HMAAC 2017 Commeration of Dr. King's I Have A Dream Speech

CONTACTS HMAAC Executive and Media: John Guess, Jr. CEO (713) 444-6720 (phone/ text) jguess@hmaac.org

GENERAL MEDIA CONTACT Jacqueline Taylor-Adams TaylorAdams Marketing & MgMt (877) 552-7012, x1111 (484) 964-5400 (mobile phone/text) media@tayloradamsmarketing.com

FIRST WORLD THEATRE ENSEMBLE Executive and Media: Zuhairah McGill Founder/ Producing Artistic Director (267) 329-97 46 firstworldtheatre@gmail.com

CONTACT: John Guess, Jr. Houston Museum of African American Culture

(713) 526-1015 jguess@hmacc.org

H aAC HOUSTON MUSEUM o f AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE

PRESS RELEASE IN THIS SEASON OF MASS RACISM DISTRACTION, REMEMBER TO DREAM...

DURING THE ANNIVERSARY OF DR. KING'S ICONIC "I HAVE ADREAM" SPEECH HMAAC UNEARTHS UNTOLD TRUTHS AND REFOCUSES THE NARRATIVE ...

August 25 thru 27, 2017 HMAAC presents the Houston Premiere of Lois Moses' Gripping Fact-based Drama, "Say That He Had More Than A Dream ... " Houston, TX-August 22, 2017: The Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC), in

association with First World Theatre Ensemble, presents the Houston premiere of Lois Moses' "Say That He More Than A Dream" directed by Zuhairah McGill and choreography by Charles Tyson, Jr. August 25 thru 27, 2017. Showtimes are 8:00 pm Friday and Saturday and 3:00 pm on Sunday in the Matchbox 2 theatre at Match located 3400 Main Street, Houston, TX. General Admission is $10.00; Seniors $5.00; Children $5.00 and receive $5 off each ticket when you purchase two or more general admission tickets using code HMAACCOUPLES. The museum has chosen to partner with Philadelphia's First World Theatre Ensemble to present this

drama during the anniversary of Dr. King's iconic and timeless, "I Have A Dream" speech . "Say That He Has A Dream" gives us another lens through which to view the lives of Dr. Martin Luther and Mrs. Coretta Scott King. Lois Moses moves us beyond the mountaintop as she unveils untold truths in her gripping drama that chronicles the last years of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life after his controversial "Beyond Vietnam" Speech at Riverside Church in 1967. These unknowns unveil themselves through conversations between Dr. King and civil-rights activist Stokley Carmichael, the Poor People's Campaign and the J. Edgar Hoover administration's four-year FBI harassment of Mrs. Coretta Scott King.

According to HMAAC CEO, John Guess, Jr., "This play is an opportunity for Houston to remember 'to

dream.' There is no better time than today to honor our Dreamer, Dr. Martin Luther King."

The dynamic ensemble cast, starring Ron Lee Jones, Zuhairah, Jaron C. Battle, Nicole Stacie, Kala

Moses Baxter, Sanchel Brown and Lois Moses, aptly infuses powerful acting with spoken word, music, song, dance, and visual media.

Actor/ Director Zuhairah McGill brings Lois Moses' work to the realm of experience. The audience

feels every moment. As Dr. Maurice Henderson reported about the world premier which Ms. McGill also produced via her award-winning company, First World Theatre Ensemble, "From primal laughter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, August 22, 2017 Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) • 2807 Caroline, Houston, TX 77004 • www.hmaac.org

CONTACT: John Guess, Jr. Houston Museum of African American Culture {713) 526-1015 jguess@hmacc.org

H

C

HOUSTON MUSEUM o f AFRICAN AMER ICAN CU LTURE

to emotional tears, attendees were touched to the soul ... " Her directing experience has spanned over 30 years having directed over 20 plays on and off Broadway ranging from "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf" to "Hairspray."

Lois Moses, Esq, a Philadelphia native, is a speaker, author, poet, playwright, actress, lawyer, and

filmmaker who combines her theatrical, musical and dance background to creatively produce powerful mediums of performance art. An award-winning filmmaker for her short film entitled, "And They Jumped Into the Water ... Some," Lois has been touring colleges and conferences with her Woman to Woman Conversation, "Beyond Sound and Fury ... Sacrifice as the True Poetic Voice." As an actress and a member of the acclaimed Actor's Studio since 1990, Lois has studied under actors such as Martin Landau and Shelly Winters and toured and performed extensively throughout the US with Pittsburgh's Kuntu Repertory Theater and Philadelphia's National Black Author's Tour.

