July 15, 2011

  For Immediate Release

Contact: Jennifer Dwyer, Communications Director

678.528.1504; jenn.dwyer@theatricaloutfit.org

 

 

 

Theatrical Outfit Presents the World Premiere of

The Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey

July 15, 2011(Atlanta, GA) Theatrical Outfit is proud to launch its 2011-2012 season with the World Premiere The Green Book by Atlanta writer Calvin Alexander Ramsey, August 17 – September 11, 2011 at the Balzer Theater at Herren’s. Set in 1953 Jefferson City, Missouri, this new drama addresses the racial tension of a period marked by Jim Crow laws and segregation, remembering an element rarely recorded in the history books: Victor H. Green’s The Negro Motorist Green Book. This manual helped guide black tourists to restaurants and residences where they could safely dine and stay overnight pre-Civil Rights Movement. When a young African American couple and a Holocaust survivor share accommodations, the juxtaposition of local and international discrimination causes the household to share a dramatic exchange that transforms their lives.

 

“Most kids today hear about the Underground Railroad, but this other thing has gone unnoticed. It just fell on me, really, to tell the story,” said Ramsey in his 2010 interview with Celia McGee of The New York Times.  

 

WHAT:        The Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey.  Recommended for all ages.

 

WHERE:      Theatrical Outfit

                    The Balzer Theater at Herren’s; 84 Luckie Street, Atlanta, GA  30303

 

WHEN:        August 17 – September 11, 2011.  Performances are Wednesday – Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:30 pm; Saturday, Aug. 27 at 2:30 pm; Seniors Matinees Wednesday, Aug. 31 & Saturday, Sep. 10 at 2:30 pm; Student Matinee on Wednesday, Sep. 7 at 11 am.  Group discounts available; call 678.528.1497.

 

TICKETS:    $15 - $35.  Box Office is open Tuesday – Friday, noon to 6:00 pm and prior to performances.  678.528.1500; www.theatricaloutfit.org.

 

 

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT:

Based in Atlanta, Calvin Alexander Ramsey is a former Advisory Board Member of the Robert Woodruff Library Special Collections at Emory University. He is also a recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major for Justice Award. His research and playwriting led to the creation of the award-winning Ruth and the Green Book, a children’s book that introduces this historical event to younger audiences.

 

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:

Freddie Hendricks, a critically acclaimed international director has directed shows throughout the U.S., Europe, and South Africa. He is founding artistic director of Atlanta's newest and most innovative Theater Company, Premiere Acting Crew (P.A.C.). Freddie gives a heartfelt thanks to the trailblazing artist who instilled artistic greatness and paved the way for him and others, Jomandi Productions, A.T.L.A.N.T.A. Inc., Peoples Survival, Proposition and Just Us Theater companies.

 

ABOUT THE CAST:

The cast includes Donna Biscoe, Veanna Black, Rob Cleveland, Neal A. Ghant, Barry Stewart Mann, E. Roger Mitchell, Archie Lee Simpson, and Sharisa Whatley.

 

MEDIA:

Interviews with the cast and design team can be arranged through Jennifer Dwyer: jenn.dwyer@theatricaloutfit.org or 678.528.1504. Photos are available upon request.

 

About Theatrical Outfit

Theatrical Outfit is an Atlanta-based professional theater company whose purpose is to provide its diverse audiences, actors and artists with a rich theater experience and to produce works that stimulate thoughtful discussion. It is intentional about using local talent to tell its “Stories that stir the soul” – which often come from classic and contemporary literature – featuring themes that are both relevant and revelatory. Theatrical Outfit is a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 organization supported by private and public funding, along with ticket sales revenue.  Major support is provided by the Fulton County Commission through the Fulton County Arts Council, the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs, Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund, the Georgia General Assembly through the Georgia Council for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

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