Antonio David Lyons Presents Showcase Performance of WE ARE HERE Tonight

Artist and activist Antonio David Lyons will perform his one-man play, We Are Here, at the National Black Theatre Inc. in New York City tonight, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. This special showcase performance will be preceded by a 6 p.m. reception and followed by a talk-back session with Lyons and producer Refilwe Nkomo at 8:30 p.m.

Admission is free, but attendees are asked to register in advance via Eventbrite.

Written by Lyons, We Are Here consists of 16 sketches that express the diversity of male voices, exploring issues such as woman and child within the context of gender engagement. The scenes explore a variety of issues and themes from a distinctly male perspective, among them: the politics of dating in feminist/post-feminist South Africa; concern for a female friend in an abusive situation; a father's distress and anger over the rape of his daughter; a young father's words of guidance to his son.

"I'm thrilled to be bringing this work to the US at this point in time. The assault on black bodiesweighs down my heart, but my spirits are lifted knowing that there is so much we can do. We Are Here, shifts the focus from all the noise on the outside to allowing men, boys and communities to unearth their innate abilities to transform their own lives."

The play shares its name with a social sculpture project founded by Lyons that seeks to foster an environment where the arts can impact social conditions, attitudes, perceptions and structures. The We Are Here campaign was birthed in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2010. It utilizes discursive play to engage men and boys in themes of gender violence, identity, relationships and HIV/AIDS. The goal of the campaign is to provide a nurturing environment where men and boys can discover, develop and share tools that will help grow themselves and their communities.

Lyons, holds an MA in Applied Theatre from the City University of New York (CUNY). His thesis project The WHY Factor was conducted in collaboration with CUNY/BMI (Black Male Initiative). The project provided concrete opportunities for participants to practice different ways of being successful while developing useful skills for navigating life.

Since returning to South Africa he has been facilitating demonstration lectures with undergraduate and graduate students at the University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg). He is also conducting We Are Here workshops with young men in the township of Tembisa, Johannesburg in collaboration with TX Theatre Productions.
He also manages to maintain a thriving career as a professional artist in tandem with his activist and scholarly pursuits. Some of his credits include: New York Undercover, The District, The Agency, 24, The Practice , Philly and Karen Sisco. In South Africa: Jacob's Cross, Ga Re Dumele, Fourplay, Scandal, Ubizo, Jozi-H, Snitch, and Home Affairs. His film credits include, The Book of Negroes (BET/CBC), Hotel Rwanda, American History X, Night Drive (SA), the TNT movie, Avenger, the HBO series Generation Kill, the Paul Ruven film, Surprise, the Robert K. Townsend film, False Prophets, Hotel Rwanda, Masked and Anonymous, and The Sum of All Fears.
More info: http://www.antoniodavidlyons.com/