The Creative Co-lab Announces World Premiere Of FOR COLORED BOYZ ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN/ when freedom ain't enuff

The Creative Co-Lab is proud to announce the world premiere of FOR COLORED BOYZ ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN/ when freedom ain't enuff, a choreopoem by Bryan-Keyth Wilson (Hood Boy Chronicles, Pamlet, The Subway Series) inspired by Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf. FOR COLORED BOYZ first hit the Houston Theatre scene 4 years ago during the workshop phase. On February 21, 2015 a workshop was presented in Galveston at Old Central sponsored by The Nia Cultural Center then following the next year Kevin Anderson and the T.R.U.T.H. produced the 2nd phase of the script workshop. After two script workshops and staged readings Wilson and his creative team are ready to release this theatrical gem to the theatre community.

"Writing a piece such as this has been therapeutic and haunting," says Wilson, FOR COLORED BOYZ playwright and director. "Watching these actors transform my words into their own is paramount. They all bring something different to the creative table and we can't wait to share what we've been creating with the Houston theatre community," said Bryan-Keyth Wilson

FOR COLORED BOYZ is produced by The Creative Co-Lab which is under the Executive Artistic Direction of Bryan-Keyth Wilson. This is the inaugural production for this new creative initiative. Tickets for the Houston World Premier can be purchases on www.4Coloredboyz.com

"FOR COLORED BOYZ is the kind of show that moves the needle on one's perception of what is it to be a black male in America and should make one reflect on the unique experiences that converge in America to build or destroy all kinds of black men. I can imagine that playwright Ntozake Shange would be proud of this For Colored Girls adaptation," said Cindy George, Houston Chronicle.

Cast members include: Amir Diamond (Man in Green), Greg Malonson II (Man in Red), Marvin J. Young (Man in Black), Jeremiah C. Gray (Man in Blue) and Kristopher Adams (Man in Orange), and ensemble members Coley Auguillard and Emauri Baker.

Creative team: Bryan-Keyth Wilson (Director, Choreographer, Costume Designer), Ya-Ya Smith (Associate Director), Hardy Bates (Technical Director, Light & Set Designer) and LaTreva Herndon (Dramaturg), Allicea Beale-Whigham (Assistant Choreographer), Fendi Kerlegan (Assistant Choreographer).

Inspired by the harrowing stories of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and Trayvon Martin, FOR COLORED BOYZ examines the dark realities of what it means to be a man of color in America. "FOR COLORED BOYZ takes us through actual moments in history where black men were either victorious, downtrodden or lynched," says Wilson. "The black man is a complex magical being that has faced adversity since colonization and here we are in 2018 still trying to figure it out."

JOIN US AFTER THE MATINEE FOR A CLOSER LOOK

The Creative Co-Lab has partnered with The T.R.U.T.H. Project for a talk back after the matinee shows. Here's an opportunity to talk with the playwright and the cast members about the creative process and how they were able to navigate through this choreopoem.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE CO-LAB

The Creative Co-Lab was established in 2015 by a creative for creatives to give back to the community. Its goal is to create theatrical experiences focusing on a wide array of topics and literary forms, including social justice plays, choreopoems, integrated movement and interdisciplinary art, and give emerging and seasoned creators a platform to develop new works in a positive and supportive community.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Bryan-Keyth Wilson (Writer/ Director/ Choreographer/ Producer) - Dubbed the Literary Prince by his colleagues, Bryan-Keyth Wilson has been a trailblazer in theatre, screenwriting and directing for decades. A native of La Marque, Texas, he studied Musical Theatre & Dance at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas and later moved to the Big Apple to study at Hunter College in New York. Wilson was under the tutelage of Penelope Hasekoester, Dana Nicolay, Dr. Cindy Gratz and the late Jonathan Charles and Dr. James Miller who helped build his foundation in the arts. In the fall of his first year as a Musical Theatre Major at Sam Houston State University, Wilson released his first play, No Ways Tired, and received rave reviews from his peers and professors. The success of No Ways Tired reinforced Wilson's belief that he was called to be a writer. He followed in the footsteps of his cousin Ephraim Channel he worked on Broadway and was in the original cast of Ragtime, the musical. Wilson continued to hone his craft and began studying dance at The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and The Martha Graham School of Dance while finishing his degree.

