Strand Theater Company to Present GOD'S COUNTRY, 10/9-18

The Strand Theater Company welcomes a renown solo artist Michelle Antoinette Nelson, a.k.a. LOVE the poet, with her one-woman show - God's Country. In a setting of a Wednesday night bible study, Michelle will take on eight distinct voices: a teen mother with HIV, an urban teenage drug dealer, a husband on the down low, a poetic narrator, a blind gay church musician, and more. Each character, in what is Michelle's first original full-length play, is searching for the God in themselves through the eyes of everyone else, searching for an interpretation of "the word" that makes sense in their lives, searching for the answer to this question, "If this is God's country, where the hell is God?"

God's Country opens on October 9, presenting six performances on Thursdays-Saturdays, until October 18. All performances are at 8pm. Tickets are $20.

Due to the recent loss of a permanent venue, the Strand performances of God's Country will be presented at St. Mark's Lutheran Church at 1900 St. Paul Street, Baltimore MD 21201

"As a women-centric company, we strive to showcase female perspective as the corner stone of our work," says Strand's Managing Director, Elena Kostakis. "What better way to celebrate 'women's diverse voices and perspectives' than with a production featuring a strong and prominent female artist portraying eight different characters!"

Michelle Antoinette Nelson, also known as LOVE the poet, is a photographer, actor, musician, poet, host and prominent indie artist/author on the national performance and literary art scenes, and in the field of creative writing education. She has appeared on CNN as a speaker at the Jena 6 rally in Washington, D.C.; authored the book "Black Marks on White Paper"; is the recipient of the 2011 Baker b-grant award; released multiple spoken word CDs; and has performed at the Smithsonian & college campuses nationwide. Michelle is also a Punany Poet (as seen on HBO); the playwright and star of "God's Country"- her touring one woman play; an Urban Arts Leadership Program Fellow; the creator of Live Lyrics! Creative writing workshops; and the founder/host of BE FREE Fridays (monthly open mic series).