament would diminish in interest. Living just above poverty and imbued, seemingly, with neither intellect nor talent, Willie and Esther represent the many untold souls who don?t often end up the subject of plays. They'd like to live in a nicer home. They'd like to drive instead of ride the bus. They want to live, feel well, and stay together. Their aims are modest by dramatic standards but what could be more important? Willie (J.S. Tate) works in the back of a grocery, while Esther (Precious J. Morris) seems to scrape by as a beautician. They're not subtle people; they seem to say everything they think, and are prone to egregious malapropisms: since Willie handles produce all day, Esther declares him a "producer" while, at some point, "something is rotten in the state of Denver." Hence, Willie and Esther is essentially a two-person comedy riff on middle-aged relationships. The title characters are basically the kind of crazies you try to avoid on the street but these two have, essentially, the same things in common as do all longtime couples: affection, secrets, shared goals, resentments and enduring attraction. James Graham Bronson's funny, touching script is as simple as his subjects, though his intended tone is hard to grasp in a production in which the two leads seem encouraged to bicker and cajole at full volume, full-speed ahead, at all times. No matter; their chemistry is marvelously winning and both performers embrace their work fearlessly. Morris hops emotions faster than a Whack-A-Mole game, and employs every tactic in the book to get a proper marriage proposal out of Esther?s fella. Tate, meanwhile, has either chosen or been instructed to give Willie a series of unmentioned facial twitches that, if not exhausting him, certainly distracts the audience from his work, otherwise strong conveying an odd but admirable pride in a man who seems to have little else. But they have each other, and that's a lot. Collapse

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    • Event Name: For Colored Girls
      "Preview"
      Comment posted by: Bo List - ArtsMemphis Rants & Ravers from Memphis, TN, Oct 26, 2009
      

      It's been almost 35 years since Ntozake Shange's landmark play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf debuted off-Broadway - catapulting Shange to the forefront of... Expand

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      It's been almost 35 years since Ntozake Shange's landmark play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf debuted off-Broadway - catapulting Shange to the forefront of contemporary social thinkers and illuminating the condition of the modern black woman for New York audiences. Since then, times have changed - but the continuing challenges that face black women have kept the play a staple of regional and community theatres. Opening October 29 at Hattiloo Theatre and directed by Patricia Smith, For Colored Girls returns to Memphis and a community where (for better and for worse) the play's themes are still alive and relevant. "The play is classic because the themes concerning black women have not changed much since 1975," writes Ekundayo Bandele, Hattiloo's Artistic Director. "Themes such as rape, low self esteem as a symptom of bad relationships, the need to bond with other black women, family, and the splendors and pains of love. Because these themes are the foundation of the play, it's relevant, not only for black women, but for a lot of women, in general." The play, a dance-y "choreo-poem" more than a traditional theatrical narrative, sees twenty of Shange's poetic expressions brought to life by an ensemble of seven nameless women (each wearing a different color scheme, they go by "Woman in Blue," "Woman in Orange," etc.). Often set in a bar (the first production, in Berkeley CA, was performed in one), this version is set in a sanitarium, "to heighten the healing aspect" of the play, according to Bandele. The title itself refers to a sense of healing, referencing "the breaking point of the human heart. Sometimes suicide is an attractive option when the pain of living becomes too much to endure." For Colored Girls's non-linear structure makes it an odd choice to be made into a film, yet Tyler Perry is slated to direct a 2011 release. Marquee names like Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry and Angela Bassett are rumored to star (as well as Perry himself, though presumably not in his well-rehearsed drag). Can the vivid experience of the stage play be duplicated or expanded in movie theaters? Bandele is skeptical. "I don't think a film version will be able to capture the emotional torrent that runs from woman to woman," he says. "It's a play of poems, not dialogue; for that reason, I believe the stage version is best." Audiences will get their chance to see Shange's work as she first intended it. Collapse

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    • Event Name: A Streetcar Named Desire
      "A Streetcar Named Desire by Billy Pullen ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver"
      Comment posted by: Billy Pullen from Memphis, TN, Oct 03, 2009
      

      An African-American theatre in 2009 that tackles a Tennessee Williams classic about fading Southern aristocracy in 1947 New Orleans might be compared to an all white theatre company tackling... Expand

