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THE TRIAL OF TRAYVON MARTIN

Subversive Theatre Collective

Buffalo playwright Gary Earl Ross is fascinated with that place where American jurisprudence meets race. In Matter of Intent, he created Temple Scott, a Kennedy era African American woman, who is a Perry Mason style attorney, determined to exonerate her client. In Mark of Cain, he used the real 1925 case in which Clarence Darrow defended an African American man who used a gun to defend his home from a hostile mob.

The title of his new play might seem to tell it all: The Trial of Trayvon Martin. But let us recall, it was George Zimmerman who went on trial. African American Trayvon Martin was shot to death and Caucasian Zimmerman was acquitted by a Florida law that supported his right to stand hisground. In this courtroom drama, Ross challenges us by imagining, What if it was George Zimmerman who had died on that fateful night in 2012? The production, directed by Kurt Schneiderman, features Shawnell Tillery, Brian Brown, Rick Lattimer, Lawrence Rowswell, Leon Copeland, Jr., Kunji Rey, Brittany Bassett, VerNia Garvin, and Michael Mottern, and begins performances on April 6th.

Road Less Traveled Theater

In a theater season that will also feature the Irish Classical Theatre production of Noel Cowards Hay Fever, about the remarkable and theatrical Bliss family, Road Less Traveled offers us another love letter to theater families, Donald Marguliess The Country House. Set among the famous and aspiring at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the play chronicles what happens when the easy availability of emotion ignites the jealousies and passions of show folk. Scott Behrend, who served as assistant director for the Los Angeles production that starred Blythe Danner, takes the helm as director at his own theater. The Country House stars Christian Brandjes, Kristen Tripp-Kelley, Chris Kelly, Peter Palmisano, Barbara Link Larou, and Renee Landrigan. Performances will begin on April 28th.

Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY

The Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY continues its season dedicated to the work of Amy Herzog with The Great God Pan. Jamie is a man living the American Dream with his perfect Brooklyn family. That is, until a childhood friends pays a visit. Has Jamie repressed a horrific childhood experience? Directed by Saul Elkin, the production features Kelly Beuth, Jordan Louis Fischer, Darleen Pickering Hummert, Amelia Scinta, Steve Vaughan, Lisa Vitrano, and Adam Yellen. Performances begin on April 27th at the Maxine and Robert Seller Theatre, at the Jewish Community Center at 2640 North Forest Road in Getzville.

Alleyway Theatre

Neal Radice, founder of Alleyway Theatre, has penned prolific output of plays. His scripts include Night Work, a play plumbed from his family history about a World War I era court case involving the rights of women to work without restrictions; Minimum Habitat, an evening of vignettes, from birth to death, all set in bed; and his every popular adaptation of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. His musicals are also numerous, including versions of Gilgamesh, Beowulf, and Peer Gynt, and retellings of the local histories of The Ghost of Fort Niagara, and Over the Falls, the story of Annie Edson Taylor; the first person to plunge over Niagara Falls and survive.

Now, with Im Fine, Radice turns his attention to Mike, a middle-aged man who finds that a sense of humor is necessary as he treads the path of being a widower, from grief, to finances, to dealing with family, regret, his career, cooking, loneliness, the absurdity of online dating, and inevitably, sex. The cast features Ray Boucher, Emily Yancy, Joyce Stilson, and James Cichocki. The production opens on April 20th.

MusicalFare

This musical by Colin Escott & Floyd Mutrux, takes us back to Sun Record Studios in Memphis Tennessee, on one historic night in 1956 when Elvis Presley, Jery Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash took part in an impromptu jam session. Directed by Randall Kramer, the production features Brandon Barry, Steve Copps, Jeffrey Coyle, Arianne Davidow, Joseph Donohue III, Brian McMahon, Andrew J. Reimers, and Dave Siegfried. Performances start on April 19th at MusicalFare in Snyder.

Irish Classical Theatre Company

In the 1960s, playwrights like Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham, and Terence Rattigan were considered to be entirely pass. Their reputations were dead. Their plays were out of print. It was the age of the Angry Young Men. Now, oblivion seems to have caught up with the post war generation, and the works of Coward, Maugham, and Rattigan are back in vogue, considered to be classics, and are produced everywhere. This month, the Irish Classical Theatre Company will present Rattigans The Winslow Boy a 1946 play that explores the intersection of justice and class privilege. A young naval cadet is falsely accused of stealing a five-shilling note. This mark on his reputation threatens to ruin his life and to destroy his entire family. One of the most prominent barristers of the day agrees to defend the boy. The real life 1910 incident on which the play is based was famous. The real life attorney was Sir Edward Carson, the same man who prosecuted Oscar Wilde. The genius of Rattigan takes real life to fashion compelling drama. Directed by Brian Cavanagh, the production features Collan Zimmerman, Robert Rutland, Pamela Rose Mangus, Kevin Craig, Kate LoConti, Ben Moran, Todd Benzi, and Matt Witten. Performances begin on April 21st.

