M.C. MoHagani Magnetek Presents New Virtual Show for Black History Month

Anchorage Concert Association created the Community Artist Project to partner with local artists to create short-term projects that provide connections between communities throughout Anchorage while social events, venues, and performances remain limited due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The next Community Artist Project, Quarantine Sister Circle: Choreopoem & Compassion Series features three free virtual performances, each followed by a panel discussion. The project premiers this Friday, February 26th, at 7pm with M.C. Mohagani Magnetek's "For Colored Ladies Who Have Considered Pull Tabs with Their Last Two Dollars." Subsequent shows will be Saturday, February 27th, at 7pm and Sunday, February 28th, at 2pm. All three performances and panels will be streamed via Anchorage Concert's Facebook and YouTube channels. A cast of local artists, interactive panel discussions, and collaboration with dancers from Momentum Dance Collective and Sankofa Alaska will make this show truly one-of-a-kind.

Magnetek's work dives deep into the realms of compassion, sisterhood, and the challenges self-identified women experience. The themes shared throughout this work are not light-hearted, yet humor brings balance to the gravity of the edutainment (education and entertainment) experience for the audience all in the virtual medium. The aspiration of this production is to elevate the conversation around compassion, particularly as we experience a world of social distancing where phrases such as "together apart" are often hashtags posted without an embrace of their deeper meanings.

While drawing inspiration from a deep historical well, this production in particular is a modern creative work that honors the canon of African American women writers by building on narratives that are relevant in the present. These three shows will culminate a month of local events for Black History Month in Anchorage.

The next upcoming Community Artist Project will be Quarantunes with O'Hara Shipe. Artist biographies and project descriptions can be found at anchorageconcerts.org.