Trustus Theatre Presents PASSING STRANGE, 3/23

Trustus Theatre is preparing to open one of their most ambitious projects in years as the Obie Award-winning and Tony Nominated Passing Strange comes to the Midlands. Local visual artists, singer-songwriters, dancers, and theater artists are coming together to make Trustus' production a celebration of the intensely active arts scene in Columbia. Passing Strange opens Friday March 23rd, 2012 at 8:00pm on the Trustus Main Stage. The show runs through April 14th, 2012.

Passing Strange, created by singer-songwriter and performance artist Stew, is a daring musical that takes audiences on a journey across boundaries of place, identity and theatrical convention. Stew, a popular performer at Joe's Pub, was commissioned by The Public Theater of New York to develop this heartfelt and hilarious story of a young bohemian who charts a course for "the real" through sex, drugs and rock and roll. Loaded with soulfully poetic lyrics and overflowing with passion, the show takes us from black, middle-class America to Amsterdam, Berlin and beyond on a voyage towards personal and artistic authenticity.

Visual artists Thomas Crouch, Whitney LeJune, Michael Krajewski, Paul Kaufmann, Alex Smith, Lucas Sams, Cedric Umoja, Lindsay Wiggins, Lisa Puryear, and David West signed on to create new pieces that would be used in the scenic design of the show. Local singer-songwriters Day Clean, Shameka Dwight, Christopher Jackson, and The Mobros will be providing pre-show entertainment as one of the acts will play a set every night before each evening performance.

Passing Strange opens on the Trustus Main Stage on Friday, March 23rd at 8:00pm and runs through Saturday, April 14th, 2012. Shows on Thursdays start at 7:30pm, Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 3:00pm (there is only one Sunday matinee on April 1st). All tickets are $25. Opening music acts begin their sets 30 minutes prior to evening curtain times. Half-price student tickets are available 15 minutes prior to every curtain.

Trustus Theatre is located at 520 Lady Street, behind the Gervais St. Publix. Parking is available on Lady St. and on Pulaski St. The Main Stage entrance is located on the Publix side of the building.

For more information or reservations call the box office Tuesdays through Saturdays 1-6 pm at 803-254-9732. Visit www.trustus.org for all show information and season info.

Photo: Thomas Hammond

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