Lorraine Hansberry Theatre Presents THURGOOD A Powerful One-man Play July 9-25

SAN FRANCISCO - June 17, 2015 - PRLog -- Lorraine Hansberry Theatre (LHT) shines the spotlight on civil rights with the production of THURGOOD by George Stevens, Jr. from July 9-25, 2015 at the Creativity Theater, 221 Fourth Street (at Howard) in San Francisco, directed by Margo Hall.

THURGOOD is a powerful one-man play first produced on Broadway in April 2008, starring Laurence Fishburne. LHT’s production features LHT's Artistic Director, Steven Anthony Jones, as Thurgood Marshall, one of the defining American characters of the 20th Century. Thurgood rose from the back alleys of Baltimore to become a Civil Rights icon and the first African-American Justice appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in October 1967. Thurgood stood for “justice for all” and was the architect of several court challenges that became the foundation of the civil rights movement.  As a civil rights lawyer, he argued and won Brown v. Board of Education in front of the Supreme Court in 1954, which led to the end of institutionalized segregation and rewrote human history in America.

LHT remains true to its core mission and is as relevant as ever with this timely production of THURGOOD that serves as a reminder of how our civil rights were fought for and won. As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the 13^th Amendment and the 50^th anniversary of Civil Rights Era hallmarks including the passing of the Voting Rights Act in August 1965, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre contends that now is the time to re-inspire citizens with a modern civic lesson through the non-threatening forum of the performing arts.

Performances of THURGOOD will be followed by talkbacks between the audience, the artist and community leaders about the impact of desegregation with frank, informed and thought-provoking discussions about civil rights struggles then and now. Invitations to participate in talkbacks include Plaintiff Civil Rights Attorney John Burris, Eva Patterson of the Equal Justice Society, San Francisco City Supervisors, SFPD and BART Police Chiefs, among others.

VENUE: Creativity Theater, 221 Fourth Street (at Howard), San Francisco, CA, 94103 (behind Carousel).

PERFORMANCE DATES: July 9-25, 2015
●  Thursday, July 9, 8:00 pm (Preview)
●  Friday, July 10, 8:00 pm (Opening Night)
●  Saturday, July 11, 2:00 pm
●  Saturday, July 11, 8:00 pm
●  Sunday, July 12, 2:00 pm
●  Thursday, July 16, 8:00 pm
●  Friday, July 17, 8:00 pm
●  Saturday, July 18, 2:00 pm
●  Saturday, July 18, 8:00 pm
●  Sunday, July 19, 2:00 pm
●  Thursday, July 23, 8:00 pm
●  Friday, July 24, 8:00 pm
●  Saturday, July 25, 2:00 pm
●  Saturday, July 25, 8:00 pm (Closing)

TICKET PRICES:
Opening Night (Friday, 7/10) - $35 for Adults, $30 for Seniors
Friday and Saturday Nights - $30 Adults, $25 for Seniors/Students
Thursdays Nights - $25 for Adults,  $20 for Seniors/Students
Saturday/Sunday Matinees - $25 for Adults,  $20 for Seniors/Students
Group discounts for 10 tickets, or more, are available.

TICKETS:  Purchase tickets at http://LHTSF.org/tickets.html.  Box Office: (415) 474-8800. Email: BoxOffice@LHTSF.org. Web: www.LHTSF.org.

ABOUT STEVEN ANTHONY JONES
Steven Anthony Jones (LHT Artistic Director) has worked professionally on stage, television and film for over 40 years. Prior to joining Lorraine Hansberry Theatre as Artistic Director in March 2011, he was a core company actor at American Conservatory Theatre (A.C.T.), where he acted, directed and taught. Among the plays he has been in are: Sophocles’ Elektra, a Pity She's a Whore, After the War, Gem of the Ocean, Waiting for Godot, Yohen, The Three Sisters, A Christmas Carol (Scrooge and The Ghost of Christmas Present), "Master Harold"... and the boys, The Misanthrope, Threepenny Opera, Tartuffe, Indian Ink, Hecuba, Insurrection: Holding History, Seven Guitars, Othello (title role), Antigone, Miss Evers' Boys, Joe Tuner's Come and Gone, Saint Joan, King Lear, Golden Boy, and Feathers. Other local theater credits include: Fences (Marin Theatre Company), Fuente Ovejuna and McTeague (Berkeley Repertory Theatre); As You Like It (San Francisco Shakespeare Festival); The Cherry Orchard, Every Moment, and The Island (Eureka Theatre); Sideman (San Jose Repertory Theatre); and Division Street (Oakland Ensemble Theatre). He originated the role of Private James Wilkie in the original production of A Soldier's Play at the Negro Ensemble Company in New York. His many film and television credits include two seasons of Midnight Caller and a recurring role on the NBC series Trauma. Mr. Jones received his early theatre training at Karamu House in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. He is a graduate of Yankton College in South Dakota. Other experience includes the Cleveland Playhouse, Berkeley Rep, San Jose Rep, and San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, among others.

ABOUT LORRAINE HANSBERRY THEATRE (LHT):  Award-winning Lorraine Hansberry Theatre was founded in 1981 with the core mission to promote the performing arts and present plays by America's foremost African-American and multicultural playwrights. LHT provides employment and career-building opportunities for actors, directors, designers, and technicians. In March 2011, veteran stage, film and television actor, Steven Anthony Jones, became Artistic Director after the passing of co-founders Stanley E. Williams, Artistic Director, and Quentin Easter, Executive Director, in 2010.

Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Administrative Office, 777 Jones Street, San Francisco, CA 94109, Phone: 415-345-3980, www.LHTSF.org.