As a poet, she has self-published two spoken word CDs, "Loise Moses" and "Say That He Had More Than A Dream" as well as three books of poetry, Not Just Another... Black/Woman, Missing Pages ...

(Women Behind the Glass Door}, A Timely Trinity. As a performance artist, she has performed with nationally renowned artists such as Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, Dr. Kimmika L. H. Williams, Regie Gibson, and Jill Scott. Lois will soon release her fourth book, "Freedom Not Them Give" and, as an extension of her poetry, conducts motivational workshops for women and men geared toward addressing the necessity of healing and self-evaluation.

Tickets are now on sale and may be secured at Match box office located 3400 Main Street in Houston,

TX. Tickets are also available by phone, 713-521-4533, or online at https://matchouston.org/events/say-he-had-more-dream .

ABOUT HOUSTON MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE

The mission of HMAAC is to collect, conserve, explore, interpret, and exhibit the material and intellectual culture of Africans and African Americans in Houston, the state of Texas, the southwest and the African Diaspora for current and future generations. In fulfilling its mission, HMAAC seeks to invite and engage visitors of every race and background and to inspire children of all ages through discoverydriven learning. HMAAC is to be a museum for all people. HMAAC seeks to be a cultural portal through which people share and converge histories and contemporary experiences that acknowledge and expand the African American experience, and from such interactions come together to build a common future.

To learn more about and support HMAAC, call (713) 526-1015 or visit on line at http://www.hmaac.org.

"What I want the audience to leave with ... is an artistic and experiential proclamation and reformation of the life of Dr. King ... And, I charge them to be better, not bitter." -Lois Moses.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, August 22, 2017 Houston Museum of African American Culture {HMAAC) • 2807 Caroline, Houston, TX 77004 • www.hmaac.org

H JAAC

CONTACT: John Guess, Jr. Houston Museum of African American Culture (713) 526-1015 jguess@hmacc.org

HOUSTO N M USEUM o f A FRICA N AMER ICAN C ULTU RE

SCHEDULE of EVENTS 8:00 pm Fri 8/25 - Opening Night - Matchbox 2 Theatre at Match 2:00 pm Sat 8/26-Art and Social Activism Panel Discussion - Houston Museum of African American Culture 8:00 pm Sat 8/26 - Performance - Matchbox 2 Theatre at Match 3:00 pm Sun 8/27 - Closing Performance - Matchbox 2 Theatre at Match

ARIANO SOCIAIJ

ACTMSM

HOUSTON MUSEUM OF AFICAN AMERICAN CULTURE 4807 CAROLINE STREIT HOUSTON, TEXAS 77004

Saturday at 2:00 pm at HMAAC,join HMAAC CEO in aconversation with Philadelphia based One World Theater Ensemble'sZuhairah McGill as they explore elements of Dr. Martin Luther King's Dream, continuing HMAAC's exploration of the question: Should artists work engage issues of contemporary society? This is the fomih Art and Social Activism discussion, following two in Houston and one in New York City. We'll start with the question of why so many of our theaters closing and what we can do about it?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, August 22, 2017 Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) • 2807 Caroline, Houston, TX 77004 • www.hmaac.org

H

CONTACT: John Guess, Jr. Houston Museum of African American Culture

{713) 526-1015 jguess@hmacc.org

Ron Lee Jones as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

C

HOUSTON MUSEUM o f AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE

* photo credits: Salim

Bengazi

Lois Moses (playwright/ poet/ narrator)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, August 22, 2017 Houston Museum of African American Culture {HMAAC) • 2807 Caroline, Houston, TX 77004 • www.hmaac.org

CONTACT: John Guess, Jr. Houston Museum of African American Culture (713) 526-1015 jguess@hmacc.org ABOUT FIRST WORLD THEATRE ENSEMBLE First World Theatre Ensemble produced the world premiere of Lois Moses’ "Say That He Had More Than A Dream," directed by Zuhairah McGill and Choreography by Charles Tyson, Jr., in Philadelphia, PA as part of First World’s 2016 / 2017 Season of I Believe.

