Mothers Milk: A Blues Riff in Three Acts

THE MARSH BERKELEY PRESENTS
MOTHER’S MILK: A BLUES RIFF IN THREE ACTS
Written and performed by Wayne Harris
Composed by Randy Craig
October 29-December 10
Thursdays at 8pm, Sundays at 5pm

The Marsh Berkeley presents Wayne Harris’ new solo show, MOTHER’S MILK: A BLUES RIFF IN THREE ACTS, a music-infused coming-of-age tale. Written by Wayne Harris, composed by Randy Craig with assistance from John McArdle, and directed by David Ford, MOTHER’S MILK will play October 29-December 10 (Press opening November 5) with performances Thursdays at 8pm and Sundays at 5pm at The Marsh Berkeley Cabaret, 2120 Allston Way. For tickets ($20-$35 sliding scale, $55-$100 reserved), the public may visit www.themarsh.org or call 415-282-3055 between 1 – 4pm, Monday through Friday.

Original songs, traditional blues, and gospel come together to underscore Harris’ intricate narrative of life, death, and the Baptist Church. Set against the background of the civil rights movement, a losing battle with breast cancer, and a slightly inebriated preacher, MOTHER’S MILK tells the story of a young black man finding his way back home. The show recently enjoyed a successful run at the San Francisco Fringe Festival, with the San Francisco Chronicle writing, “Gorgeously sung…a moving, thoughtful tale. His stylings on the likes of ‘St. Louis Blues,’ ‘I Stood on the Banks of Jordan,’ and ‘God Bless the Child’ are pure bliss.”

Wayne Harris is an award-winning solo performer, writer, educator, curriculum innovator and musician. Harris has written and starred in five full-length solo plays, including Train Stories, The May Day Parade, and Tyrone “Shortleg” Johnson and Some White Boys, for which he received the 2012 “Best of Fringe” award at the SF Fringe Festival. He is head of The Marsh Youth Theater Program, and has worked with The Marsh since 1996, where he was first exposed to storytelling through theater. He is also committed to music education, directing and designing performances for schools and pageantry groups.
Randy Craig is an actor, composer and musician who has worked with numerous Bay Area organizations including the famed Pickle Family Circus, of which he was a co-founder. Craig has won a Bay Area Theater Critic’s Circle award for Best Score and scored an Academy Award-nominated documentary. He performs in jazz, funk and rock groups around the Bay Area.

Bassist John McArdle has been part of the San Francisco music scene as a performer, producer, and recording artist for over forty years. He has experience in a wide range of musical styles including R&B, swing, Latin and jazz. McArdle has performed with artists from Lesley Gore and Lou Rawls to Liberace and Pharaoh Sanders.

David Ford is a director, collaborator, and Goldie Award-winning playwright who has worked on countless solo shows over his 25-year career in the business. Frequently working on projects at The Marsh, Ford has collaborated with many other Bay Area favorites including Charlie Varon, Marilyn Pittman, Geoff Hoyle, and Cherry Terror.

WHAT: The Marsh Berkeley presents Wayne Harris’ new solo show, MOTHER’S MILK: A BLUES RIFF IN THREE ACTS, a music-infused coming-of-age tale. MOTHER’S MILK is written by Wayne Harris, composed by Randy Craig with assistance from John McArdle, and directed by David Ford.

WHEN: October 29-December 10, 2015

SHOWS: 8pm Thursdays, 5pm Sundays

WHERE: The Marsh Berkeley Cabaret
2120 Allston Way, Berkeley

TICKETS: $20 - $35 sliding scale, $55-$100 reserved seating
For tickets, visit www.themarsh.org or call 415-282-3055