Theatre Presentation ~ “Calling Mr Robeson"
Wednesday August 28, 2024, 7:00pm - 8:30pm.
Held at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, 980 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Ticket Required, not covered by a NAFOW day Pass:
Adult ~ $30 / Youth (18 and under or student ID) $10
Just as physical, emotional and mental stress threaten to push him over the fine line between genius and madness, he is summoned to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee, to give the most difficult and important performance of his career.
This roller-coaster journey through Robeson’s remarkable and eventful life highlights how his pioneering and heroic (but largely forgotten) political activism led many to describe him as the forerunner of the civil rights movement. Featuring much fiery oratory and some of his famous songs, including a dramatic rendition of Ol’ Man River.
This roller-coaster journey through Robeson’s remarkable and eventful life highlights how his pioneering and heroic (but largely forgotten) political activism led many to describe him as the forerunner of the civil rights movement. Featuring much fiery oratory and some of his famous songs, including a dramatic rendition of Ol’ Man River.
Featured Artist
Tayo Aluka – Writer, Singer, Actor, Producer
Nigerian-born Tayo Aluko is an actor, singer and playwright, based in Liverpool, UK, where he worked previously as an architect. His multi-award-winning play, CALL MR. ROBESON has been performed as far North as within the Arctic Circle and as far South as New Zealand, with a performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall in February 2012. A radio play about Robeson, PAUL ROBESON’S LOVE SONG, was premiered on Robeson’s birthday, April 9, 2021, and is now streaming online. His second full-length play, JUST AN ORDINARY LAWYER was premiered in August 2016 and has already been performed in five countries.
He will be premiering his third stage play, COLERIDGE-TAYLOR OF FREETOWN, in May 2024. It is inspired by the life and music of the Black British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and his African (Sierra Leonean) ancestry. His art is dedicated to encouraging and inspiring progressive activism by showing how Black History is everybody’s history.
Nigerian-born Tayo Aluko is an actor, singer and playwright, based in Liverpool, UK, where he worked previously as an architect. His multi-award-winning play, CALL MR. ROBESON has been performed as far North as within the Arctic Circle and as far South as New Zealand, with a performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall in February 2012. A radio play about Robeson, PAUL ROBESON’S LOVE SONG, was premiered on Robeson’s birthday, April 9, 2021, and is now streaming online. His second full-length play, JUST AN ORDINARY LAWYER was premiered in August 2016 and has already been performed in five countries.
He will be premiering his third stage play, COLERIDGE-TAYLOR OF FREETOWN, in May 2024. It is inspired by the life and music of the Black British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and his African (Sierra Leonean) ancestry. His art is dedicated to encouraging and inspiring progressive activism by showing how Black History is everybody’s history.