Bryan-Keyth Wilson Will Receive a Play Reading as Part of the Fulton's 'Stories of Diversity'

Award-winning playwright Bryan-Keyth Wilson was selected by a committee as one of the four playwrights to receive a reading at the nationally regarded Fulton Theatre. The Fulton announced the lineup of its inaugural playwriting festival. "Stories of Diversity," set for a socially distant, in person festival July 16 - 18, 2021. This festival will feature four distinct and diverse plays that will engage the Lancaster community in much needed conversation, along with an education component in partnership with the Lancaster City School District. The audience and a panel of judges will select the winner of the inaugural new works festival at the Festival's close on Sunday, July 18th. The winners work will be professionally produced by the Fulton as part of a future Groff Studio Series production in the Tell Studio Theatre. The winner will also receive a cash prize.

"I am thankful for this momentous opportunity to be a part of such a much needed festival. The Fulton is an institution that prides itself in theatrical excellence and I am thankful to Executive Artistic Producer Marc Robin, Eric Pugh and the entire Fulton team for this opportunity," said Bryan-Keyth Wilson.

Wilson is currently an artist in residence at the Paterson Performance & Development Council in New Jersey and excerpts from his choreopoem FOR COLORED BOYZ on the verge of a nervous breakdown/ when freedom ain't enuff will be spotlighted at the highly anticipated N.J. Stages Festival, "Art of the Choreopoem" roundtable on Friday, May 14, 2021 7PM EST.

FOR COLORED BOYZ on the verge of a nervous breakdown/ when freedom ain't enuff is a collection of 35 poems telling the stories of black men from slavery to the present. This composition examines the dark realities of what it means to be a man of color in America. Wilson's work delves into issues such as toxic masculinity, homophobia, systematic racism, mental issues, and police brutality. While there's no linear narrative each poem is weaved together through music and dance making this piece a choreopoem. The choreopoem is performed by five nameless men only represented visually by their colors. They are The Man in Black, Man in Red, Man in Green, Man in Orange and Man in Blue. Other subjects examined in this choreopoem include colorism, racial stereotypes, the black family and politics. By the conclusion of Act II, walls are broken, and each man on stage takes a new right of passage giving reverence to the ancestors and affirming the bond of brotherhood is what they need to move forward in this world.

"FOR COLORED BOYZ takes us through actual moments in history where black men were either victorious, downtrodden or lynched. The black man is a complex/ magical being that has faced adversity since colonization and here we are in 2021 still trying to figure it out. Writing a piece such as this has been therapeutic and haunting," says Wilson, FOR COLORED BOYZ playwright and director.

For more information please visit www.bryankeyth.com and follow @literaryprince and @forcoloredboyz on Instagram and Twitter.

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