Since 2001 First World Theatre Ensemble, founded by Zuhairah McGill, has provided undeniable quality on the stage and service to the community and theatre industry. First World brings to the stage selected classic and original works intended to raise audience awareness regarding critically important social issues that impact our lives. First World distinguishes itself by producing daring yet professional quality theatre, as in the days of the Negro Ensemble, nurturing and showcasing new talent and new works while bridging the gap between the theatre it produces and the change it seeks to create.

First World is a Philadelphia based theatre in residence with the Community Education Center (CEC) Theatre Now Residency. To learn more about First World Theatre Ensemble contact Zuhairah McGill at (267) 329-9746 or info@firstworldtheatre.biz.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, August 22, 2017 Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) ▪ 2807 Caroline, Houston, TX 77004 ▪ www.hmaac.org

A PANEL DISCUSSION

HOUSTON MUSEUM OF AFICAN AMERICAN CULTURE 4807 CAROLINE STREET HOUSTON, TEXAS 77004

Saturday at 2:00 pm at HMAAC, join HMAAC CEO in a conversation with Philadelphia based One World Theater Ensemble's Zuhairah McGill as they explore elements of Dr. Martin Luther King's Dream, continuing HMAAC's exploration of the question: Should artists work engage issues of contemporary society? This is the fourth Art and Social Activism discussion, following two in Houston and one in New York City. We'll start with the question of why so many of our theaters closing and what we can do about it?

HOUSTON MUSEUM of AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE

VISIT ~UR ~XHIBITIONS "lH[ MAGNlfIC~NT fAITH ~INGGOlD" ~~W ~~~~! lHRU ~tT ~~' ~~11

lH[ HlllNG AND TU TOlD: lH[ ART Of ~AVID MC~[[ ~~v

~, ~~11-JAN ~~u

,,,·Ii- ..' ~~,

<·

,. ~ff[ ~[RT lONG JR. ~AlHRY ONGOING 4807 Caroline, Houston,TX 77004 • (713) 526-105 • www.hmaac.org

This play is an opportunity for Houston to remember to dream. There is no better time than today to honor our Dreamer, Dr. Martin Luther King.

1

1

Last October. board member. Cindy Parris returned from Philadelphia on ,1 fire. She wanted HMAAC and Houston to kick-off a national tour of this gripping play she experienced that is rooted in our African, American cultural and based on documented little known facts about the last year of Dr. King's life.

Well, Houston, HMAAC is kicking it off on the anniversary of Dr. King's ¡r Have ADream' speech. In this time of mass racism distraction, Remember to Dream!

~ G~~' J~. CEO Gina Carroll

Melanie Lawson

Eileen Lawal

Marc Melcher

fl~n w~u~ rnHru ~~~~Mn~

Cindy Parris

John Guess IV

Elmer Rogers

Keith Sparks

Ursula Hall

Drucie Chase

With great respect and awe. First World is profoundly grateful HMAAC. you have chosen to partner with us and include theatre arts within the fabric of your dogged mission to collect. preserve and proliferate our culture, the culture of first world people!

*

~61/tJ{ ~Ml!

*

& ~~~~rn~,

w~ l~v v~~,

You have been simply wonderful

FIRST WORLD THEATRE ENSEMBLE FAMILY

Terri Shockley. CEC

Glenn Alan. DCBTF

Mary Kinard-Brown,DCBTF

Dr. Maurice Henderson

ENSEMBLE THEATRE FAMILY

Eileen Morris

Founder / Producing Artistic Director

~~UST~N MUS~UM ~f AfRICAN AM~RICAN tUlTUR~

IN THIS SEASON OF MASS RACISM DISTRACTION, REMEMBER 10 DREAM...

HMAAC has chosen to partner with Philadelphia's First World Theatre Ensemble to present this drama during the anniversary of Dr. King's iconic and timeless, "I Have A Dream" speech.

"Say That He Has ADream"gives us another lens through which to view the lives of Dr. Martin Luther and Mrs. Coretta Scott King.

Lois Moses moves us beyond the mountaintop as she unveils untold truths in her gripping drama that chronicles the last years of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life after his controversial "Beyond Vietnam"Speech at Riverside Church in 196 7. These unknowns unveil themselves through conversations between Dr. King and civil-rights activist Stokley Carmichael. the Poor People's Campaign and the J. Edgar Hoover administration's four-year FBI harassment of Mrs. Coretta Scott King.

