the new school's nth degree series and project1voice present #six01 - words of change: Dr. martin luther king, jr.A Free Staged Reading Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Assassination of MLK and The Civil Rights Act of 1968 |
March 12, 2018, New York — This year marks a half-century since Dr. Martin Luther King's earthly journey ended and the Civil Rights Act of 1968 was passed. To memorialize this occasion, The New School's Nth Degree Series and Project1VOICE present Words of Change—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the New School on April 4, 2018 at 6:01 p.m. in the Auditorium Room 106, 66 West 12th Street. This special staged reading event uses as its centerpiece excerpts from a recovered speech, The Summer of Our Discontent, delivered by Dr. King on February 6, 1964 at The New School. The hour-long speech which details the reasons for civil activism in 1963, was part of a 15-part lecture series called American Race Crisis. The recording of the speech was originally aired by Amherst College's student radio station in 1964. Produced by New School associate professor of Media Studies, Michelle Materre and Project1VOICE and co-directed by New School alumna Seret Scott and Project1VOICE founder Erich McMillan-McCall, Words of Change is a multidisciplinary event—featuring music, theater, dance, film, photography and visual art. It focuses on themes from The Summer of Our Discontent that relate to modern-day events, memorializing Dr. King's message of hope and inspiration. This commemorative event will be presented in the same auditorium Dr. King delivered the speech in 1964, and begins promptly at the precise moment Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee—6:01 p.m. Original music and arrangements by Khemestry will underscore the speech featuring The New School Jazz ensemble with scenic design by Curtis Wallin, and lighting design by New School alumnus Corey Paul. The free performance will be Livestreamed on Livestream.com/TheNewSchool and archived on The New School’s YouTube Channel: YouTube.com/TheNewSchool. Director of Communications for the Black Lives Matter Global Network and The New School's inaugural Activist-in-Residence, Shanelle Matthews will lead the call-to-action response immediately following the speech. This event will be ASL interpreted and the auditorium is wheelchair accessible. Doors will open at 5:15 p.m. for a pre-show program of music from the 1960s that begins at 5:30 p.m. Latecomers for Words of Change which begins promptly at 6:01 p.m. will not be permitted into the theater once the presentation begins until there is an appropriate break. Tickets are required for this free event and are available on Eventbrite: LINK HERE. The intersectionally diverse ensemble of Words of Change reflects the spirit of America and the world. The cast will include New School faculty, staff, alumni and students along with acting talents from stage, television and film. Among those scheduled to appear include: Camille A. Brown (NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar Live), Carmen de Lavallade (2017 Kennedy Center Honors recipient), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird), Norm Lewis (ABC's Scandal), Stanley Wayne Mathis (NBC's Rise), Ruben Santiago-Hudson (BET's The Quad), Tamara Tunie (NBC's Law and Order: SVU) and special guest David Dinkins (former Mayor of New York City). This event is also part of Project1VOICE's global memorialization of Dr. King called SIX:01. Each day during the week of April 2-8, 2018, Project1VOICE invites concerned citizens around the world to unite for sixty-one seconds of silence at 6:01 p.m. to find ways we can all become more informed and engaged in our communities and the world. The goal of this call-to-action and community engagement event is to make 6:01 a.m. and p.m. daily reminders of Dr. King and the action we must all take to fulfill America’s promise of a more just, equal and accepting world. The hashtag for all social media posts is #SIX01. Project1VOICE, Inc. (P1V) is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit performing arts service organization based in New York City. Its mission is to provide significant support, accessibility and adequate representation for the Black experience in the American theater--an integral sector of the English-speaking theater—through robust programming and innovative partnerships. For more information visit: www.project1voice.org This event is co-sponsored by The New School’s Nth Degree Series featuring thinkers, visionaries, and creators who bring about positive change in the world; the Schools of Public Engagement; Bachelor’s Program for Adults and Transfer Students; Global and Urban Studies programs; and Office of the Senior Vice President of Social Justice. Additional support is provided by the departments of Foreign Languages, Gender and Ethnic Studies, The New Historia Project, and the Creatively Speaking Film Series. |
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Media Contacts: Will Wilbur, |
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