In CHASING HEAVEN, middle-aged African American playwright Kinshasa “Tree” Morton, in a career and personal slump, is commissioned by the family foundation of Tin Pan Alley composer/lyricist/bookwriter Joshua Gerwitz to update his epic Negro folk opera, originally titled Chasin’ Hebbin. Kinshasa has made a career of calling Gerwitz’ work into question, attributing authorship of sections of Chasing
Heaven to nearly forgotten Harlem Renaissance author Lolly Kibbins, even while railing against the stereotypes in the piece. But when the ghost of Joshua Gerwitz arrives to challenge Kinshasa’s notions of authenticity, political correctness and showbiz, questions are raised that have life--and afterlife--changing results. The show features two-time Audelco winner Christine Campbell as Kinshasa Morton, and Brooklyn’s Gallery Players favorite Greg Horton as cantankerous composer Joshua Gerwitz. Daniel Carlton and Linda Kuriloff round out the cast, playing multiple memorable characters. Chasing Heaven also includes two original songs by Peter Dizozza and Leah Maddrie, “Fascination with Dancing” and “Chasing Heaven.” Chasing Heaven’s dramaturg is the composer and music historian Trevor Weston, Ph.D. CHASING HEAVEN had a reading in LaMaMa’s 2010 Shadow reading series and was one of the last projects nurtured at LaMaMa during the tenure of the legendary founder and Artistic Director Ellen Stewart. A subsequent production In January 2011 in the Harlem Renaissance Living Literature Festival, part of Metropolitan Playhouse’s Obie Award-winning 2011 season, had sold out houses and was a hit of the festival. Both of these versions were directed by George Ferencz, the Metropolitan show featured original music by Peter Dizozza and Jasper McGruder. CHASING HEAVEN'S author Leah Maddrie is the recipient of a Sloan Foundation grant via Ensemble Studio Theatre for her play Dark Energy Stuns Universe, and has been a two-time semifinalist for the Eugene O’Neill Playwriting Conference. She is also a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Librettists Workshop. Flamboyan Theater at the
CSV (Clemente Soto Velez) Cultural Center
107 Suffolk Street between Rivington and Delancey
Directions
PERFORMANCE DATES
Saturday, August 13 4:15 PM – 5:30 PM
Sunday, August 14 4:00 PM- 5:15 PM
Saturday, August 20 7:00 PM- 8:15 PM
Wednesday, August 24 8:45 PM – 10:00 PM
Friday, August 26 9:45 PM- 11:00 PM
Buying Tickets
Visit www.FringeNYC.org or call 866-468-7619. For more information, contact Associate Producer and Press Rep Dottie Jeffries (https://www.facebook.com/dottie.jeffries.); 917-445-7876.
