Playwright Gregory L Hudson joins "An Identity Crisis in Black Theatre" Symposium

Sept. 30, 2012 - PRLog -- New York Playwright Gregory L Hudson will share his views on the topic, "An Identity Crisis in Black Theatre" and his thoughts about what it will take to sustain black theatre in Atlanta, Georgia and around the world. http://www.poorpennyproductions.com/index/mn31927/Gregory_L._Hudson3

Hudson has written several plays, all produced on the New York Stage, has been in theatre for most of his life as an actor, director, producer, and playwright.  He is the founder/artistic director of Poor Penny Productions, Inc., has a MFA in Performing Arts Management and a BA in Theatre from Brooklyn College, in Brooklyn, New York. http://www.poorpennyproductions.com/index/mn31925/Poor_Penny_Productions

In recent years, there has been a rift among black theatre professionals, as well as the black film and television community, with respect to "the direction, identity, and future of black theatre."  In otherwords, theatre that is either written by black writers, directed by black directors, or has a predomiently black cast centered around a black storyline.

Tyler Perry comes to mind nowdays whenever black theatre is mentioned.  Perry with his trademark character "Medea" ... has played promiently in sustaining black theatre in the minds of many during the past decades or so.  While Perry has built a huge following, and garnered hugh commercial success with his plays (turning some into films), there are still those who are at odds with his plays and the portrayal of black theatre or "blacks in theatre".

Prior to Perry, was the Pulizer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright August Wilson who managed to land several of his plays on Broadway -- Fences, The Piano Lesson, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Joe's Turners Come and Gone, and Two Trains Running.  Even with the unprecedended commerical success of Wilson's plays, there were and still are critics of his plays within the black theatre community, especially regarding the use of profanity in his works.

In any black theatre discussion, it is almost impossible to deny the importance and significant contributions of Perry and Wilson to black theatre.  But there lies a bigger discussion at hand today; "An Identity Crisis in Black Theatre".  http://atlantablacktheatrefestival.org/FREE_Workshops.html

Toni Henson-Simmons, CEO/Founder, of the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival has created a platform to address this "Identity Crisis in Black Theatre" with an acclaimed symposium that is opened to the public on Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 10am.  Registration is required. http://atlantablacktheatrefestival.org/Welcome_Theatre_Lo...

Gregory L Hudson will also conduct a writing workshop Friday, October 5, 2012 at 10am, "The Process of Writing", http://atlantablacktheatrefestival.org/FREE_Workshops.html

and a book discussion on Saturday, October 6, 2012 at 3pm. http://atlantablacktheatrefestival.org/Authors__Alley.html