BARS AND MEASURES to Continue Rolling World Premiere in Minneapolis

Award-winning director Marion McClinton makes his directorial debut at the Jungle with BARS AND MEASURES, a music-filled new play with an original score by jazz composer Justin Ellington. A National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, the riveting drama by acclaimed playwright and spoken word artist Idris Goodwin is on stage August 26 through October 9 at the Lyn-Lake neighborhood theater, 2951 Lyndale Ave. S. in Minneapolis.

Based on a true story, Bars and Measures is an astonishing journey through faith, family, melody and time. This powerful tale stars Ansa Akyea and Darius Dotch as brothers Bilal and Eric. Both are accomplished musicians: one, a classical pianist, the other, a jazz bass player. One is Christian, the other Muslim. One is living in freedom and the other is in jail. Separated by bars, the brothers try to reconcile their differences through the language they know best: music.

The show, which has earned audience and critic acclaim in Chicago and Sacramento, also features the talents of Maxwell Collyard and Taous Khazem, who along with Akyea and Dotch, are making their first Jungle appearances. McClinton's creative team includes Trevor Bowen (costume design), Justin Ellington (sound design), Andrea Heilman (scenic design) and Michael Wangen (lighting design). E.G. Bailey is associate director.

Jungle Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen said, "We're honored to present our first play as a member of the National New Play Network. We are committed to creating space for new voices that spark meaningful dialogue, and Idris' important play is a timely piece that beautifully supports vital conversation between actors and audience."

Bars and Measures includes the Jungle's Come Early, Stay Late program offering pre- and post-show discussions at every performance. Come early (one hour prior to curtain) and stay late sessions (immediately following the show) give Audience members the opportunity to talk about the play's themes and ideas with people in the know.

Performances of Bars and Measures are Tuesdays ($35), Wednesdays ($35) and Thursdays ($40) at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays ($45) and Saturdays at 8 p.m. ($48); Sundays at 2 p.m. ($40) and 7:30 p.m. ($35). Preview performances on August 24-25 at 7:30 p.m. are $15. Rush tickets are offered every night of the week, based on availability two hours prior to the performance, and there is special Friday night pricing for students, 55408 neighborhood residents and employees, and those under 30 years of age. Tickets and more information are available at (612) 822-7063 or online at jungletheater.com.

Idris Goodwin is a playwright, spoken word performer, essayist and Hip-Hop artist. His plays include How We Got On, Remix 38 (Actors Theater of Louisville); And in this Corner: Cassius Clay (StageOne Family Theater), This is Modern Art (Steppenwolf), Blackademics (MPAACT, Crowded Fire). Goodwin is one of the six playwrights featured in Hands Up, an anthology commissioned by The New Black Fest and presented across the country. Upcoming world premiere productions include The Realness (Merrimack Theatre) and The Raid (Jackalope Theater). He is the recipient of Oregon Shakespeare's American History Cycle Commission and InterAct Theater's 20/20 Award. Goodwin has been a writer in residence at Berkeley Rep's Ground Floor Program, The Lark Playwriting Center and New Harmony Project. An accomplished hip-hop poet, his albums include Break Beat Poems and Rhyming While Black. Goodwin was featured on HBO, Sesame Street and Discovery Channel. He is the author of the pushcart nominated essay collection These are the Breaks (Write Bloody, 2011). Goodwin is the co-host and contributor to "Critical Karaoke," a radio show and podcast about music and culture. He teaches performance writing and Hip Hop aesthetics at Colorado College.

The National New Play Network (NNPN) is the country's alliance of non-profit professional theaters dedicated to the development, production, and continued life of new plays. Since its founding in 1998, NNPN has supported more than 200 productions nationwide through its innovative National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere program, which provides playwright and production support for new works at its Member theaters. Additional programs - its annual National Conference, National Showcase of New Plays, and MFA Playwrights Workshop; the NNPN Annual and Smith Prize commissions; its residencies for playwrights, producers and directors; and the organization's member accessed Collaboration, Festival, and Travel banks and online information sessions - have helped cement the Network's position as a vital force in the new play landscape. NNPN also strives to pioneer, implement, and disseminate ideas and programs that revolutionize the way theaters collaborate to support new plays and playwrights. Its most recent project, the New Play Exchange is changing the way playwrights share their work and others discover it. NNPN's 29 Core and more than 75 Associate Members - along with the more than 250 affiliated artists who are its alumni, the thousands of artists and artisans employed annually by its member theaters, and the hundreds of thousands of Audience members who see its supported works each year - are creating the new American theater.

The Jungle Theater, headed by Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen, is a neighborhood theater with a national impact. As one of the region's most dynamic theaters, the Jungle is known for its definitive productions, exquisite design, masterful acting and compelling storytelling. Since its founding in 1991, the Jungle has been a flagship example of the transformative power of the performing arts, playing a vital, continuing role in the economic, social and cultural life of its Minneapolis Lyn-Lake neighborhood.

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