 
ABOUT THE PLAY
 Frank Higgins’ play with music follows the
Depression-era journey of two extraordinary women, each of whom is dependent on the other to gain acceptance in society. In 1935 Texas, Susannah, a Caucasian academic
and song collector for the Library of Congress, visits a
high-security prison where she meets Pearl, an African-
American woman imprisoned for murder. Hoping to
record the treasure trove of spirituals and African folk
songs that only Pearl knows, Susannah bargains for Pearl’s
parole and arranges for several public performances. The
two women soon find themselves walking a delicate line
between exposure and exploitation. Featuring beautiful,
live, a cappella renditions of little-known American folk
songs, BLACK PEARL SINGS! chronicles a powerful
story about being a woman in a man’s world, being Black
in a White world, and fighting for one’s soul in a world
where anyone can be a commodity.
IN THE MEDIA
The critics are raving about BLACK PEARL SINGS! ...
Black, White Women Bond Musically and Winningly
By Wendy Rosenfield
Friday, June 4, 2010
 ... In Seth Rozin's hands, , and women wasting their girls-night-out money on faux female-bonding shows like Respect or Menopause: The Musical ought to demand refunds, link arms, and , courtesy of InterAct Theatre Company. , albeit from the Depression era and earlier. Higgins' drama is modeled after the relationship between bluesman Leadbelly and musicologist John Lomax, but , with tunes devastatingly bellowed by C. Kelly Wright as Pearl Johnson, and sung with a self-conscious reserve by Catherine Slusar as Susannah Mullally. . He allows them dignity, silliness, and secrets in equal measure ... Wright and Slusar are strong enough to resist the script's baser instincts. , not their surroundings - though Shannon Zura's set ... allows the women to stretch out and explore the space between them. ...
‘Black Pearl Sings!’ is a lively character study
By Kimberly Roberts
Friday, June 4, 2010
 Interact Theatre Company, known for its small but , has done it again with “Black Pearl Sings!” ... Both ... Higgins’ earthy, dialogue driven piece is filled with zany one-line zingers, delivered with plenty of attitude by both ... The cozy intimate atmosphere of The Adrienne is conducive to the interactive nature of “Black Pearl Sings!" ... , fully engaged the audience with her expressive facial features, inner angst and compelling delivery of the traditional hymns and spirituals. Barrymore winner a bright light on Pearl’s “authentic” heritage, while refusing to address, or even acknowledge, the problems in her own ... the two women form a sisterhood, though not quite a friendship, that was . Based on the age-old story of exploitation (for the sake of art, of course), “Black Pearl Sings!” is that demonstrates, once again, how deeply stereotypes, racism, and prejudice are woven into the fabric of America. ...
ON THE WEB
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
is the author of THE SWEET BY 'N' BY which was produced with Blythe Danner and Gwyneth Paltrow, and BLACK PEARL SINGS! which was produced with Tonya Pinkins. His plays have been seen in New York and at the Williamstown Theater Festival, the Old Globe, Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC, Kansas City Repertory Theater, The Barter Theater, Florida Studio Theater, Merrimack Repertory Theater, the Penumbra Theater, and the Fulton Opera House, and others. Among his other plays are WMKS: WHERE MUSIC KILLS SORROW, GUNPLAY, and MIRACLES. He has also written several plays for young audiences, including THE SLAVE DANCER'S CHOICE, ANANSI THE SPIDER AND THE MIDDLE PASSAGE, and THE COUNTRY OF THE BLIND. Mr. Higgins is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
Talking With... Frank Higgins
Read an interview with the playwright of BLACK PEARL SINGS!
