Highways Performance Space and Tricky Troll Productions Present: IMANI HENRY in B4T
Directed by DIANE BECKETT
February 9-12, 2006
at Highways Performance Space (www.highwaysperformance.org )
Thursday - Saturday 8:30 pm
Sunday 2:30 pm $15/$13 (with valid student ID).
 
Boston-bred and New York-based performance artist, IMANI HENRY, makes his Los Angeles debut at Highways with the highly acclaimed one-transman show, B4T. B4T is a smart, funny, and moving multi-media theatre piece that explores race, sexuality and gender ___expression through the lives of three Black, masculine, female-bodied people. Written and performed by Imani Henry. B4T played to sold-out audiences and standing ovations in NYC. B4T has been featured on national television and presented at festivals, conferences and campuses across the country. B4T National Tour is made possible by the generous contributions of: African Ancestral Lesbians United for Societal Change, Antonieta Gimeno & Pat O'Brien, Astraea National Lesbian Action Foundation, The Audre Lorde Project, The Brooklyn Arts Exchange, The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies, Collette Carter, Fast Friday Productions, Jesse Ehrensaft-Hawley, The International Action Center, The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, The National Writers Union, Henri Nereaux, Marya Warshaw & Jane Raferty, The WOW Cafe Theatre and Administrative & Technical Support Provided by: BF Sound, DYKE TV, Rosamond King of Eating Artist Services, Janet Mayes, Akilah Oliver, Elena J. Peckman, Peoples Video Network, Ivory Sampson, Lallan Schoenstein, Daniel Solitis & Workers World Party.

BIOGRAPHY:

Imani Henry, Activist, Writer, Performer. Since 1993 he has been a Staff Organizer at the International Action Center (IAC), where his work has focused on national organizing of communities of color and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement toward broader social justice campaigns. His anti-war activism has ranged from opposing US military inventions in Iraq, Haiti, Somalia, Venezuela, Colombia and Yugoslavia to fighting to end the economic blockade of Cuba. He has worked nationally within the anti-police brutality and anti-death penalty movements as well as fighting the freedom of all political prisoners incarcerated by the US government. Henry is the co-founder of Rainbow Flags for Mumia, a coalition of LGBTST people who demand the freedom of African- American political prisoner and journalist Mumia Abu Jamal. Henry’s writing has appeared in several publications including the Lambda Award-winning Does Your Mama Know and the IAC publication, War in Colombia: Made in USA. Henry was a featured commentator on the March 2005 segment of the nationally -syndicated PBS monthly newsmagazine "In the Life’s "American Gender” hosted by RuPaul. Henry’s multi-media theatre piece, B4T (before testosterone), received an Honorable Mention for Best Play for the Downtown Urban Theatre Festival performed at the Cherry Lane Theatre in NYC, June 2005. Check www.geocities.com/imani_henry for links to upcoming performances and political campaigns.

DIANE BECKETT

Ms Beckett is delighted to be working with Imani again after directing him in B4T at the Homo-A-Gogo festival in Olympia Washington. Other directing credits Barricade Against the Wind at the PS 122 in New York City, Kids Club for Fox Television, and Muses at the Boston Center for the Arts. Ms Beckett is an Obie award winning actress. Credits include Painted Snake in a Painted Chair at La Mama in New York City, Shakespeare and Company, and the Miramax released films Next Stop Wonderland, and Squeeze.

What People Are Saying About B4T

"The best of the as-yet untold tales of the queer underground still belong to the FTMs; and the most exciting of these tales are being told in Imani Henry's B4T (Before Testosterone). Mr. Henry combines the raw experience of his subject matter with the finely-honed precision of his acting, and the result is breathtaking. This is exactly the kind of fresh, proud, high quality new queer theater I've been looking for. This is standing ovation stuff." Kate Bornstein, author of Gender Outlaw

"B4T is story of self-discovery, survival, liberation and transcendence served up in a steaming brew of prose and poetry who's main ingredient is the explosive raw talent and charisma of Imani Henry. Before, "Before T", those of us fortunate to know Imani had little doubt that this in your face trans-activist/artist was on the cutting edge of a political and cultural awakening. "After T", a much broader audience will know it as well." Larry Holmes, National Co-Director of the International Action –Center

"Imani Henry's B4T is a profound and moving gift to social justice movements. The writing and acting exemplify the best of political art work -- complexities of life explored through thought-provoking creative ___expression. B4T is a reminder to all of us about what art should be in this country -- at the same time reminding us of the serious gaps in what currently passes as art in much of politically-censored, USA commercial art. " Joo-Hyun Kang, The Audre Lorde Project (NYC)