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A ROUNDUP OF COMING PLAYS by Anthony Chase - Artvoice

Thursday, April 06, 2017 5:32 p.m. CDT

By Timothy Mclaughlin

(Reuters) - Iowa lawmakers on Thursday approved amended legislation that would enact sweeping changes to the state's gun regulations, including a "stand your ground" provision, and sent it to the governor for final approval.

The bill, backed by the National Rifle Association, says a law-abiding person does not have to retreat before using deadly force.

A similar measure in Florida was thrust into the national spotlight in 2012 after the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin by neighborhood watch member George Zimmerman, who was acquitted of murder after the law was included in jury instructions.

At least 24 other states have similar measures, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The Iowa bill allows for children under the age of 14 to use handguns while under the supervision of an adult who is 21 or older. It also says gun owners with permits can bring concealed handguns into capitol buildings.

Republican state Representative Matt Windschitl said on the House floor on Thursday the bill was, "the most monumental piece of Second Amendment legislation this state has ever seen."

The bill also would make gun permits valid for five years, with a background check required when the permit is issued. Under the current law, permits are valid for one year with an annual background check.

The bill passed the state Senate on Tuesday and the House last month. The House voted on it again on Thursday to approve changes made in the Senate before advancing it to the desk of Republican Governor Terry Branstad.

A spokesman for Branstad did not immediately respond to request for comment.

The bill has been criticized by gun control advocates, who say it could increase gun violence.

"We have had very good gun laws," the Reverend Cheryl Thomas of Iowans for Gun Safety said by telephone. "With the passage of this law, we are going to lose that status."

Iowans for Gun Safety want Branstad to veto the measure.

Previous attempts to change the state's gun regulations have been blocked by Democrats, who held a majority in the Senate until November.

Following the election, Republican lawmakers control the Senate, House and governor's office for the first time in nearly two decades.

Republicans have used their majority to push through a number of bills during this legislative session, including drastic changes to the state's collective bargaining laws.

(Reporting by Timothy Mclaughlin in Chicago; Editing by Bill Trott)

Read the rest here:
Iowa poised for major overhaul to gun regulations - KFGO

In his new play "The Trial of Trayvon Martin," set to open April 6 in the Manny Fried Playhouse, Buffalo playwright Gary Earl Ross poses a simple question with a damning answer:

What would have happened on Feb. 26, 2012 if the roles of Trayvon Martinand George Zimmerman, whose deadly confrontation that evening helped to fuel a new movement for racial justice in America,had been switched?

"Would Martin have been released because there was nothing to contradict his story?" Ross asked. "Or would he have been held until they found something to contradict his story?"

Given what we know about the skewed application ofjustice inFloridaand the rising tide of racist rhetoric across the United States, the likely answer is not hard to guess.

And that's why Ross set out to write this play, the third in the Subversive Theatre Collective's "Black Power Play Series." The larger question he poses to audiences iswhy they should tacitly accept a system that treats criminal suspects, defendants and victims differently based on the color of their skin.

Ross, known for his mystery novels, thrillers and courtroom dramas, based the play on a story he wrote shortly after a jury acquitted Zimmermanfor his role in Martin's death. It was averdict that surprised even many observers of Florida'sfamously flawed criminal justice system. That includes Ross, whose son is a Florida police officer.

"I thought, there's no way he can get an acquittal on this, because from everything I've read, George Zimmerman instigated this whole thing by following the child," Ross said. "I went through 911 transcripts, I went through trial transcripts and articles about the trial. It seems to me that it probably shouldn't have been second-degree murder, it should have been manslaughter."

But would even that have resulted in a conviction?There's no way to know. So Ross applied his knowledge of the justice system and its history of shortchanging black men, to this hypothetical situation.

The result, hesuggested, is as much an indictment of thecriminal justice system as it is ofthe insidiousness of American racism.

"They charge more children as adults, they don't keep track of who owns firearms, and it just struck me that we have a convergence of gun culture, racism and the unequal criminal justice system," Ross said. "There's a level of subconscious racism that exists in America, and part of what I hope I'm doing in this play is pointing it out."

