Prince George's County Playwright Tours Play About Black Female Entertainers

Feb. 27, 2013 - PRLog -- Prince George's County, MD playwright Khadijah Ali-Coleman brings her musical theatrical production "In Her Words" back to the Washington DC metro area after a successful run last year that included a performance at the United States Peace Corps headquarters celebrating Black History Month. The show then was live streamed to Peace Corps offices and co-sponsored by the DC Public Library System. This year,  the production opens at Oxon Hill Public Library in Oxon Hill, MD on Saturday, March 16.

“In Her Words” is a theatrical presentation showcasing the voices and views of Lucille Clifton, Zora Neale Hurston, Lena Horne, Nina Simone and Billie Holiday as not just creative artists, but social activists. "In Her Words" is produced by Liberated Muse Arts Group (http://www.liberatedmuse.org), a Prince George's County, Maryland-based arts group led by Ali-Coleman that has been creating quality arts programming since 2008, serving the DC metropolitan area.

"I am very proud of this production," says Ali-Coleman. "It showcases the dimension of women who were not only entertaining creatives, but also very conscious, very socially aware citizens."

Ali-Coleman was inspired to write the piece after hearing a Pacifica-radio interview with Lena Horne from the 1960’s. She then went on to research more on Horne which inspired her to delve into the lives of other ancestor entertainers from previous eras. Reading autobiographies, watching interviews and reading other documents led to creating a script that included actual dialogue from interviews.

The show received strong reviews during its 2012 run with its emphasis on educating and entertaining. Paul Mills, area manager of the DC Public Library System reported, ”In one word, [attendees of ‘In Her Words’] frequently described the performance as ‘great,’ ‘exceptional,’ ‘inspirational,’ ‘excellent,’ and ‘beautiful.’”    Mills continues, “Several attendees connected the  informative content with the significance of the women and their times, pointing out that [the show’s] format presented a remarkable “history lesson.”

The production stars national recording artist Colie Williams as the late poet Lucille Clifton who serves as main character in the show.

“This piece is so powerful,” Williams says. “It is imperative to me to be a part of art that speaks truth and empowerment.”

“In Her Words” is already scheduled to appear at three locations for 2013 and is available for special bookings for organizations, schools and libraries.. Visit InHerWordsTour.com for the full performance schedule.