FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 1998
CONTACT: Kyra Scarton Newman
(804) 828-6605
E-mail: knewman@titan.vcu.edu
http://www.vcu.edu/exrel/news/

THEATRE VCU TO PRESENT ‘I AM A MAN’

Play to Focus on Events Surrounding King’s Assassination

RICHMOND, Va. — Witnessed through the world of the blues, the power and tension of the days leading up to the assassination of Martin Luther King 30 years ago will unfold as part of Theatre VCU’s third production of the 1997-98 season.

"I Am a Man," which will run Feb. 12-21, tells the story of the 1968 sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis, Tenn., and its influence on the nation’s struggle with social change.

Theatre VCU will call on legendary blues guitarist John Jackson, 73, in his first theatrical role, to bring author OyamO’s "bluesman" to life. Thirty-five years ago, Jackson performed his world-renowned blues music at the 1963 March on Washington minutes before King delivered his immortal "I Have a Dream" speech. In "I Am a Man," Jackson both acts and performs.

"It was just something I wanted to do. It’s something different for a change," the soft-spoken Jackson said of the "bluesman" role that will temporarily interrupt recording for his sixth album. The Virginian — who has performed for presidents, Congress, European royalty and heads of state all over the world — says he has never found more welcoming audiences than in his home state.

Under the direction of third-year MFA student Bruce Hermann, the VCU production also integrates multimedia, using slides from the Martin Luther King archival collection and the live music of Jackson and the Richmond Boys Choir, led by William R. Dye. The show features nine computerized slide projectors that overlay images filmed during the 1968 demonstrations in Memphis.

"John Jackson draws on his real-life encounters as a musician who experienced exactly what OyamO’s bluesman is sharing with his audience," said Hermann, a veteran New York and Los Angeles acting coach.

"The bluesman is the glue that holds this whole play together," said David Leong, chair of Theatre VCU and producer of the February play. "John has a background that can’t be imagined by anyone else, so he brings a certain perspective that no actor could project."

Leong also said the play is part of his vision that the department deliver both entertaining and informative theater. "The civil rights era represents a significant part of American history," he said. "This play looks at what happened three decades ago so we can see how far we’ve come and how much further we still need to go."

Leong choreographed the demonstration scenes for "I Am a Man" for its 1994 Arena Stage production in Washington, D.C.

Jackson’s selection for the play’s pivotal role helps to link the past with the present. A native of Rappahannock County, Va., he was the seventh son born to black tenant farmers,. Jackson has recorded five albums, played in more than 60 countries and made 15 European and three world tours. In 1986, he received the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship Award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

After sharing the stage over the years with music greats such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, B.B. King and Eric Clapton, Jackson is currently recording his sixth album. Even with the international fame he has received, Jackson still describes himself only as "just a workin’ man."

In a 1986 review, Washington Post critic Richard Harrington wrote: "Because he listened to all kinds of music, Jackson developed an expansive repertoire that included blues, ragtime, banjo tunes, field hollers, old-timey country, jazz and gospel — a varied cultural, racial and stylistic base that makes his concerts delightfully inclusive."

Jackson reviewed his own recordings and repertoire to offer a range of songs that the directorial staff used in determining selections for the play. Calling blues "the roots of music in this country," he notes with concern that "most people don’t get to hear what blues music really is."

In other key roles, Theatre VCU’s production of "I Am a Man" features D.L. Hopkins as T.O. Jones; Stan Kelly as the Mayor; Joel Abel as Solomon; and Dye as the Rev. Moore. The production and design team includes: Brian Francoise as assistant director; Tiza Garland as fight director; Janet B. Rodgers as vocal coach; Charlie Selden as scene designer; and Elizabeth Weiss Hopper as costume designer. Lighting design is by Adam Bair and sound design is by Adam Crump.

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"I Am a Man" will run Feb. 12-14 and Feb. 18-21 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 15 at 2:30 p.m. in Raymond Hodges Theatre of the VCU Performing Arts Center, 922 Park Ave. Tickets are $10 for general admission; $8 for seniors, VCU faculty and staff; and free for VCU students. For tickets, call the Box Office at 828-6026.

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