A BROOKLYN BOY Extends At The East Village Playhouse

After unprecedented demand, A Brooklyn Boy, a one man show co-written and performed by Steven Prescod and co-written and directed by Moises Roberto Belizario, will extend performances through April 28, 2018 at the East Village Playhouse (340 East 6th Street).

Called "a tour de force" by The New York Times, A Brooklyn Boy is a riveting spoken-word performance that portrays Steven Prescod's coming-of-age story, taking audiences on a journey from adversity to personal triumph. Born in Brooklyn's Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood to a Grenadian mother and a Guyanese father, Steven was only one year old when his father was incarcerated. Steven grew up in a house surrounded by a variety of relatives who all had an impact on his life, many of whom are among the 32 characters he plays throughout the show.

As an impressionable teenager, despite his efforts to break free from his neighborhood's unyielding grip, Steven was constantly pulled back, ultimately leading to his arrest. While facing a seven-year jail sentence, Steven could have become another statistic or headline. Instead, he took a second chance at life.

An excerpt of the show was performed for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge through The CityKids Foundation, prompting Prince William to call the show and performance "inspirational." That performance led to an array of productions with a new addition to the team, co-composer and solo violinist Edward W. Hardy. Venues included National Black Theatre (April 30, 2015, & May 13-14, 2015), Vineyard Theatre (June 28, 2015), CAP21 Black Box Theatre (March 3, 2016), East Village Playhouse (December 8, 2017), and a 2016-2017 tour of school performances throughout the United States.

Performances for A Brooklyn Boy run Thursdays and Fridays at 7pm, and Saturdays at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are $40 and available through OvationTix.com.

The 50 seat East Village Playhouse (340 East 6th St) was founded by Laurie Meadoff, founder and president of The CityKids Foundation, and board member and theatre producer Don Hoffman as an answer to the lack of theater spaces for up and coming artists. By day, the venue houses The CityKids Foundation, a 33-year-old organization where youth turn their pain into purpose and become artists and agents of social change, and by night it is home to culturally relevant plays and musicals produced and performed by local artists.

The East Village Playhouse joins neighborhood theatrical giants like La Mama, Theater for the New City, Performance Space New York (formerly PS122), New York Theatre Workshop, STOMP and The Public Theater to bring needle pushing live theatre and cutting-edge artistic development programs to one of New York's most exciting artistic communities. For more information visit EastVillagePlayhouse.com.

Photo Credit: Jane Feldman