News

November 30, 2017

The Arts Council of Princeton presents “Princeton, Slavery, and Me: A Community Stage Event”

The Arts Council of Princeton presents the final presentation of Assistant Professor of Theater Brian Herrera’s “Autobiographical Storytelling: Princeton, Slavery, and Me” fall course offered through Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts. The theater/creative writing course focuses on the stories we do (and don’t) tell about ourselves, as well as the stories we do (and don’t) tell about Princeton University. The workshop course engaged students directly with the historical materials unearthed by the Princeton and Slavery Project as they rehearsed the writing and performance skills necessary to remake the raw material drawn from lived experience into compelling autobiographical storytelling. Working in an array of storytelling modes, the students will share stories about how the history of slavery at Princeton University guides, informs, or challenges our ethical and moral understandings of the stories we choose to tell about ourselves.

The final course presentation will be on Wednesday, December 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts at 102 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. Parking is available in the Spring and Hulfish Street Garages and at metered parking spots along Witherspoon Street and Paul Robeson Place. For more information, please visit artscouncilofprinceton.org or call 609.924.8777.

The program is free, but advance registration is highly recommended. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance. Registration may be done through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/princeton-slavery-and-me-arts-council-of-princeton-community-stage-tickets-39226596807

brian herrera

Assistant Professor of Theater Brian Herrera

Herrera has been a faculty member of the Lewis Center for the Arts in the Program in Theater since 2012. His work, both academic and creative, examines the history of gender, sexuality, and race within and through U.S. popular performance. He is the author of The Latina/o Theatre Commons 2013 National Convening: A Narrative Report and has been published in many scholarly journals, including Modern Drama, Theatre Journal, The Journal of American Drama and Theatre, TDR: The Drama Review, Youth Theatre Journal and The Gay and Lesbian Review.His autobiographical solo show I Was the Voice of Democracy premiered in 2010 in Albuquerque and has subsequently been seen in major cities around the nation and world. In 2013, he launched two new storywork shows, Boy Like That and Touch Tones. His first book published in 2015, Latin Numbers: Playing Latino in Twentieth Century U.S. Popular Performance, was recently honored with the prestigious George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism. He is presently at work on two new book projects: Starring Miss Virginia Calhoun and Casting — A History, a historical study of the material practices of casting in U.S. popular performance.

Community Stage productions are free (and nearly free) events held in collaboration with local artistic groups and organizations. Community stage programming enables the Arts Council’s Solley Theater to act as an accessible space for community partnerships and high-quality artistic experiences.

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP), founded in 1967, is a non-profit organization with a mission of Building Community through the Arts. Housed in the landmark Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, the ACP fulfills its mission by presenting a wide range of programs including exhibitions, performances, free community cultural events, and studio-based classes and workshops in the visual, performing and literary arts. Arts Council of Princeton programs are designed to be high-quality, engaging, affordable and accessible for the diverse population in the greater Princeton region.

Press Contact

Steve Runk
Director of Communications
609-258-5262
srunk@princeton.edu