Geva Theatre Center's Son House Project Launches 11/2

In December of 2013, Geva Theatre Center was selected as a recipient of a prestigious grant from the Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation to create a multimedia celebration on the life and work of legendary blues guitarist, Son House. The 18-month project, entitled "A Journey to the Son," will bring together musicians, writers, artists and the area's leading regional theatre company in a "creative collision" to celebrate one of Rochester's own, Eddie "Son" House. The project will culminate in a four-day celebration in August weaving together stories, music, theatre, film, audio recordings, storytelling and lectures.

Often referred to as the Father of the Delta Blues, Son House led a life that veered between his passion for preaching and his passion for the blues. After making a name for himself as a bluesman, House renounced music and moved to Rochester in the 1940s, where he lived in relative obscurity for nearly 25 years. In 1964, a trio of young music lovers began scouring the country for him and other bluesmen, and eventually found House living in Corn Hill. With their encouragement, the 62-year-old man picked up the guitar again and re-launched his career as an internationally-recognized "folk blues" artist, performing around the world and recording several albums for Columbia Records before his death in Detroit in 1988. His style influenced an entire generation of musicians including Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Elvis Presley, John Hammond, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton and Mick Jagger among others.

Geva has commissioned Keith Glover to write a play based on Son House's life for the theatrical component of this project. Glover is from Bessemer, Alabama and is a member of The New Dramatist Playwrights Organization and a recipient of a Pew Charitable Fellowship grant in 1996. His first play, Dancing on Moonlight, was produced in 1995 at the New York Shakespeare Festival. His second play, Coming of the Hurricane, was produced by the Denver Center Theatre Company (1994) at Penumbra Theatre Company in St. Paul, Minn. (1995) and at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. (1996). His third play, Thunder Knocking on the Door, a blusical tale of rhythm and blues, was produced by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Baltimore's Center Stage, The Dallas Theatre Center and Yale Repertory Theatre during the 1996-97 season; and at Geva in 1999. As an actor, Glover has appeared regionally at Center Stage in Baltimore as Sterling in Two Trains Running, at Hartford Stage as Scott in Pill Hill, and as Lyons in Fences with John Amos at Capital Repertory Company. On television, Glover has appeared on the Fox series "New York Undercover" as Adrean Franks and on the daytime drama "As the World Turns" as Kenny Hathaway. On film, Glover appeared in Jackknife with Robert DeNiro.

As part of the research for this script, Glover, Literary Director Jenni Werner and Project Director Skip Greer are looking for stories from people who knew Son House. On Sunday, November 2nd at 7pm as part of the Festival of New Theatre, they will share the stories that they heard on a recent fact-finding mission to Mississippi, New Orleans and around Rochester and invite the audience to share stories of their own. This event serves as the launch of this thrilling new project celebrating the life and impact of this tremendous musician. A light reception will begin at 7pm with the sharing of stories starting at 7:30pm. Admission is free but reservations are required. Call the Geva Theatre Center Box Office at (585) 232- 4382 or visit www.gevatheatre.org for tickets. Events such as this fill up quickly, but tickets often become available the night of the performance.

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