The Bilingual Foundation of the Arts invited Inner City Cultural Center to participate in their first theatre action festival held at the Carmen Zapata Theatre in the Old City jail, site of BFA's permanent home. To conclude the summer festival is a tribute to the highly acclaimed author and director C. Bernard Jackson. The ICCC ensemble will present Jackson’s 1976 theatre production "Piano Bar", which will include veteran talents of the Inner City Cultural Center as well as a multicultural cast of talented artists in the community.
“C. Bernard Jackson believed that casting should be color blind, meaning that anybody could perform anywhere.” says Dr. Sandi Sheffy, veteran actor and arts administrator who, along with James V. Burks is a former staff member of Inner City Cultural Center and created the ICCC ensemble. She further states, “Piano Bar is a mixture of the cultures and continues to adhere to what Jackson’s beliefs were.”
The ICCC ensemble was created following the initial production of the musical play, "Sleep No More", in 2010 at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center. The decision was made to present many of the plays produced by Inner City Cultural Center to support the vision of keeping the memory of this stellar program alive.
About Piano Bar
"Piano Bar", written and first performed at the Inner City Cultural Center in 1976, is from the author's point of view, about systems of exploitation. Though it utilizes the interaction between women and men in contemporary society as its principle metaphor, it should be clear that such aberrations as male chauvinism along with racism, nationalism, colonialism and that quintessential example of human shortsightedness - the oppression of children by adults are merely surface manifestations of a much deeper ill.
The ensemble and cast includes veteran actors Hawthorne James, Cheryl Tyre Smith, Felton Perry, Jesse Dizon, Vance Valencia, Violette Winge, Windy Barnes Farrell, Karmine Murcelo, Geroge Bouldin, Charlie Gaston, Ursaline Bryant, Leslie Bee, and BANCA Stevenson. "Piano Bar" is directed by Hawthorne James, with music accompaniment by Roger Neal. It is produced by James V. Burks and Dr. Sandi Sheffy.
About Inner City Cultural Center
ICCC was founded in 1966 by award-winning American playwright C. Bernard Jackson (November 4, 1927 – July 16, 1996). Based in Los Angeles, ICCC was one of the first arts institutions in the United States to promote multiculturalism and nurtured the careers of numerous performers including Beah Richards, George Takei, Edward James Olmos, Nobu McCarthy, Lou Gossett, Glynn Turman, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Wendy Raquel Robinson, and Forest Whitaker.
Originated in The Old Boulevard Theatre on the corner of Washington Boulevard and Vermont, Inner City Cultural Center diverted from the “one ethnic group” traditional casting approach and modeled a successful concept by providing a platform for cultural diversity in the arts at a pivotal time in the community. ICCC provided assistance to a wide range of cultural institutions, which included the El Teatro Campesino, the East-West Players and the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts.
About Bilingual Foundation of the Arts
BFA was founded in 1973 by two stellar personalities in the world of theater: Mexican-American actress Carmen Zapata, Cuban-born actress, playwright, and director Margarita Galban. BFA has acquired a reputation for producing and presenting the highest quality Hispanic theater to the people of Los Angeles and California.
The Bilingual Foundation of the Arts (BFA) has a 38-year history of commitment to all people in the greater Los Angeles area, presenting the finest Hispanic literary culture for both Spanish- and English- speaking audiences. BFA's presence is an integral part of the Los Angeles cultural scene and provides an added dimension of understanding between the diverse cultures of the area by emphasizing the similarities of the human condition which serve to unite us.
For more information on the Bilingual Festival of the Arts, please contact (323) 225-4044, or visit www.bfatheatre.org.
CONTACT:
James Burks - Director of Special Projects
City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
213-202-5508
james.v.burks@lacity.org
Brandy Williams
B International PR
brandy@binternationalpr.com
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