PACIFICA PERFORMANCE SHOWCASE

AIRDATE:  04/02/10, 2:30 -3:00

GUESTS:

Actor/Writer Daniel Beaty

Playwright Susan Rubin and actor Jay Stewart

Actor/writer Daniel Beaty talks about his extraordinary one-man show, “Through the Night: A Soul Aria” in which he plays 12 different roles, both male and female, whose lives intertwine over the course of a single night.  Some of the characters he brings to life are: an owner of a health food store (and his wife and son), a successful music industry marketing executive struggling with coming out of the closet; a young man just graduating high school, a former addict awaiting the birth of his child, and a pastor battling with his own secrets.  The show focuses on different generations of black men – their joys, triumphs, hardships and the challenges they face in contemporary society. Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, “Through the Night” incorporates music, dance, spoken word and phenomenal storytelling to create characters we come to recognize, know and care about.  Producing Director at the Geffen, Gilbert Gates, says, “We felt passionately compelled to produce this piece, a moving exploration of the deeply personal bonds between African-American men, their fathers and their sons.”

In contrast, Susan Rubin’s raucous comedy, “Above the Line”, a “below the belt” comedy” takes on the movie industry through the characters’ quest to make what they hope will be an Oscar-nominated historical musical based on the journal dating back to the Boston Tea Party and Samuel Adams (and lesser-known members of that revolutionary family).  It stars stand-up comedian, radio personality Jason Stewart who leads a colorful cast of characters.  Through sexual power plays and “below the belt” deals, their choices and compromises mirror many of the pertinent issues we face today, both politically and personally – alternatives views of history, women’s issues, surveillance, sexual morays, desperation and the dynamics of inter-personal relationships.

Copies of this show can be ordered through the Pacifica Radio Archives at www.pacificaradioarchives.org.