Daniel J. Watts (Hamilton, TBS' "The Last O.G.," Signature Theatre's The Death of The Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World) and WattsWords Productions present Daniel J. Watts' The Jam: Only Child, an evening of music, dance, spoken word, and storytelling on Monday, December 3rd at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater (425 Lafayette Street). Doors open at 6pm, the show begins at 7pm.
Only Child marks the reunion between Watts and director Lileana Blain-Cruz (The House That Will Not Stand, Pipeline) who received an Obie Award for her direction of The Death of The Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World, in which Watts played the title character. Only Child also features Jam mainstay DJ Duggz, aka Preston Dugger III (Motown the Musical, Memphis), spinning through the evening.
All advance general admission tickets are $30. Tickets are $40 day of and can be purchased by visiting JoesPub.com.
"This Jam is the product of 2 years of therapy", said artist and activist Watts. "I have an analogy about therapy suggesting that it's like inviting a stranger to the attic of your mind and having them help you clean it out. I realized that being an only child and a latch key kid in a single parent home contributed to excess storage in my attic and therapy helped me sift through a lot of it and, ultimately, let some things go. By sharing my story I hope to inspire others to go through their attics in an effort to both examine the cost of holding on and experience the healing power of letting go."
A play-on-words, The Jam pays homage to Watts' great-grandmother who, after making jam from scratch, would share with others what she was unable to consume herself. The Jam is Watts' continuation of that legacy blending elements of stand-up comedy and compelling storytelling with his original spoken word, often set to music and/or dance. This is Watts' fourth instillation of The Jam: Only Child after sold out performances at Joe's Pub in the famed Public Theater, NoHo's new staple SubCulture, the and as one of the final acts to play the historic Webster Hall.
In 2016, galvanizing cast members from Hamilton, On Your Feet, and Shuffle Along, Watts played to a packed house in Webster Hall's Marlin Room with The Jam: Love Terrorists - A Benefit for Orlando. The event raised $7500 for the LGBT community in Orlando after the horrific attack at Pulse Night Club.
WattsWords Productions is dedicated to developing original programming including live performances, web content, and demonstrations written by Daniel J. Watts in an effort to urge communities to actively engage in focusing on their social similarities opposed to their differences.
Photo Credit: Simply Greg
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