Crossroads Theatre Company Presents SOCIAL JUSTICE: GENESIS

During this period of highly charged political campaigns and just a few days prior to Election Day, the Crossroads Theatre Company will present Social Justice: Genesis, an evening of short plays focusing on themes of social justice at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 4.

Admission is free for Crossroads members and high school students with ID and $20 general admission. To purchase, go online or call732-545-8100. Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to local social justice organizations. Crossroads is located at 7 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick.

The event will feature staged readings of plays by Nikkole Salter, author of Repairing a Nation; Edith Oliver Award winner Rick Sordelet; Crossroads' producing artistic Marshall Jones, III; Rutgers University student Sienna Jones, and two high school students, Ashley Kiser and Michael Villanueva from the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical High School.

Nikkole Salter's Peace Officer Privilege explores a young African American female's encounter with police officers over a pair of shorts.

Choices, by Rick Sordelet, is a gripping drama about a police officer and his abductor exploring tensions between law enforcement and the black community.

The Denial and Delusion of Our Founding Fathers, by Marshall Jones III, reimagines Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin working on a draft of the Declaration of Independence with side commentary from their butler.

Open Your Eyes, by Sienna L. Jones, a junior English major at Rutgers, offers a comical look at two college roommates of different races.

Packing by Michael Villanueva explores childhood friendship and experiences between a Latino male and black male.

Another Hashtag by Ashley Kiser is about a couple going to fertility specialists to try to have a baby.

The readings will be followed by a town hall-style discussion with the audience and select community leaders.

Founded in 1978 by Ricardo Khan and L. Kenneth Richardson, Crossroads Theatre Company embraces the vision that African-American theater is intended for a broad-based, diverse audience. As a major force in the development of new ideas and the introduction of formerly marginalized writers, Crossroads produces works that enrich and diversify the representation of African American culture on the American stage. The Genesis Festival was begun in 1987 to provide playwrights an environment in which to develop new works and allow them to engage with audiences at staged readings.

For more information about Crossroads, go to crossroadstheatrecompany.org or call 732-545-8100. Crossroads is located at 7 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, N.J. 08901.

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