Theatre Rhinoceros Presents A LADY AND A WOMAN, Now thru 3/24

Theatre Rhinoceros presents... A Lady and a Woman by Shirlene Holmes, starring Velina Brown* and Dawn L. Troupe*. Directed by John Fisher, the show will make its Bay Area premiere, tonight, March 7 - 24, 2013, playing Wed. - Sat. - 8:00 pm / Sun. - 3:00 pm. Previews March 7 & 8 (Thurs. & Fri.). Opens Sat. March 9 - 8:00 pm at the Eureka Theatre in San Francisco. Visit www.TheRhino.org for more information.

At a time long before it was "ok," in the last place you'd think it was permissible, two African- American women forge a bond that will last forever. The play A Lady and a Woman is about hope, devotion and the gifts awarded to the bold and true of heart. African-American playwright Shirlene Holmes' critically-acclaimed love story recounts the courage of African-American women in the late 19th century using folklore and interlocking themes of spirituality and sexuality in the setting of a small southern town to tell the story of two women who find in each other the courage to begin a new life. The 2-character play stars Bay Area favorites Velina Brown - Miss Flora (SF Mime Troupe), and Dawn L. Troupe - Biddie (AIDA - Willows Theatre).

A Lady and a Woman is directed by John Fisher. Scenic & Lighting Design by
Jon Wai-keung Lowe, Jan Brown (Stage Manager).

A Lady and a Woman will have its Bay Area premiere in this exclusive Theatre Rhinoceros production in San Francisco for a limited engagement .The show plays tonight, March 7 - 24, 2013, Wed. - Sat. - 8:00 pm / Sun. - 3:00 pm. Previews are March 7 & 8 (Thurs. & Fri.) at 8:00 pm. (No Press at Previews please.) Opening night is Sat., March 9 - 8:00 pm.

Individual performance dates are: March 7, 8 (previews), 9, 10 / 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 / 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 2013. Shows are at The Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson St. (btwn Front & Battery, in SF 94111, Embarcadero BART).

Tickets are $15-$30 and are available at http://www.therhino.org/buy.htm or
(800) 838-3006. (Previews are $15.) Trailer: http://tinyurl.com/a3982b8.

Velina Brown (Miss Flora) is an award-winning actress, singer/songwriter, and director whose artistic home for several years has been the San Francisco Mime Troupe. She performs regularly at several Bay Area Theatre companies including: American Conservatory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Magic, TheatreWorks, Shotgun Players, SF Playhouse, and The Denver Theatre Center among many others. Film and TV appearances include Party of Five, Nash Bridges, Trauma, Final Witness, Bee Season, Maladaptive, One Way to Valhalla and Milk. Velina is also a coach and writes a monthly column for Theatre Bay Area Magazine called "The Business of Show Biz."

Dawn L. Troupe (Biddie) appeared in Caroline, or Change; Dessa Rose; Memphis; Book of Days; Ragtime; and New Works Festival readings of The Madam C.J. Walker Story, The Giver, Memphis, The Water, A Little Princess, and The Funkentine Rapture at TheatreWorks. She has also appeared in Spunk (Blues Speak Woman at California Shakespeare Theatre), In the Red and Brown Water (Aunt Elegua) and a staged reading of Blood/Money (Keisa) at Marin Theatre Company; Marcus Gardley's This World in a Woman's Hands (Eva/Nova, Shotgun Theatre); Ragtime (Sarah, Broadway by the Bay); Beehive (San Jose Stage Company); Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida (Aida) and The Wiz (Addaperle) at Willows Theatre Company; South Pacific (Nurse) at American Musical Theatre of San Jose; and developmental productions of The Fourth Messenger (Mama Sid at Ashby Stage) and Buffalo'ed (Della at Oakland Public Theatre).

Shirlene Holmes (Playwright) is a native New Yorker. After completing her undergraduate work there she earned her M.F.A. (Theatre) and doctorate (Speech Communication) at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL. Currently, Dr. Holmes is an Associate Professor at Georgia State University where she has taught Speech, Theatre, Women Studies, and African American Studies courses since 1989. She has also taught at Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, and Agnes Scott College. The highlights of Dr. Holmes' career are earning advanced degrees in her field; having her plays produced on national and international stages; and being a two time alum of Playwriting Intensive Program at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Along with having her works performed before live audiences, she has also had works filmed for TV. Her piece, "Split Tale Reflection" was filmed for the BLACK FAMILY CHANNEL, headed by Robert Townsend. In addition Dr. Holmes has been the recipient of many awards and honors for her creative works, leadership and community service. Holmes' dramas are rooted in the African American experience. For over 25 years she has used theatre as a vehicle for education, inspiration, and to facilitate social change. Dr. Holmes' plays give voice to the marginalized in society and celebrate the profundity of The Common person.

John Fisher (Director) Fisher's plays include The Joy of Gay Sex, which was produced Off-Broadway, and Medea: The Musical, which was produced as a part of the HBO Comedy Arts Festival and ran for eighteen months in its original San Francisco production. John is a two-time winner of the Will Glickman Playwright Award, and a recipient of an NEA Project Grant, a GLAAD Media Award, two L.A. Weekly Awards, a Garland Award, two Cable Car Awards, a San Francisco Bay Guardian Goldie Award, and five Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle Awards. He holds a Ph.D. in Dramatic Art from the UC Berkeley and has taught at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, ACT and at the Yale School of Drama. Recent work includes SexRev: The José Sarria Experience, a Theatre Rhino production at CounterPULSE.

Theatre Rhinoceros, America's longest running professional queer theatre, develops and produces works of theatre that enlighten, enrich, and explore both the ordinary and the extraordinary aspects of our queer community.

*Member Actor's Equity Association

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