Khepera Center Exec, Board And Others Take Social Change To The Stage
Khepera Center for Expression & Social Change Senior Fellow Eric Christopher Webb and Board of Advisor Dr. Maurice Henderson have adapted social change for the stage in two theatrical productions, which opened early in October Off-Broadway and another three weeks ago in Philadelphia.
MITCHELLVILLE, MD (PRWEB) December 5, 2006
Khepera Center for Expression & Social Change Senior Fellow Eric Christopher Webb and Board of Advisor Dr. Maurice Henderson have adapted social change for the stage in two theatrical productions, which opened early in October Off-Broadway and another three weeks ago in Philadelphia.
The stage productions include "Wade In The Water," a Hurricane Katrina drama exploring the onslaught and the aftermath of the disaster at the National Black Theatre in New York, and then "Baby Mama Drama," a spoken word-influenced dramatic work addressing male and female relationships, HIV & AIDS, domestic violence, depression and mental health, substance abuse, child abuse and child support as well as child custody issues at the Rotunda Theatre in Philadelphia. Henderson, who directed the plays, also co-wrote both works with Webb and others.
The Khepera Center, which is a paradigm-shifting for-profit institution whose mission is to establish a community of creative problem-solvers and social change agents that capitalize on the transformative and healing powers of expression and the Arts, helps schools, community-based and non-profit organizations, government agencies and companies build capacity by addressing prevention and intervention issues among their staffs as well as the audiences and customers they serve.
"The Khepera Center, its board and its staff are dedicated to producing and promoting creative expression that encourages and facilitates social change," said Fred Thomas, also a member of Khepera's Board of Advisors, Budweiser's Whassup commercial fame, and co-producer of the play, "the Bachelorette Party," which has been optioned by Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment. "Both plays ("Wade In the Water" and "Baby Mama Drama") have already stirred tremendous dialogue and their contribution to both productions further Khepera's mission of establishing a community of creative problem solvers and social change agents that capitalize on the transformative and healing powers of expression and the Arts."
Webb, who was also part of the cast for "Baby Mama Drama" explained that the play was derived from a pilot talk show of the same name, originally conceived by Keith Mungin, the play's executive producer as well as host of the now-much talked about Philadelphia talk show, currently being releasing on DVD and seeking a syndication deal.
The Khepera Center is currently consulting with the producers of each stage production to develop new ways to make both plays and their content accessible to the schools and the community through a variety of mediums.
"There are a lot of wonderful learning opportunities, opportunities that are only facilitated through this kind of expression," Webb said. "We're hoping to develop curriculums, workshops and other resources for all educational levels."
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