By Taki S. Raton
Hansberry-Sands Theatre Company (HSTC) announces a reading of the award-winning play, “The Trip” on Saturday and Sunday, November 12 and 13 at the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center, 3020 West Vliet Street. The Saturday performance begins at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday curtain matinee is at 4 p.m.
Hansberry-Sands has partnered with the Chicago metro area arts organization, North Chicago Center For The Arts, to produce the staged readings. Written by Midwest playwright Crystal W. Rhodes, these collaborative performances will begin in Chicago on November 5 at the Bowen Park theater in Waukegan, Illinois followed by the Milwaukee staging the proceeding weekend.
A comedy/drama directed in both cities by Hansberry- Sands artistic director Willie AbNey, the play focuses on a long awaited road trip that finds four friends sharing more than a long distance car ride when they discover that friendship is not always as divine as it may appear.
Longtime bonds are shattered resulting from past a sharing of inner feelings. Following a 20-year hiatus, the characters reunite for a cross country expedition that is described as “funny, heartwarming” and a “road trip you will never forget!”
The Chicago and Milwaukee blended cast of four presents an offering of exceptional talent that humorously tackle the realistic challenges of friendship as depicted by Rhodes in this inspiring and thoughtprovoking story. Says director AbNey of the cast:
“I enjoy working with creative thespians who take their craft seriously. This partnership creates and promotes the opportunity for local actors of color to sharpen their performance skills and develop relationships with professional actors throughout the Midwest region.”
As incorporated into the company’s Hansberry’s Playwright Nouveau Reading Series, “The Trip” is introduced to the Milwaukee audience through this scheduled series of staged readings. The Playwright Nouveau was created in 2005 by Hansberry-Sands as a means of providing new and established playwrights with a platform for work while heightening patron awareness of new and emerging artist.
HSTC is consistently looking for fresh and unique ways to engage their audiences while developing the resources to support their creative endeavors. “The Trip” follows their highly successful season opener “Deadlock,” an interactive play written by AbNey, the Celebrity Comedy Jam held in October and the company’s first annual Murder Mystery Boat Cruise in September.
Hansberry-Sands is a member of the Downtown Theatre District and a resident arts group of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. Celebrating its 31th season, this Not-For-Profit Corporation selects works from established and new playwrights from the African Diaspora as well as classic and contemporary pieces by ethnic dramatists whose works are overlaid with subtle nuances of Black culture.
The $10 ticket price for “The Trip” can be purchased online at http://ncca-thetriptickets.eventbee.com for Waukegan and at http://HansberrySands.eventbee.com/boxoffice for Milwaukee. Milwaukee debut tickets can also be purchased at the Reader’s Choice Bookstore, 1950 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. The readings are sponsored in part by the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center and the Bowen Park Theatre.
For more information on the Hansberry-Sands Theatre Company, please call 414-616-PLAY (7529) or contact the HSTC at facebook.com/HSTC.
