The Ensemble Accepts Invitation to Perform At the National Black Theatre Festival

HOUSTON, June 22, 2009 -- The Ensemble Theatre accepts an invitation to participate in the National Black Theatre Festival held in Winston Salem, NC August 3 -8, 2009.

The National Black Theatre Festival is the largest platform for bringing black theatre companies together across the country to participate in presenting plays, readings, workshops, and seminars to ensure the survival of the genre. Held biennially, the festival attracts more than 65,000 people during the six-day event.

"It is imperative that black theatre companies continue to grow professionally, explore new perspectives, and find innovative ways to tell our stories," says Eileen J. Morris, Ensemble Artistic Director. "We are excited about this being our second opportunity to commune with our brothers and sisters in the arts."

The Ensemble Theatre will participate in the festival with a performance from its 2007-2008 Season: 'Sty of the Blind Pig' by Phillip Hayes Dean and directed by Morris. The play will be performed by The Ensemble's original cast from the 2007-2008 Season: Deborah Oliver Artis, Wayne DeHart, Timothy Eric, and Cheray Dawn Josiah. Performances are August 7th and 8th at 3pm and 8pm.

Additional information may be obtained by contacting the host organization:

 North Carolina Black Repertory
 610 Coliseum Drive Winston-Salem, NC 27106
 (336) 723-2266 www.ncblackrep.org or www.NBTF.org

'Sty of the Blind Pig' gives insight to families adapting to their new lives after migrating to Chicago. Just before the Civil Rights Movement burgeons, Alberta, unmarried and in her thirties, shares an apartment with her mother, Weedy, an old-fashioned Black woman who finds solace for her trouble in religion. Unexpectedly, a wandering street singer, Blind Jordan, comes to their door searching for a woman he once knew. The others are puzzled and even frightened by their visitor, but Alberta offers to help him in his quest; when they are alone, all the emotional and sexual frustrations struggling within her bursts forth with tremendous eloquence and power.

Larry Leon Hamlin founded the National Black Theatre Festival in 1989 to unite Black theatre companies in America and ensure their survival into the next millennium. With the support of Dr. Maya Angelou (who served as the Festival's first Chairperson) the National Black Theatre Festival was born. The '89 Festival offered 30 performances by 17 of America's best professional black theatre companies. It attracted national and international media coverage. According to The New York Times, "The 1989 National Black Theatre Festival was one of the most historic and culturally significant events in the history of black theatre and American theatre in general." Over 10,000 people attended. It lived up to its theme: "An International Celebration and Reunion of Spirit."

"Leon Larry Hamlin was a pioneer who had a dream, much like our founder, George Hawkins...he pursued every avenue possible to make that dream come true with his vision to create a festival that celebrates the art of African Americans in which celebrities, theatre founders, technicians, actors, directors playwrights, filmmakers, and educators come together through performing, networking, and engaging in a dynamic way," says Morris. "Larry Leon Hamlin left a legacy of engaging the arts that would forever change and impact the nation's perspective of our culture."

The Ensemble Theatre was founded in 1976 by the late George Hawkins to preserve African American artistic expression and to enlighten, entertain, and enrich a diverse community. The theatre is known as the only professional theatre in its region dedicated to the production of works portraying the African-American experience. In addition to being the oldest and largest professional African-American theatre in the Southwest, it also holds the distinction of being one of the nation's largest African-American theatres that owns and operates its facility with an in-house production team. Board President Emeritus Audrey Lawson led the capital campaign for The Ensemble's $4.5 million building renovations that concluded in 1997.

The Ensemble Theatre produces a main stage season of six contemporary and classic works devoted to the portrayal of the African American experience by local and national playwrights and artists. The theatre's Performing Arts Education program provides educational workshops, Artist-in-Residence experiences and live performances for students both off-site and at the theatre. Through its varied programs, The Ensemble Theatre benefits an audience and artistic constituency of approximately 65,000 people annually.

The Ensemble Theatre logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4566

CONTACT:  Ensemble Theatre
          Robert Ross
          (713) 807-4306
          rross@ensemblehouston.com