PassingSOLO - Towne Street Theatre

PassingSOLO
"When truth is not an option"
1920s Harlem
Anything seems possible.
Like a moth to a flame, Irene Westover Redfield
is drawn to Clare Kendry Bellew, her childhood
friend who’s suddenly reappeared in her life.
Both share a secret: Their birth certificates read
“Negro” but both can – and do – pass as white.
In fact, Clare’s been married to a wealthy
white racist for twenty years.
Now she’s sought out Irene as she flirts with her
roots...flirts with the danger of discovery...
flirts with her life; making Irene the unwitting
witness to her willful game of hide and seek...
PassingSOLO is based on Towne Street Theatre’s
highly acclaimed play PASSING, which was adapted
from Nella Larsen’s 1927 novella.
A riveting memory play, PassingSOLO
explores the conflicting demands of
race and friendship...the slippery line
between trust and deception.
BASED ON
THE TOWNE STREET THEATRE PLAY
“PASSING”
Booking & Info
e info@townstreet.org
p 213-724-6944
w townestreet.org
Nancy Cheryll Davis portrays
both Irene and Clare, as their renewed
friendship exposes the price paid in a
society where freedom is bought with deceit.
Print Info
Photos
Nancy
Cheryll
Davis
Harlem 1927
Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes
and Zora Neale Hurston are
the toast of the town
is a critically acclaimed actress, director
a n d p r o d u c e r, w h o j o i n s D e n z e l
Washington and Annette Bening as alumni
of the prestigious American Conservatory
Theatre of San Francisco. She is the
winner of the NAACP Best Actress award
Photo: Nathaniel Bellamy
for her portrayal of Clare Kendry Bellew in
Passing, Towne Street Theatre’s popular adaptation of the 1927
novel by Nella Larsen, and a Best Actress Nominee for her
portrayal of Sophie in Pearl Cleage’s award winning play, Flyin’
West, at the St. Louis Black Repertory Company.
Being a “Negro”
is quite fashionable
& hardly dangerous –
or is it?
PassingSOLO
by Nancy Cheryll Davis & Sheri Bailey
Adapted from Nella Larsen’s novella
Performed by Nancy Cheryll Davis
Directed by Nancy Renée & Tony Robinson
Color Photos: Mack Miles
B&W Photos: Nathaniel Bellamy
PassingSOLO
is the perfect piece for Black History Month, Women’s History Month,
to tie in with your Book Cub or class study of the Harlem Renaissance
and/or Nella Larsen’s work and novella, Passing.
Technical Requirements
✓ 1 small table • 2 chairs
✓ CD player
✓ LCD Projector (optional)
Performance includes Q&A afterward
45 minutes (flexible)
Also available: The Joy of Acting
An exciting acting seminar taught by Nancy Cheryll Davis
90 minutes (flexible)
Among her numerous theater credits Nancy portrayed Diane Bright,
wife to John Marshall Jones’ Kirk, in Levy Lee Simon’s The Bow
Wow Club, both at the 2007 National Black Theatre Festival and at
the Stella Adler Theatre 2006 L.A. premiere. Her film career began
with Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle as Debra Jenkins in the
Sam Ace Film Noir segment and continued with Townsend and
Keenan Ivory Wayans, being cast in The Five Heartbeats, I’m
Gonna Git You Sucka and their HBO specials. She co-starred with
Andre Braugher and Kasi Lemmons in TNT’s critically acclaimed
film, The Court Martial of Jackie Robinson and made a special
appearance in the Hughes’ Brothers debut film, Menace to Society.
As the Founding Artistic/Producing Director of the Towne Street
Theatre Nancy has executive-produced all 29 shows in its 18-year
history. TST productions have received 4 NAACP Theatre Awards
and 16 nominations, 2 Valley Theatre League nominations, and a
Drama Logue nomination, in addition to honors from the City of Los
Angeles, The League of Allied Arts and Women In Theatre.
Ms Davis’ directing credits include: Langston & Nicolás; Digital
Natives; Psychology of Chromosome X; Summers in Suffolk;
Joleta; Haints, Conjuremen and Leaving; Millennium in Black;
Passing; Five on the Blackhand Side; Madwoman of Chaillot; Story
in Harlem Slang; and two short films—Family and Summer
Dreams.
TOWNE STREET THEATRE • LA’s Premiere African-American Theatre Company™ • Celebrating Season 18 • 4101 Budlong Avenue Suite 4 • LA CA 90037 • www.townestreet.org