According to HMAAC CEO, John Guess, Jr., This play is an opportunity for Houston to remember to dream.' There is no better time than today to honor our Dreamer, Dr. Martin Luther King.

1

1

11

- - - - pre sent s - - - -

~AY rnAl ~~ ~A~ M~M rnAN ~ ~MAM written by Lois Moses

directed by Zuhairah McGill choreography by Charles Tyson, Jr. Setting: Past . Present . Future *Anywhere. USA One Act *No Intermission Stage Manager Light Design

Scott Lupton

Zuhairah McGill

Sound &Multimedia Design Zuhairah McGill &Lois Moses Light 5oard Operator

ErikaReyes

Sound 5oard Operator

Abbie Harris

Costumes

Andi Tyler

Photography/ Multimedia 5oard Operator

LaMont M.McKim, JD., Ph.D. EnsembleTheatre & Zuhairah McGill

Props Graphic Design

Glenn Alan

'No photography allowed during the performance. Please. turn off all cell phones and other noisemaking devices. Be courteous and do not text during the performance. Thx!'

RON LEE JONES (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) Ron's stage credits include Othello, Boesman and Lena, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The River Niger and Two Trains Running. Ron also has performed Eric Bogosian's one man show Drinking In America. He has appeared on The Sopranos, Law and Order SVU, and The Wire. He has studied at Temple University and Villanova University and is the Founder and Director of Kaged Tiger Productions.

ZUHAIRAH (Coretta Scott King) is the three time winner of The DC Excellence in Black Theatre Award and a Barrymore Nominee for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play for her one woman performance in "Sojourner." She is also the recipient of The Black Arts for Social Change Award, 2012 Most Distinguished Director Award, 2015 Image Award and 2016 Philadelphia Legacy Award.

JARON C. BATTLE (Stokely Carmichael) is ayoung Philadelphia actor, songwriter &musical artist. He continues to build his acting experience while also delving into the fierce business of music. His acting experience thus far has been excellent. He has tarred in multiple stage plays, screen plays and musicals.

Jaron thanks his fellow Philadelphia actors and the cast for being supportive of his success every step of the way. He also thanks his mother for her undying support and lastly, he thanks his father for passing down his creative spirit and personality to his son.

BABA IFALADE (Drummer) is aNew Orleans native, Founder of D.R.U.M. Divine Rhythm United, African Style Urban Farming, African Rain Forest Botanicals, First World Crafts, and is an Apprentice of Talib Jacob Harrison, who was the only American-born student of Master Metalsmith, Prince Sababa Bahuto of the Congo and Delgado Trades College.

NICOLE STACIE (Singer / Chorus) is apassionate, professional creator in love with exploring, performing, entertaining and inspiring. A Barrymore Nominated actor, her recent acting credits include "Say That He Had More Than A Dream" First World Theatre Ensemble; "Mother Emanuel: An American Musical Play" Off-Broadway Premiere/NYC Fringe Festival 2016, "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope," "Jamaica" The New Freedom Theatre; and "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf;" First World Theatre Ensemble. Nicole is also the Artistic Director and Co-founder of PowerhouseInkand 2016 Think/ Create/Inspire Theatre Festival.

HOUITONMU~WM Of AHCAN AM[RICAN CULTURE 4007 CAROllN[ Srnm

HOU510~ Tw.s 71004

Saturday at 2:00 pm at HMAAC,join HMAAC CEO in aconversation with Phlladelphia based One World Theater Ensemble'sZuhairah McGill as they explore elements ofDr. Martin Luther King's Dream, continuing HMAAC's exploration of the question: Should artists work engage issues of contemporary society1 This is the fourth Art and Social Activism discussion,following two in Houston and one in New York City. We'll start with the question of why so many of our theaters closing and what we can do about it1

ART &SOCIAL ACTIVISM APanel Discussion w/ Zuhairah M cGill Founder / Producing Artistic Director First World Theatre Ensemble &State of Black Theatre Town Hall ~:~~ ~M ~AT. AUG ~UH AT ~~~~rn~ M~H~M Of Af~ltA~ AM~~ltA~ tHrnH

