| April 28, 2003 |
QUEEN PUBLICITY
550
W. REGENT STREET, UNIT 341 Telephone:
(310) 674-1776
|
| NEWS |
|
|
|
Contact: Allison Queen FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (310) 674-1776 AWARD-WINNING THESPIAN, ADILAH BARNES PERFORMS "I AM THAT I AM: Woman, Black" AT JACK AND JILL FUNDRAISING EVENT CROSSROADS THEATRE, NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. - MAY 3RD Barnes Honors African American Women Through A Mesmerizing Historical Journey. . . (New Brunswick, N.J.) - Theatergoers are in for a mesmerizing journey into the lives of seven African American women when award-winning stage, motion picture and television actor Adilah Barnes, presents her powerful, nationally touring one-woman historical play I Am That I Am: Woman, Black, for the Mercer County Chapter, Jack and Jill of America annual fund-raiser. This annual fund-raiser will be held Saturday, May 3rd from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Crossroads Theatre, 7 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, New Jersey. The proceeds for the $50.00 tickets will benefit HomeFront, a non-profit service agency, dedicated to helping families break the cycle of poverty and the Jack and Jill Foundation. A silent auction and door prizes will be given. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Linda Rivers at Crossroads Theatre (609) 799-0830. "I have heard so much about the historic Crossroads Theatre, that it is an honor to finally grace the stage that so many fine actors have. This is a very special performance for me because my mentee's mother, Sandra Pemberton, is at the helm, and has worked tirelessly to make this important "Jack and Jill" fund-raiser happen with great style and class. Also, many I know in the New York area who have not yet seen my show may now be able to finally see it," states Barnes. During this jubilant and captivating journey through time, Barnes brings to life on stage, the lives of Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Mary McLeod Bethune, Zora Neale Hurston, Lorraine Hansberry, Angela Davis and Maya Angelou. I Am That I Am: Woman, Black celebrates the ability of these women to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and achieve their life callings by their undaunted faith and belief in themselves. Barnes currently plays the recurring role of "Judge Randall" in For the People, Lifetime Television and portrays historical figure, "Ida B. Wells" in HBO's Iron Jawed Angels starring Angelica Houston and Hilary Swank (airing 2004). She is probably best known to film audiences for her role in Universal Pictures' Award-winning Erin Brockovich and to television audiences for her role as "Anne Marie" on ABC's award-winning Roseanne, for five seasons. Barnes recently returned from shooting the ABC pilot, 111 Gramercy Park. Last season Barnes played the starring role of "Etta" in Little John, a CBS/Hallmark made-for-television special opposite Ving Rhames, Gloria Reuben and Patty Duke and has guest starred on many television sitcoms including CBS' Family Law and The Agency, WB's The Gilmore Girls and UPN's Roswell. I Am That I Am: Woman, Black has been described as a "whirlwind trip through time, beginning in the years of slavery and leading up to recent years." (The Daily Kent Stage, Kent State University). "She lifts off the pages the life and times of these women, instead of reading it in literature." (Iowa Daily News.) Barnes concludes the show with a post-performance exchange with the audience in which she discusses the characters she portrayed and herself. The New Jersey performance will mark 35 states for I Am That I Am: Woman, Black. In 2000, Barnes received international acclaim in the Rotterdam Fabrikaat Festival in Holland and last year toured the British Virgin Islands where she will return this summer for an encore performance. Barnes recently received the Pioneer Award in New York from the African American Women in Film and last fall received the PeaceKeeper Award from Peace Quest. She is also the founder of the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival which celebrated it's tenth anniversary in March at Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC), Los Angeles. She is authoring the book, On My Own Terms: One Actor's Journey, due to be released by 2004.
Recent performances of I Am That I Am: Woman, Black includes: February 11, 2003 : Rust College, Magnolia Mississippi February 14, 2003: Pike County Arts Council, McComb Mississippi February 27, 2003 Madrid Theatre, Canoga Park, California February 28, 2003 Madrid Theatre, Canoga Park, California March 1st & 2nd 2003: Madrid Theatre, Canoga Park, California March 7th 2003: African American Women In Cinema (AAWIC) Film Festival TriBeCa Film Center, New York April 11, 2003: Central College, Pella, Iowa May 3, 2003: Crossroads Theatre, New Brunswick, New Jersey May 9, 2003: Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
|