Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience
March 16 - 27, 2022
Devised by Raymond O. Caldwell and Adrienne Torf, featuring the work of June Jordan
A Co-Production by Theater Alliance and the IN Series
Featuring music by Adrienne Torf, with selections by John Adams and Sweet Honey in the Rock
Please note, performances of Poetry for the People will be held at the Anacostia Arts Center Black Box, at 1231 Good Hope Road SE.
One of the most widely-published and highly-acclaimed writers of her generation, poet, playwright, and essayist June Jordan was known for her fierce commitment to human rights and political activism. A contemporary of Alice Walker and Adrienne Rich, Jordan “spent her life stitching together the personal and political so the seams didn’t show.”
With June Jordan’s own words as the core, Poetry for the People brings together words, music, post-it notes, and the many other media that tell the story of a life well-lived.
“There are three qualities of Black English— the presence of life, voice, and clarity—that intensify to a distinctive Black value system that we became excited about and self-consciously tried to maintain.”
– June Jordan
Cast and production
Cast
Performance by Adrienne Torf on Piano.
Production Team
Directed by Raymond O. Caldwell
Scenic Design by Jonathan Dahm Robertson
Projections by Zavier Augustus Lee Taylor
Costumes by Bebe LaMonica
Sound Engineering by Brandon Cook
Lighting by Marianne Meadows
Dramaturg Tim Nelson
Production Stage Manager Genny Ceperley
Production Manager Dominique Douglas Hendricks
Producers Raymond O. Caldwell, Jen Clements, Corinne Hayes, Tim Nelson