September 21, 2018 at 9 PM
September 23, 2018 at 6 PM
Whitman College Class of 1970 Theater
Duration: 70 minutes
Performed in French with English subtitles
Tickets are free but must be reserved at tickets.princeton.edu
Nina Simone, one of the formidable artistic figures of the civil rights movement, was born to a poor black family in Northern Carolina and had dreams of becoming a great classical pianist. Citing racism as the barrier to realizing this dream, she instead became a singer earning the moniker “High Priestess of Soul.”
In conjunction with the production Harlem Quartet, the National Dramatic Center Comédie de Caen asked playwright and musician David Lescot to stage a portrait of the American singer. In the form of a documentary with interviews, this intimate musical portrait showcases Lescot’s desire to create a whimsical form of exchange. He plays guitar accompanying Ludmilla Dabo on stage, an actress with a lifelong affinity for the jazz of Nina Simone.