Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA; Jeffrey Horowitz, Founding Artistic Director) announces a post-show concert and an additional TFANA Talk in connection with the final week of its presentation of the U.S. premiere of The Emperor. An adaptation by Colin Teevan of Ryszard Kapuscinski's celebrated and controversial 1978 book of the same title, about the downfall of Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, this parable about power in decline features virtuosic shape-shifting actor Kathryn Hunter and Ethiopian musician Temesgen Zeleke and is directed by Walter Meierjohann. These post-performance events take place at Polonsky Shakespeare Center (262 Ashland Place), TFANA's home in the Brooklyn Cultural District, where performances of this co-production from the Young Vic, HOME, and Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg run through September 30.
About the artists
Temesgen Zeleke was born in Addis Ababa and took up playing the Ethiopian krar lyre against the wishes of his mother, who wanted him to pursue a more traditional education. After performing as a musician and composer in Addis Ababa's National Theatre, he settled in the UK, where he founded the band Krar Collective, which tours internationally. He performs regularly with Ethiojazz legend Mulatu Astatke. Of his work with co-performer Kathryn Hunter in The Emperor,The Guardian's Susannah Clapp wrote: "an entire country is conjured up by only two performers."
Bianca Vivion Brooks is an artist, essayist, and media personality. At 18, she became the youngest ever opinion contributor to the New York Times; her most recent column, "Representation Is More Than Skin Color" ran August 29, 2018. After graduating from Columbia University this past spring, she now works full time as a writer and media consultant, and hosts ASK VIV, a weekly culture and advice podcast. biancavivion.com
The Emperor Schedule and Tickets
Remaining performances of The Emperor will take place September 25-28 at 7:30pm; matinees on September 29 & 30 will take place at 2pm.
Theatre for a New Audience is committed to economically accessible tickets and offers tickets at a range of prices for The Emperor.
$20 New Deal: all Performances. Age 30 and under or full-time students of any age. May be purchased online, phone, or at the box office, in advance or day-of, with valid ID(s) proving eligibility required at pickup.
$20 Brooklyn Pass: all Performances. Members of local Brooklyn non-profit organizations through Brooklyn Pass program.
$28 TDF: selected performances.
$60: all performances with a TFANA subscription.
Special Discounts: TFANA offers special discounts available by joining TFANA mailing list at www.tfana.org.
$90-$100: all performances.
$125 Premium Seats: all performances.
Polonsky Shakespeare Center is located at 262 Ashland Place, Brooklyn.
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