West Coast Premiere
“Ellams isn’t just sharing the experiences of people we seldom see on our stages, he does so with a color, force and boundlessness of intellectual inquiry.” —The Telegraph
One day. Six cities. A thousand stories. Barber Shop Chronicles is a funny, joyous and equally poignant new play by Nigerian playwright and poet Inua Ellams which leaps from a barber shop in Londonto Johannesburg, Harare, Kampala, Lagos and Accra exploring the African immigration experience.
For generations, African men have gathered in barber shops to share gossip, bare their souls, announce births, deaths, marriages and other family news and to discuss politics. Throughout the play, the importance of a good trim is emphasized often, but Barber Shop Chronicles is about more than hair — it’s about the politics of being part of the African diaspora and of being a man.
Funds provided by Deborah Irmas, Diane Levine and the Royce Center Circle Endowment Fund and the George C. Perkins Fund.
Co-commissioned by Fuel and the National Theatre. Development funded by Arts Council England with the support of Fuel, National Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, The Binks Trust, British Council ZA, Òran Mór and A Play, a Pie and a Pint.
This event was made possible by support from the British Council.
Photo Credit: Dean Chalkley
Art In ActionJoin us for a pre-performance discussion on two nights, with Quincy T. Mills, author of Cutting Along the Color Line: Black Barbers and Black Barber Shops in America. On Thursday, Professor Mills will be joined by playwright Inua Ellams, author of Barber Shop Chronicles, and Scot Brown, associate professor of African American Studies and History at UCLA. Both talks will have an opportunity for audience discussion.
Thursday and Friday, October 18 and 19 @ 7pm in the Little Theater right across the courtyard from the Freud Playhouse. No reservations necessary, seating is limited.
Signed copies of Cutting Along the Color Line will be available for sale.
Post Show Discussion with the cast of Barber Shop Chronicles on Thursday, Oct 18th, immediately following the performance.
