The Billie Holiday Theater Presents the New York Premiere of AUTUMN

As the country gears up for an intense presidential election, issues like race, gender, class and age creep into the national conversation. This fall, Brooklyn- a renowned epicenter of New York's politics- becomes a stage for these issues with Richard Wesley's political drama AUTUMN. The Billie Holiday Theatre (BHT) at The Center for Arts & Culture of Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation presents the New York Premiere of AUTUMN in-residence at the Kumble Theater at LIU in Brooklyn, 1 University Plaza fromFriday, October 21 through Sunday, November 6, 2016.

Tapping the genius of Richard Wesley and the vision of acclaimed director Walter Dallas, AUTUMN explores the conflicts that arise when aspirations collide across generational, racial and gender divides marking sharply different political agendas against the needs of the people. AUTUMN rips the band-aid off of political posturing and shows just how sinister campaigns can get when ambition supersedes service.

Helping to bring AUTUMN to life is a cast of stage, TV & film heavy-weights: Jerome Preston Bates (Seven Guitars, Stickfly, Peeples), Terria Joseph (Empire, Cornerstone), Brent Langdon (House of Cards, The Program), Dorian Missick (Southland, Deliver Me From Evil, Zoe Ever After), Count Stovall (A Streetcar Named Desire, Driving Miss Daisy, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) and Pauletta Washington (Beloved, The Watsons Go to Birmingham). Rounding out the cast is newcomer playwright and actor, Lekethia Dalcoe.

According to director Walter Dallas, "This cast is a director's dream. They all bring a wealth of experience to the table and I am excited to see how each of them tell this critical and crucial story."

Creative Team includes Devin Cameron (Lighting Design), Ntokozo Kunene (Costume Design), Gaines Legare(Sound Design), Frankie Oliva (Scenic Design and Props), and Norman Small (Stage Manager).

A pre-show panel discussion will be held on the Opening Night of the New York Premier of AUTUMN on Saturday, October 22nd, 6:30pm - 7:30pm, providing audiences with a platform for discussion during this unprecedented election season. Panelist will include: Colvin Grannum, President of Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration, LetiTia James, New York City Public Advocate, and Richard Wesley, Playwright. This conversation will not only encourage participants to vote but to all see beyond the Presidential Election focusing on leadership and issues on the local level.

AUTUMN is a part of RestorationART's 2016 Project Protest: Silence Is Not an Option Series. The production is the centerpiece of a conversation about theater, politics, community and activism that has become associated with the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation for 50 years.

AUTUMN is a limited run that gives context to local and national politics in the Black community.

Ticket Information: http://kumbletheater.tix.com

The Billie Holiday Theatre (BHT) was founded in 1972 by Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (Restoration), a community development corporation whose mission is to be a catalyst for the progressive improvement of the quality of life for the people of Bedford Stuyvesant. BHT focuses on the discovery of new voices within the African Diaspora. We seek to enlighten, entertain and educate with programming that resonates across cultural and generational barriers, and challenges social perceptions.

The Center for Arts & Culture is a dynamic campus of world class visual and performing arts. We preserve artistic and cultural legacy, promote social justice and democratic ideals, and present global stories that matter, inspiring the next generation of art-makers and audiences.

Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (Restoration), the nation's first community development organization, partners with area residents and businesses to improve the quality of life in long-blighted areas of Central Brooklyn. Our goals are to attract investment, improve the business climate, foster the economic self-sufficiency of families, enhance family stability, and promote the arts and culture. Through these activities, we seek to spur resident's economic stability and transform Central Brooklyn into a safe, vibrant place to live, work and visit. Restoration was founded in 1967 with the bipartisan support of New York Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Jacob Javits.

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