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
co-founded InterAct Theatre Company in 1988, and has since served as Producing Artistic Director. He has directed over 40 productions for InterAct, including Israel Horovitz's LEBENSRAUM (1999 Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Direction of a Play, Outstanding Overall Production of a Play, and Outstanding Ensemble), IT'S ALL TRUE (2001 Barrymore nominations for Outstanding Director and Outstanding Overall Production), and PERMANENT COLLECTION (2004 Barrymore nomination for Outstanding Overall Production). He has twice been named "Best Director" by the Philadelphia Inquirer for the world premiere of Thomas Gibbons' 6221 in 1993 and for LEBENSRAUM. Other notable productions with InterAct include the world premieres of Thomas Gibbons' BEE-LUTHER-HATCHEE, BLACK RUSSIAN and A HOUSE WITH NO WALLS and the Philadelphia premieres of SKIN IN FLAMES, BLUE/ORANGE, NIXON'S NIXON, AUNT DAN AND LEMON, LONELY PLANET, SEASCAPE, and GOD'S COUNTRY. Seth has also directed for the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, Blue Heron Theatre and the 45th Street Theatre in New York, as well as regionally with Act II Playhouse, Venture Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival, and the University of Pennsylvania. As a playwright, Seth is the recipient of two fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, as well as The Smith Prize for his play BLACK GOLD. MEN OF STONE and MISSING LINK garnered Barrymore Award nominations for Outstanding New Play in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Seth has served on funding and/or award panels for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Philadelphia Theatre Initiative, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Theatre Communications Group, and the F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist. He has served on the Boards of the Women's Theatre Festival, Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, New Paradise Laboratories, Fresh Visions Youth Theatre, and the National New Play Network (for which he served as Chair from 2002-2006).
ABOUT THE CAST
makes her InterAct Theatre debut in the title role of BLACK PEARL SINGS!. Ms. Wright just completed LANGSTON IN HARLEM at Urban Stages (Off Broadway) in the role of Madam, and RED CLAY (Playwrights Horizons) playing Rosa Parks. Ms. Wright recently relocated from Northern California where she garnered numerous awards for work on various Bay Area stages. Among them CAROLINE, OR CHANGE (Caroline Thibodeaux), RADIO GOLF (Mame), A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS (Keckley), CROWNS (Jeanette), and IT AIN'T NOTHIN BUT THE BLUES all for TheatreWorks. Other favorites: GEM OF THE OCEAN (Black Mary) STC, PIANO LESSON (Grace) SJR and World Premieres of BRICKTOP, A LITTLE PRINCESS and MEMPHIS. Pearl and C. Kelly share a ferocious love for their children and belief in God.
returns to InterAct, where she was last seen as Agnetha in the critically-acclaimed and Barrymore Award-nominated production of FROZEN. Previously at InterAct: FEAST OF THE FLYING COW..., MISSING LINK, LEBENSRAUM, SEASCAPE, GOING TO ST. IVES, DRINK ME, BEE-LUTHER-HATCHEE, and BLACK RUSSIAN. Ms. Slusar was most recently seen in Theatre Exile's production of ANY GIVEN MONDAY. She also appeared recently as Christina in CABINET OF WONDERS with Gas and Electric Arts and in a production of THE EUROPEAN LESSON performed in Norway. She often creates multiple characters in a play: Mrs. Meany and Mitzy Lish in OWEN MEANY, all 24 characters in THE SYRINGA TREE (both at The Arden) and the 15 characters in LEBENSRAUM (at InterAct). Other favorites include Tamara in TAKING SIDES (Act II) and Mrs. Linde in A DOLL'S HOUSE (Lantern). She's performed on many Philadelphia and National stages winning a Barrymore Award, the Haas Award for an Emerging Artist, and an Independence Fellowship which took her to France and Russia. Ms. Slusar is a graduate of Yale and teaches acting at Bryn Mawr College.
The design team for BLACK PEARL SINGS! includes Set & Sound Design by , Lighting Design by , Costume Design by , and Properties Design by Avista Custom Theatrical Services. will serve as Stage Manager, as Dramaturg, and as Technical Director.
EXPLORING THE ISSUES
During BLACK PEARL SINGS!, InterAct will host several post-performance talk-backs to encourage further discussion on the issues it raises. Speaker Sundays, a series featuring invited scholars, community leaders and artists, are scheduled to follow matinee performances on:
Speaker T.B.A.
Speaker T.B.A.
Speaker T.B.A.
Following the 2nd and 3rd Tuesday and Wednesday performances of every production, we invite patrons to grab a brownie and a cup of joe, then join us for Coffee Converstaions, informal discussions with company artists. During B LACK PEARL SINGS!, Coffee Converstaions are scheduled for Tuesday, June 8; Wednesday, June 9; Tuesday, June 15; and Wednesday, June 16.
Check back often for up-to-the-minute updates on featured speakers!
BLACK PEARL SINGS! PERFORMANCE CALENDAR
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PURCHASE TICKETS
215.568.8079
InterAct's Box Office at The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., Phila
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C. Kelly Wright (Alberta "Pearl" Johnson)