4807 Caroline Street Houston. TX

KALA MOSES BAXTER (Dancer / Chorus) Hallelujah! Kala is excited to be acting with her sister, Lois Moses, in this phenomenal production of Say That He Had More Than ADream. She is aBarrymore Nominated actress and Co-Host of The Nationally Syndicated Gospel Radio Show#Thosebaxters Radio Show. She has been acting professionally for 21 years. Acting credits include: The Arden Theatre, Wilma Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Freedom Theatre, Venture Theatre, and Passage Theatre. Some of her Favorite roles include: Berneice: The Piano Lesson, and Nella: Gees Bend, (Arden Theatre). MFA: University Of Arizona; BA: Temple University. Kala ishappily married and the mother to twolovely girls.

SANCHEL BROWN (Dancer/ Chorus) is an international performer/choreographer originally from Baltimore, MD. She is aBarrymore Nominated actress who has performed with Urban Bush Women and apprenticed with Maria Bauman and Vince Johnson. Her theatre credits includes "BlackNativity" Theatre Horizon, "The Kinetic Tree Show" The Kimmel Center, and NewFreedom Theatre "JAMAICA" and "Don't Bother MeI Can't Cope." Also, her one woman show, "Ode to Black Wombman. " BJ.A (Dance / Choreography) Virginia ....__ _____.._. Commonwealth University. She has furthered her studies of dance at L'Ecolbe De Sable in Senegal, West Africa. Sanchel is elated to join the cast of "Say That He Had aDream."

RON LEE JONES ZUHAIRAH JARON C. BATTLE NICOLE STACIE KALA BAXTER SANCHEL BROWN

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CORETTA SCOTT KING STOKELY CARMICHAEL I KLANSMAN I ACTOR 14 LEAD SINGER I ACTOR 11 REPORTER I ACTOR 12 DANCER I ACTOR 13 DRUMMER

LOIS MOSES

POET I NARRATOR

LOIS MOSES (Playwright/ Narrator/ Poet) a native of Philadelphia, is an author, actor, lawyer, renowned speaker, poet, playwright and filmmaker who uses her theatrical, musical and dance background, Lois creatively combines these various art forms to produce a powerful medium of performance art. An award winning filmmaker for her short film, "And They Jumped Into the Water ... Some," Lois has been touring colleges and conferences with her Woman to Woman Conversation, "Beyond Sound and Fury ... Sacrifice as the True Poetic Voice."

As an actress and amember of the acclaimed Actor's Studio since 1990, Lois has studied under actors such as Martin Landau and Shelly Winters. In addition to performing an off-Broadway run of Lady of Fadima Lois has toured and performed extensively throughout the United States with Pittsburgh's Kuntu Repertory Theater and Philadelphia's National Black Author's Tour.

As aperformance artist and poet, she has self-published and three books of poetry; "Not Just Another ... Black/Woman", "Missing Pages ...

(Women Behind the Glass Door)", "A Timely Trinity" and a self-titled spoken word CD. She has performed with nationally reknown poets/ artists/musicians such as Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, Dr. Kimmika L. H. Williams, Regie Gibson, and Jill Scott. Lois will soon release her fourth book "Freedom Not Them Give."

Zuhairah McGill (Director) Originally hails from New York, NY where she trained and studied at NYU and under Ossie Davis, Barbara Ann Teer, and Uta Hagen. She is the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of First World Theatre Ensemble, under which she produced 24 plays, 5 world premieres, including an all black cast of Marsha Norman's 'Night Mother. Zuhairah is also the Creative Artistic Director for the Master Griot Project, and was the Director in Residence at the Prince Music Theatre. She is the creator of "The State of Black Theatre" national town hall.

Charles Tyson, Jr. (Choreographer) is Artistic Director/Founder of Underground Dance Works (UDW), aPhiladelphia eclectic funk based dance company. He's also the Artistic Director of the ETC Performance Series at the community Education Center (CEC) in West Philadelphia.

BFA: Temple University (Dance). His work has been performed throughout Philadelphia, Atlantic City, San Diego, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City and Wuhan, China. In 2003, Charles and UDW received the Incubator for Talented Youth Award from the Atlantic City Dance Theatre. He is currently on faculty at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center, University of Pennsylvania's Penn Dance Company, and Friend's Childcare Center.