Lorraine Hansberry Theatre to Present Rolling World Premiere of THE BLACK FEMINIST GUIDE TO THE HUMAN BODY

Lorraine Hansberry Theatre has revealed its Fall 2024 mainstage production, THE BLACK FEMINIST GUIDE TO THE HUMAN BODY written by Lisa B. Thompson, the nationally acclaimed playwright and San Francisco native.

An older Black woman professor encounters herself as she moves through time and memory to explore and honor the uniqueness of Black womanhood. Performing September 19 to October 6 at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, this new play continues Thompson's career-long examination of Black womanhood in America in a new work guaranteed to uplift and inspire.

"I've had a beautiful experience developing this choreopoem," says Thompson. "I love watching audiences become enthralled by the delicate poetry, lush history and sweet melodies of Black womanhood. I'm absolutely delighted that Margo Hall will helm the final production of The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body this year."

A daring celebration of life and the resilience of Black women, The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body marks Thompson's triumphant return to the Bay Area in a rolling world premiere celebrating the joys and challenges of growing older and wiser.

As scholars, mothers, and leaders, Black women have given everything for our communities, having spent decades doing CPR on the nation and having left too little for themselves. 'The Black Feminist Guide' offers validation, self-love and a collective exhale by centering Black women's voices and lived experiences: past and present. Thompson's new work is not only a joyous, raucous and spiritual event, but it is a love letter to Black women and their families who know that, in spite of it all, we are still here.

"I had the pleasure of seeing The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body in Austin for the launch of the rolling world premiere," says LHT Artistic Director Margo Hall. "It was truly a spiritual experience. I am looking forward to taking on the role of directing this impactful play alongside our exceptionally skilled actors. Together, we aim to bring about healing and inspiration to our beloved Bay Area community."

This rolling world premiere production first launched at Austin's Vortex Theatre in April 2024, and then moved to Des Moines' Pyramid Theatre in June 2024. Now arriving in San Francisco, The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body triumphantly concludes its first ever national tour at Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, riding a wave of accolades from reviewers and audiences alike.

"Passionately advocating for healthy aging while confronting the alarming health disparities for Black women, The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body encourages Black women to find joy and wisdom in aging rather than despair, and to support each other to intentionally aspire to the "softer life." As Thompson put it, 'We need to be resting and napping and not always grinding out here. And now I understand rituals of care in a different way, and I wanted to translate that.' - American Theatre Magazine
The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body will be presented at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture from September 19 to October 6.

Tickets range from $25 - $65* and are available now!

For more information, and for tickets, please visit www.lhtsf.org.

*Ticket prices are subject to change

ABOUT NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT

The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by SEW Productions Inc, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. VORTEX Repertory Company, FUSEBOX AUSTIN, Pyramid Theatre Company, and NPN. The Creation & Development Fund is supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency). For more information: www.npnweb.org

ABOUT Lorraine Hansberry THEATRE

Named to honor the trailblazing playwright of A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre (LHT) is one of the West Coast's oldest and most renowned professional theaters dedicated to creating theatrical works by, for, and about the Black experience. LHT supports a new generation of aspiring Black artists, curates theater experiences that validate Black life, and invites audiences to witness Black history and culture. LHT supports theater-makers by providing the necessary resources to realize their visions, offering career development opportunities and programs for diverse individuals, and holding spaces to communicate, commune and thrive.

In recent years, LHT has moved to center Black female & femme identifying playwrights through the company's innovative New Black Voices Program, which aims to support a new generation of Black artists as they create socially impactful works that uplift Black voices, and celebrate community.

- CREATIVE TEAM -
Playwright: Lisa B. Thompson
Director: Margo Hall
Beatrice: Jacinta Kaumbulu
Cee Cee: Paige Mayes*
Dee: Phaedra Tillery-Boughton*
Understudy: Asia Jackson
Dramaturg: Amissa Miller
Props & Set Designer: Brittany Mellerson
Costume Designer: Jasmine Milan Williams
Lighting Designer: M.D. Combs
Sound Designer: Alex Fakayode
Projections/Video Designer: Tajianna Okechukwu
Choreography: Kendra Barnes
Stage Manager: Vanessa Hill*

*Member of Actors Equity Association

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