In celebration of Black History Month, a popular Philadelphia theater company will debut its second theatrical production this month, “Poetik Blues: A Sistah’s Story” depicts hardships, joys of being an African-American woman.
“Poetik Blues: A Sistah’s Story,” a play by Sweet Like Chocolate Productions, uses poetry, music and dance to address important social issues facing African-American women. The production features artistic expression and will broach a number of sensitive yet important topics relevant to today’s world.
“We are very pleased to debut this brand-new production, which will help us to celebrate the pride of Black History month here in Philadelphia,” said Karen Moore Williams, writer, producer and star of the play. “The fusion of poetry, dance and music allows us to address our audience from multiple perspectives. It also gives us the chance to pull people’s artistic appreciation in different directions. We try to show people the true power of different artistic forms.”
“Poetik Blues: A Sistah’s Story” covers important historical and contemporary issues related to African-American women, such as slavery, one’s self-image, the ups and downs of relationships and the challenges of menopause. While the play’s approach may be considered taboo to some, its producers believe that it presents an opportunity to have an open and honest discussion that does not need to be uncomfortable or hostile.
“Our goal with this production is to create a dialogue,” said Moore. “The play is a celebration of African-American women as a people, and that includes some subject matters that we tend to have difficulty discussing out in the open. We use the arts as a means of bringing these issues to the forefront of our culture and society.”
Founded in 2007, Sweet Like Chocolate Productions works in an artistic form known as poetic drama, in which plays are written as verse or poetic prose. This movement began in the 19th century as a way of bringing poetry back to the stage. Sweet Like Chocolate Productions continues in this tradition, bringing contemporary forms of urban poetry to audiences as a fusion of theater, music and dance.
The play, which stars Williams and LaVerne Evans Andrews, is set to open February 23 at Mediator Lutheran Church in Philadelphia. For more information on Sweet Like Chocolate Productions, “Poetik Blues: A Sistah’s Story” and performance times, visit http://www.sweetlikechocolateproductions.com.
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