Theater 167 To Hold ‘Social Justice’ Plays In Montclair

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of Theatre 167. Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

In November 2017, Theatre 167 will launch “167 West: Art into Action,” a series of play readings exploring social justice/activist themes. The first three events in the series will take place in Montclair.

Founded in 2010 by Artistic Director Ari Laura Kreith, Theatre 167’s work ranges from “The Jackson Heights Trilogy” - three full-length plays collaboratively written by 18 playwrights, in 14 languages, featuring 37 actors in 93 roles - to the four-actor “Pirira” by J.Stephen Brantley, set in Malawi and New York, which received the New York Innovative Theatre Foundation Award for Outstanding Premiere of a Play.

Other highlights include the world premiere of Pulitzer and Tony-nominated Tina Howe's climate change drama “Singing Beach”; Antu Yacob's “Mourning Sun,” which premiered in Manhattan and toured to Uganda; site-specific work at Queens Museum and the NY Transit Museum; commissions from Queens Theatre and the New Ohio/Theatre: Village Festival; and their current touring adaptation of Marina Budhos' novel “Watched,” which looks at the impact of surveillance on Muslim-American communities.

“167 West: Art Into Action” will launch in Montclair on November 30 with a free reading of “Pirira” featuring Kristen Adele, Adrian Baidoo, J.Stephen Brantley and Todd Flaherty, with stage directions read by Marlaina Sims Powell. This award-winning play premiered at Theatre 167 in 2013 and transferred off-Broadway. The reading will be held at the United Way Theatre, 60 S. Fullerton Ave, at 8 p.m., and is part of the Montclair Arts Festival produced by the Montclair Arts Alliance.

Upcoming 167 West events will include “Rachel,” a new musical about scientist and environmental activist Rachel Carson; “Watched,” an adaptation of Marina Budhos’ novel about the impact of surveillance on Muslim-American communities; and a reading of Karen Zacarias' “Just Like Us,” which follows the lives of four Mexican-American girls as they approach college and discover that their immigration status dictates their opportunities.

Click here for more information.

Photo: Shutterstock

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