After 9-11, Wilson moved back to Texas and began to teach and tour. Bryan-Keyth has choreographed a number of shows such as Mame, Once on This Island, Dreamgirls and Suessical the musical, off-Broadway and in Regional Theatres across the United States. He has written, produced and directed two plays Off-Broadway, Pamlet and The Subway Series Pt 1; both of which received great reviews in Backstage Magazine. Bryan-Keyth is a classically trained actor, singer, and dancer who has traveled abroad, perfecting his craft over the years. He has published two novels, Hood Boy Chronicles and Track Changes & White Lies, and now his first choreopoem FOR COLORED BOYZ. Wilson served as a Teaching Artist in the La Marque Independent School District and served as director for the award-winning La Marque High School Cougarettes Dance Team. Currently, Wilson serves as a contributing editor for Broadway World and is the Founding Artistic Director of Artists In Motion Performing and Visual Arts Academy located in Kemah, Texas. Not only a Theatre and Television guru, Bryan-Keyth has developed and molded the careers of many young musical theatre and commercial music artists mostly noted for developing the talent of Nichole Cordova who was a member of the pop group Girlicious.

ABOUT THE CAST

Amir Diamond (Man In Green) - Houston actor and media personality Amir Diamond is a familiar voice around the Bayou City. The current host of a weeknight show on 92.1 Radio Now began his radio career in 2011 with 97.9 The Box, where he hosted the station's #1 hit show "Late Night Hype" for three consecutive years. Some of his most notable roles include Scarecrow in The Wiz, Buddy Layman in The Diviners, and Romeo in Romeo & Juliet.

Gregory Malonson II (Man in Red) - FOR COLORED BOYZ marks the continuation of the journey up-and-comer Gregory Malonson II started when he began singing with his church choir at the age of three. Since, the model, actor and singer has appeared in national fashion magazines, runway shows, commercials, stage plays, and short and feature films while still pursuing his first love, music. Malonson aspires to be a visionary leader to his fans, friends and, most importantly, his six younger siblings.

Kristopher Adams (Man in Orange) - Kristopher began his acting career in the 5th grade and later in High School at George Washington Carver Magnet High of the Engineering and Performing Arts where he was seen in countless shows. Kristopher studied theatre at The University of Evansville. His credits include: The Christmas Carol (Dick Wilkins/ Ensemble), Ms. Frankie Lee (Redd), Pecong (Damballah), Shadow Hour (Skrag), Marriage (Stepan), Passing Strange (Franklin/ Joop/ Hugo), Bring It On, the musical (Ensemble). For Colored Boyz... will be Kristopher's return to stage after artistically devoting a year to writing, producing, directing and acting in his upcoming passion project film, "The Meeting That Shaped Amerikkka."

Marvin J. Young (Man in Black) - Born and raised in Opelousas, Louisiana, Marvin J. Young began acting in 2017 and has received formal training from the Acting Academy of Renee Rivion. Young first appeared as Caleb in Pearl Theatre's Miss Evers Boys before landing roles in The Origins of a Jealous Woman (Jackson), Swinging Covenants (Lewis), Beckett (4th Barron) and Kill Move Paradise (Daz), for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination from Broadway World Houston.

Jeremiah C. Gray (Man in Blue) - Jeremiah C. Gray began his artistic career studying classical ballet before venturing into theater and music. Gray went on to study theater at George Washington Carver Magnet School of Engineering and the Arts before continuing his studies at Prairie View A&M University. His roles include Fences (Gabe), Passing Strange (Mr. Venus), Dreamgirls (James Thunder Early), Black Nativity (Dancer) and Burlesque Masterpiece (Dancer). With aspirations of being an artistic director for a mainstream company, Gray currently pursues his passion for cultivating young artists as they create their own definition of artistry.

FOR COLORED BOYZ performances are March 29-30 at District Art Gallery 810 Richey St. and April 5-6, 2019 at Midtown Arts Center 3414 LaBranch. For tickets and information, please call (832) 526-4938 or visit www.4coloredboyz.com.

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