KWANZAA: A CELEBRATION OF UNITY Debuts December 26

The Robey Theatre Company is presenting a new play, Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Unity, to coincide with the seven-day celebration of the winter festival of Kwanzaa, from December 26, 2021, through January 1, 2022.

Kwanzaa is a festival of African American culture, inspired by African harvest festivals and created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, chair of Africana Studies at Cal State Long Beach.

In the play Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Unity, Dr. Agu, an American Black Studies professor, has traveled to Ghana in order to trace his own ancestral roots. Ghana is subjected to an abrupt and complete pandemic lockdown. Dr. Agu cannot leave his hotel, much less return to America. He is compelled to teach his students back in the U.S.A. via Zoom. Dr. Agu offers his students a more complete version of American history and teaches the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa as a blueprint for living a responsible, productive, and ethical life.

His Stateside class of American students is a diverse bunch. In addition to Black students, there is a young white woman, a Latinx, a Chinese American rapper, and a white supremacist nationalist. This white supremacist will prove to be a challenge to Dr. Agu and the entire class of students. However, surprises are in store, and this academic adventure will be an eye-opening experience for all.

Ben Guillory, the Producing Artistic Director and Co-Founder of The Robey Theatre Company, directs a cast that includes Jermaine Alexander, JC Cadena, Christina Childress, Garret Davis, Matt Jennings, Nate Lovell, Terry "Tes" Scott-Mitchell, Mona Mohamed, Crystal Nix, Amara Phelps, Ke Shi, Kyle Sparks, William Warren, Jess Weaver, and Mr. Guillory.

The play was commissioned and developed in collaboration with The Robey Theatre Company, Ben Guillory serving as dramaturge. Marie Y. Lemelle and Barbara Bullen are the playwrights.

Marie Y. Lemelle received her MBA from the University of La Verne. A journalist, casting director, film producer, and screenwriter, this is her first play. She is the CEO and Founder of her own firms Platinum Star Public Relations, Inc. and Platinum Star Media Group, Inc.

Barbara Bullen, a graduate of Cal State LA, is the author of 49 books and 15 screenplays. She is the owner of Andersons Screenplays and Dreamworld Literature.

Producer: Ben Guillory. Associate Producers: JC Cadena, Jermaine Alexander. Video Production: Jermaine Alexander. Narrator/Stage Manager: Crystal Nix. Graphic Design: Jason Mimms. Music Director: Cydney Wayne Davis.

Zoom links will be sent to audience members who register in advance at http://therobeytheatrecompany.org/our-events

Alternatively, you can subscribe to The Robey's YouTube Channel and receive notifications regarding the play's availability on YouTube. Sign up at: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRobeyTheatreCompany.

It is FREE to watch this play. However, because The Robey is a nonprofit developmental theatre organization, a voluntary $10 donation will be gratefully accepted at: http://therobeytheatrecompany.org/donate

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