THEATER PREVIEW

What: "The Trial of Trayvon Martin" Where: Manny Fried Playhouse, 255 Great Arrow Ave. When: April 6 to May 6 Tickets: $25 to $30 Info: 408-0499 or subversivetheatre.org

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New play flips tragedy of Trayvon Martin on its head - Buffalo News

Florida lawmakers advanced a measure on Wednesday that could make it easier to avoid prosecution in deadly shootings and other use-of-force cases by seeking immunity on self-defense grounds under the state's pioneering "stand your ground" law.

In a 74-39 vote, the state's House of Representatives passed legislation that shifts the burden of proof from defendants to prosecutors when the law is invoked to avoid trial.

The measure now returns to the state Senate, which last month approved its own version of the bill. Both chambers are controlled by Republicans.

Florida's "stand your ground" law, passed in 2005, received wide scrutiny and inspired similar laws in other states. It removed the legal responsibility to retreat from a dangerous situation and allowed use deadly force when a person felt greatly threatened.

Opponents say the measures will embolden gun owners to shoot first, citing the 2012 death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida, which spurred national protests and the Black Lives Matter movement. The neighborhood watchman who killed him, George Zimmerman, was acquitted of murder after the law was included in jury instructions.

Wednesday's House vote on changing the law followed party lines.

Supporters, including the National Rifle Association, the powerful U.S. gun lobby, see the legislation as bolstering a civilian's right to quell an apparent threat.

"This bill is trying to put the burden of proof where it belongs, on the state, because all people are innocent before being proven guilty," said the Republican sponsor of the bill, Representative Bobby Payne.

Florida's law did not specify the process for applying "stand your ground" immunity. State courts established the current protocol, which calls for a pre-trial hearing before a judge and puts the burden of proof on the defendant.

Most of those speaking in the House debate were Democrats who said the bill would lead to more violence.

"Who will speak for the voiceless victims, silenced by an aggressor who claims he wasnt an aggressor but is protected by a flawed law? said Democrat Representative Bobby Dubose.

While public defenders support the changes to the law, the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association and gun control advocates oppose them.

"Every battery case, every domestic violence case, every use of force case, as a matter of routine, defense attorneys will now request hearings," said Phil Archer, a state attorney.

Archer, a lifetime NRA member who teachers gun owners about "stand your ground," said of the changes: "This is just going too far."

WASHINGTON The Trump administration and the Japanese government are in discussions to ensure that the bankruptcy of Toshiba Corp's U.S. unit Westinghouse Electric Co does not lead to U.S. technology secrets and infrastructure falling into Chinese hands, a U.S. official said on Thursday.

AUGUSTA, Georgia American journeyman Charley Hoffman led the U.S. Masters after firing a sparkling 65 in a wind-swept first round on Thursday as world number one Dustin Johnson pulled out due to a back injury.

AUGUSTA, Georgia In a field of golfing thoroughbreds, self-described plow horse William McGirt plodded his way up to second place at the U.S. Masters on Thursday after a gusty opening round at Augusta National.

Excerpt from:
Florida legislature poised to bolster 'Stand Your Ground' law - Reuters

Theater is a reflection of life for Lynchburg native Jennifer Petticolas.

Her plays touch upon topics and themes that range from menopause to race to suicide.

My goal is not for you to be just solely entertained but to walk away with a little bit more than you came in with, she said.

Petticolas involvement in theater was a slow progression.

She wrote short stories as a student at the former Dunbar High School, and when she entered Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina, she wanted to be a war correspondent, but the college lacked a journalism major.

Following graduation with a degree in English, Petticolas accepted a teaching position at a Baltimore junior high school. It would be a tough assignment even for an experienced teacher.

It was October when Petticolas stepped into the classroom and, by that time, three other teachers had been assigned to lead the class. One teacher was beaten by a student, she said.

These were kids who grew up in the projects of Baltimore, and who lacked the sheltered life Petticolas was accustomed to as a child.

These were kids who could look out their windows and see someone knifed or shot, or drug deals taking place or their moms prostituting themselves to pay the bills. I dont know why I was able to break through.

Petticolas said she commanded and received respect in her classroom.

I kept on going and really fell in love, she said.

It was during her time teaching in a different Baltimore junior high that the schools faculty needed someone to write a play. So, being an English teacher, Petticolas stepped forward.

The production focused on the history of music and dance, and that first play would feature the heavy research that goes into her current theatrical work.

