THE TRILOGY Examines Challenges Faced by African American Men

Three theater veterans who originally connected at the Paul Robeson Theater have come together to present The Trilogy - An Evening of One-Act Plays at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space, June 22-30. Co-produced by playwright Gary Batson (Phoenix Arts) and actor Eugene Daniels (Daniels Productions), this production represents the completion of an idea that was postponed by the untimely death of their third partner Arnold Beauchamp, former artistic director of the Robeson. Now directing the production is Evria Ince-Waldron, also from The Paul Robeson Theater.

The three plays of The Trilogy offer a look into the challenges faced by African American men as fathers, husbands and partners; men who turn their back on children who are disabled or gay, husbands struggling to define manhood apart from the violence or infidelity around them and black males looking to find their own road, separate and different from white men.

The Trilogy is comprised of three one-act plays:

Ill Winds - An ex-boxer wages multiple battles in and out of the ring: drug addiction, ageing, his failing marriage and the life of his son.

Self-Inflicted Wounds - A father investigates the suicide of his only son and uncovers a mystery that shakes him, his family and friends to the bone.

Codes - A shoot-out between rival gang members that results in the tragic death of a toddler, makes the entire community question their humanity and the code of the street, weighing the paradox of snitching or doing the right thing.

"The plays in The Trilogy are based on the cumulative experiences and observations that I've encountered over the years," says playwright Gary Batson. "Men often have difficulty defining manhood. For black American men, it becomes even more complicated when viewed as a mirror image - the opposite - of what white men do."

The Trilogy - Three One-Act Plays by Gary Batson

*Ill Winds *Self-Inflicted Wounds *Codes

Director: Evria Ince-Waldron

Cast: Eugene Daniels, Asha John, Brocton Pierce, Laurie Avant, Tinyan Asemota, Angela Lewis, Jineara Hampton, Russell Dieterle, Rashaan B. Willerforde, Xavon Ross

Friday, June 22 at 7:30pm

Saturday, June 23 at 3pm and 7:30pm

Friday, June 29 at 7:30pm

Saturday, June 30 at 3pm and 7:30pm

Tickets: $40 here

Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space

2537 Broadway at 95th Street

1, 2, 3 Trains to 96th Street

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