Red Bull Theater Presents Livestream Benefit Reading of AMERICAN MOOR

RED BULL THEATER today announced that its fall offerings will continue with an informal benefit livestream reading of Keith Hamilton Cobb's American Moor, which the company produced Off-Broadway in the fall of 2019.

American Moor is the award-winning, tour-de-force play that takes audiences behind-the-scenes and into the audition room as an African-American actor responds to the demands of a white director presuming to better understand Shakespeare's iconic black character, Othello.

The reading is part of OTHELLO 2020, a multi-program initiative providing an engaging and educational experience for all who are interested in Shakespeare's Othello and its relationship to the world in which we live today.

American Moor will premiere LIVE at 7:30 PM EDT on Monday, October 12th. For this special benefit occasion, the original Off-Broadway cast, Keith Hamilton Cobb and actor Josh Tyson, will offer an informal reading of his play from their homes. Ayana Workman will read stage directions. They will bring Cobb's text to life for a whole new audience, simply and without ornamentation. A recording of the livestream will be available until 7:00 PM EDT on Friday, October 16 - then it disappears. This is a free event, but advance reservations are recommended.

On Thursday October 15 at 7:30 PM EDT, there will be a post-performance Bull Session, an interactive online discussion with some of the artists involved and top scholars, including scholar Erika Lin, original director Kim Weild, and the company. Registrants will receive a link to participate.

A passionate and poetic exploration, American Moor is an essential look at the experience and perspective of black men in America while challenging the capacity of the American theatre to make all people fully visible and embraced. Red Bull Theater presented an acclaimed production of Cobb's play Off-Broadway in the Fall of 2019 at the Cherry Lane Theater. Jesse Green, writing for The New York Times said, "Fascinating. The thick racial tension of the premise predominates. It's about performing Othello but also, in a way, about being Othello: a black man trying to find a path to excellence in a society anxious to keep him in his place."

Keith Hamilton Cobb is an actor who has been drawn mostly to the stage in his working life, but is also recognized for several unique character portrayals he has created for television. He has appeared in classical and contemporary roles on regional stages country-wide. He is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in acting. You can learn more about any and all of his work at AmericanMoor.com and KeithHamiltonCobb.com.

Continuing through October 28th, the multi-program online-only OTHELLO 2020 initiative also includes a premiere reading of Anchuli Felicia King's new play Keene, concerning the first known African American actor to perform the role of Othello; and a multi-part salon seminar series: Exploring Othello in 2020 that will bring together a group of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) theater artists to read and discuss Shakespeare's Othello with celebrated Shakespeare scholar, Ayanna Thompson.

Red Bull Theater is committed to continuing connection during this historic time. Red Bull's online readings offer the unique opportunity to hear rarely-produced classic plays, and brand new plays in conversation with the classics, performed by the finest actors in New York. All of Red Bull Theater's fall offerings are FREE, but advance reservations are recommended. Tax-deductible donations are encouraged to support Red Bull and invest in the vitality of classical theater for a contemporary audience. For details visit redbulltheater.com/othello-2020.

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