Classical Theater of Harlem to Present 'Death' Outdoors

The Classical Theater of Harlem (CTH) will present their critically acclaimed production of AIN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH outdoors in city parks throughout New York City. This will be the first time that Melvin Van Peebles' landmark musical will be performed in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Performances will be on July 25th & 26th at Von King Park (Brooklyn), July 29th, August 1st & 2nd in Marcus Garvey Park (Manhattan), August 8th & 9th at East River Park (Manhattan) and August 15th & 16th in St. Mary's Park (the Bronx). All performances are free to the public. The show is part of the third season of City Parks Foundation's (CPF) CityParks Theater Presented by Time Warner.

A totally unique fiction form, AIN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH is a gutsy, lusty narrative of Black street life that explores every aspect of ghetto life. Peopled by junkies, pimps, drag queens, crooked cops, lovers, and dreamers, Van Peebles' play is considered a tradition-shattering and trend-setting work that spawned the choreopoem, spoken word, and rap music. AIN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE was a huge hit on Broadway in its original inception, where it was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.  The recent off-Broadway revival at the Classical Theatre of Harlem garnered 7 AUDELCO Awards and received a Drama Desk nomination for Best Revival of a Musical.  The show has been touring the country and is now returning to New York, the city where it is set.

The press was unanimous in their praise of this new production of AIN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH when it ran off-Broadway in 2006. The New York Times said, "This early precursor to hip-hop, rap and poetry slams is a get-down, roiling depiction of ghetto life" and goes on to say that the show, "explodes like a round of mini-riots... [a] streetwise lava flow… this funky assault on the senses retains its raucous bite several decades after its first incarnation." The Amsterdam News said that "AIN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH is kicking butt and taking numbers… sit down and wait to be mesmerized." The Black Star News wrote, "Van Peebles takes his audience on a real life journey through a subliminal time machine, masterfully luring his unsuspecting subjects – the audience – into the regurgitating belly of the beast which is Black street life in the early 1970s." And Show Business Weekly said, "In a climate of mostly tame musical theatre, this Natural remedy for the Broadway blues couldn't be more timely."

"This play couldn't be more timely," said Alfred Preisser, Artistic Director of the Classical Theatre of Harlem and the director of this production. "The Sean Bell shooting incident that recently tore the city apart is distressingly similar to the centerpiece of AIN'T. Many of the problems discussed in the show are still very much a part of daily life in New York." CTH is bringing the play directly to the people that will be depicted on stage, and offering it to them free of charge.
The cast for AIN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE includes Charles Browning, Andrea Cosley, Cherrye Davis, Keith Jamal Downing, Tracy Jack, Kimberly Dalton Mitchell, Taharaqua Patterson, Libya Pugh, James Singletary, Chazz Reuben, Willie Teacher, and Reji Woods.

Melvin Van Peebles is best known as the "godfather of independent film and modem black cinema," and he has also distinguished himself in an impressive list of other mediums, including the theater, where his work has garnered nine Tony Award nominations, seven of them for the original Broadway production of AIN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE.  A new documentary about his life, "How To Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (And Enjoy It)" premiered at the Film Forum on January 20th and will soon be released in theaters nationwide.  Mr. Van Peebles' latest film, Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-Itchyfooted Mutha, premiered at the TriBeca Film Festival last month and is now touring the country.

Since being co-founded in 1999 by Alfred Preisser and Christopher McElroen, the Classical Theatre of Harlem has staged thirty-six productions, which have included numerous works by Shakespeare, Melvin Van Peebles' AIN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH and Jean Genet's seminal political drama, THE BLACKS: A CLOWN SHOW. The Classical Theatre of Harlem is dedicated to producing theatre that truly reflects the diversity of ideas and racial tapestry of New York City. Their long list of awards includes 5 OBIE Awards, 2 Lucille Lortel Awards, a Drama Desk Award and the Edwin Booth Award for Artistic Excellence, among many others.  Their most recent work includes Langston Hughes' BLACK NATIVITY presented by the New 42nd Street and a site specific production of Samuel Beckett's WAITING FOR GODOT staged outdoors in the Lower Ninth Ward and Gentilly neighborhoods of New Orleans.

CityParks Theater Presented by Time Warner was offered for the first time in 2006, beginning an annual summertime presentation of free theater in city parks. For the 2008 season, CPF is working with several New York City theater groups to create "park residencies" offering performances and hands-on workshops for adults and children. For more information visit www.CityParksFoundation.org or call (212) 360-8290.

City Parks Foundation is the only independent, nonprofit organization to offer programming in parks throughout the five boroughs of New York City. By creating free arts, sports and educational programs in over 700 public parks, and by encouraging community development within public parks as a focal point, City Parks Foundation helps to revitalize not only parks but also the neighborhoods that surround them. Its programs and community-building initiatives now reach more than 600,000 New Yorkers each year contributing to the renewal of neighborhoods throughout New York City with a particular focus on some of the city's most underserved areas. The Classical Theatre of Harlem is pleased to be part of the third season presented by Time Warner. For more information on City Parks Foundation, visit their web site at www.CityParksFoundation.org.

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