27th annual AfroSolo Arts Festival Continues June 10-12!
AfroSolo Theatre Company continues its 27th annual AfroSolo Arts Festival at Potrero Stage with performances of “Embracing Our Light.” These incredible stories are based on the lives of Black men who have been affected by our criminal justice system. The performances take place June 10th and June 11th at 7 pm PDT (9 pm CDT/10 pm EDT), and Sunday, June 12th at 3 pm PDT (5 pm CDT/6 pm EDT). Featured performers are Geoffrey Grier and Mark Thomas. There will be a talk back session with the artists after each performance. All performances are admission-free and available both in-person and live streamed (donations gratefully accepted). For more information or to reserve tickets, visit bit.ly/AfroSolo-BlackVoices.
About the Artists
Geoffrey Grier performs “Resurrection,” a story of Grier’s rise, fall, and then recovery from many vices. He takes us on a very personal journey. It is a narrative of resilience as he takes us from his home in Detroit to San Francisco. Infused with humor, Grier takes us on a journey from family love to the depth of addition. He then invites us to experience his uplifting voyage of recovery and resurrection from the vices. With the depth of his experiences, he now manages the San Francisco Recovery Theatre, whose mission is to organize the partnership between actors, scripted material, writers, directors, and newcomers (returning citizens and homeless performers). As a recovering addict, Grier contends that the artistic process of working in theater and the performing arts gives people a chance to lower the masks they wear on the street and learn how to communicate from the heart and in the moment.
Mark Thomas performs “Matters of Live and Death,” which examines his life as a bank robber, life in prison, and transformation into an educator, community activist, and restorative justice practitioner. In “Matters of Live and Death,” Thomas describes the day the FBI confronted him after robbing a bank. Instead of dropping his knife, Thomas rushed toward the FBI agent, hoping that the agent would kill him. But instead, the agent shot him four times. As a result of this and other incidents, Thomas spent thirteen years in prison. However, he used that time wisely through his engagement with education, positive group activities, and self-development. He has been employed as a college psychology instructor, an adult education instructor, and a restorative justice practitioner over the last 20 years, serving underserved populations. Wayne Harris directed Thomas.
About AfroSolo
AfroSolo Theatre Company’s mission is to nurture, promote and present African American and African Diasporan art and culture through solo performances and the visual and literary arts. Since 1994, we have presented the annual AfroSolo Arts Festival, a forum for African Americans and the larger African Diaspora, as a way to give voice to the unique experience of being Black. Through art, we bring people of all ethnicities together to explore and share the human spirit that binds us all. For more information, visit bit.ly/AfroSolo-BlackVoices.