Petticolas served 30 years in education, including time as an assistant principal at E.C. Glass High School and in the central administration office of Lynchburg City Schools.

Even during her educational career, theater wasnt far behind. Petticolas directed two school plays during her tenure at E.C. Glass. She also acted in local productions at the former Fine Arts Center, now the Academy Center of the Arts.

When Lynchburgs Black Theatre Ensemble of Virginia formed, Petticolas was among its founders.

But she said she wanted to have more control over the writing and production process, so she began her own company, JLP Productions, in 2010.

Petticolas said she doesnt write or perform for profit. Instead, the majority of revenue received by JLP Productions goes back into the community through donations to organizations like the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Gleaning for the World and the Jubilee Family Development Center.

Local venues where her work has been performed include the Academy Center of the Arts, the lounge in the downtown Holiday Inn on Main Street and the Glass House on Jefferson Street. Other venues include the D.C. Black Theatre & Arts Festival, Howard University and performances in Henrico County and Farmville.

Petticolas is a force of nature, said Tony Camm, general manager of the Holiday Inn on Main Street.

Camm said Petticolas roped him into the theater when he took his wife to an audition for a show Petticolas was directing. She asked Camm if he would like to try out for a part and, since then, he has acted in and directed several plays.

Petticolas lit that fire, the theatrical fire, Camm said. She roped me into the theater during that audition for my wife.

One recent JLP Productions performance was A Little Bit of Ray, an homage to the life of iconic musician Ray Charles, which was performed at the Academy Center of the Arts last summer around the anniversary of the performers death.

A piece that shes presented several times is Menopausal but Still Groovin, which will be performed again this weekend at the Holiday Inn downtown.

In February, JLP Productions presented Black Lives Matter at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Lynchburg; it focused on the lives of five women, including Mary Turner, a pregnant black woman who was doused with gasoline, hung and shot by a white mob in 1918 after protesting the lynching of her husband a day earlier, and Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Florida teen fatally shot by a neighborhood watch captain, George Zimmerman.

You have these mothers talking about their pain, and what its like losing a child and their child cant get justice, Petticolas said.

She said her goal is to spark conversation or for audience members to walk away with more knowledge of a subject than what they came in with.

Gloria Simon has known Petticolas for about 25 years and worked with her while both served in Lynchburg City Schools and Roanoke City Public Schools.

Simon portrayed Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, in Black Lives Matter. Emmett Till was a 14-year-old boy who was mutilated and shot in 1955 after Carolyn Bryant, a white woman, falsely accused Till of grabbing and whistling at her.

Work presented by JLP Productions will always be a teachable moment, Simon said.

You walk away from her productions knowing something you might not have known prior to her show. Through entertainment, theres always something teachable.

A piece performed about two years ago, Little Black Dress, was born from a local mothers desire to inform the public that help is available for depression after she lost her daughter to suicide. The performance included a discussion with mental health professionals.

The subject matter is heavy, but Little Black Dress is so worthwhile because we know we are reaching people who need to be able to talk, Petticolas said.

Menopausal but Still Groovin, which will be performed Friday and Saturday, is about seven women discussing their experience with life and menopause. After viewing the play, Petticolas said men sometimes approach her to express gratitude for gaining an understanding of what their wives experience during menopause.

Sometimes that happens in theater, Petticolas said. If you can see it onstage, you can relate it to your own life and deal with it a little better.

Life should be teaching you something, she said. You shouldnt be walking through life without learning something.

Petticolas theatrical team is made up of a core group of women, including Regina Phillips, the principal of Monelison Middle School in Amherst County. Phillips met Petticolas through the theater and has appeared in several of her productions. Now, her theatrical work mostly is backstage.

In a group of alpha females, she is our alpha female, Phillips said laughing.

Shes decisive. She always tells the truth, Phillips said. She was my mentor, she is my friend. If I want to know the truth, I want to call Jennifer because shes always going to tell me whats good for me. I may not want to hear it, but she always tells me whats good for me.

Petticolas said when she is approached by audience members about how one of her plays has touched them in some manner, it just makes me feel like I have accomplished my goal.

Theater to me is another way of teaching, Petticolas said. When you are teaching, you have to have a lesson plan and you have to have goals for your lesson. A way for you to know if you have reached your objective is, usually, you have a little quiz. I cant do that with my audience, but when an audience gives me that feedback, it lets me know I have reached my objective.

See the original post here:
'A force of nature': Lynchburg native Jennifer Petticolas a staple of theater community - Lynchburg News and Advance