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      An African-American theatre in 2009 that tackles a Tennessee Williams classic about fading Southern aristocracy in 1947 New Orleans might be compared to an all white theatre company tackling Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. I could continue with possible analogies, but I'll cease with the observation that both scenarios take some time for audience adjustment and an extension of the suspension of disbelief concept. Director Leslie "Sticky" Reddoch is challenged with a tiny stage that serves as both a blessing and a curse. The claustrophobia of housing an unwelcomed poor relative in a tiny French quarter duplex serves the play well, but pivotal scenes where physical conflict is required such as the famous Stanley Kowalski vs. the radio scene and the notorious rape scene leave...well, much to be desired. The main ingredient missing here in this challenging production is lust or at least the consistency of it. The lecherous quality of Blanche comes through in a brief scene with the young boy collecting for the newspaper, but the chemistry among the four main players is inconsistent. Ekundayo Bandele as Stanley sounds all macho, but never totally convinces as a sensual but assaulting epitome of manhood that Stella (Krissy Cain-Bolden) simply cannot resist. Cain-Bolden is charming in scenes with her older sister, but misfires in scenes with Stanley. The ambivalence of attraction and fear does not evolve. Bronzjuan Worthy as Blanche does emote sensuality, but other elements in that character such as desperation, manipulation, and even pathos are missing. Delvyn Brown's Mitch strikes a likeable note as the more civilized among Stanley's lot, but the sheer tragedy of being deceived by the worldly-wise Blanche is not there. In fact, the downright devastation of both Mitch and Stella as they watch Blanche's delusional exit to an asylum is also lost. Some items that may been influential in these missing poignant moments include awkward blocking. Stanley doesn't have room to really throw a radio out the window with menacing conviction or pitch the old relics from Blanche?s trunk. Nor is there room to "choreographically" wet down the drunken Stanley. Other stage business is diminished during the showdown between Blanche and Stanley, and Blanche's altercation with the nurse. However, the cast, especially Bandele and Worthy, capture most of the lyrical cadence of Williams' masterpiece, but unfortunately much of the animalism is lacking. Collapse

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    • Event Name: God's Trombones (A Musical)
      "Hattiloo's season-opening God's Trombones is not a play."
      Review posted by: Bo List - ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver from Memphis, TN, Aug 31, 2009
      

      Hattiloo Theatre's season-opening God's Trombones is not a play. This is not a judgment, rather it is an observation. A production like this, based on the 1927 collection of poems by James Weldon... Expand

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      Hattiloo Theatre's season-opening God's Trombones is not a play. This is not a judgment, rather it is an observation. A production like this, based on the 1927 collection of poems by James Weldon Johnson, requires a larger descriptive noun. Barefoot in the Park, Romeo and Juliet, The Crucible - these are plays. They have beginnings, middles, ends, a narrative arch and a forward momentum of tension, conflict and resolution. Hattiloo's God's Trombones is an event, a celebration. The experience of this kind of production is less a journey, as might be said of conventional theatre offerings, and more of a destination. The time spent is not in the getting there; it is in the being there. That said (neither to dismiss nor discount, rather to clarify toward the possible expectations of its audience), God's Trombones provides a vivid and vibrant destination. For Bo's complete review, see the event detail. Collapse

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    • Event Name: God's Trombones (A Musical)
      "God's Trombones"
      Comment posted by: Billy Pullen - ArtsMemphis Rants & Ravers from Memphis, TN, Aug 24, 2009
      

      Ekundayo Bandele, founder and artistic director of the Hatttiloo Theatre, has grasped just the right touch for the 1927 God's Trombones, a compilation of music and poetic sermons by James Weldon... Expand

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      Ekundayo Bandele, founder and artistic director of the Hatttiloo Theatre, has grasped just the right touch for the 1927 God's Trombones, a compilation of music and poetic sermons by James Weldon Johnson. Set in a rural church circa in late nineteenth century, this piece pulls all emotional levels from tenderness and mercy to chastisement and downright hell-fire damnation. For complete review by Billy Pullen, see event detail. Collapse

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    • Event Name: Back to the Water Again
      "HEART FELT"
      Review posted by: Dionne from Memphis, TN, Apr 16, 2009
      

      I laughed, cried, and even song throughout this heart felt play. This is a play that hits home, and everyone could relate to it somehow. The struggles of a family that found their way back together... Expand

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      I laughed, cried, and even song throughout this heart felt play. This is a play that hits home, and everyone could relate to it somehow. The struggles of a family that found their way back together again after a long journey. The play was so good, I went back to see it again! Collapse

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