THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT
Ashley Bryan’s lauded storybook Beautiful Blackbird comes to vivid life when the Portland Museum of Art, the Theater Ensemble of Color, and Portland Ovations Offstage come together to bring his timeless fable to the stage. Inspired by a traditional story from the Ila-speaking people of Zambia, Blackbird tells the uplifting tale of the only bird in the forest to have black feathers, and his lessons for the other birds, who are envious of his beauty. The moral is that of tolerance, understanding, and self-love, and this limited-run production promises to empower and entertain theater-goers of all ages.
Presented by Theater Ensemble of Color and directed by Artistic Director René Goddess Johnson
Co-Produced by Portland Ovations and Portland Museum of Art
Presented in conjunction with the PMA exhibition Painter and Poet: The Art of Ashley Bryan, on view through November 25.
"Painter and Poet: the Art of Ashley Bryan" is the first major art museum exhibition in Maine for the award-winning 95-year-old artist and Little Cranberry Island resident, a pioneer of African and African American representation in the children's book medium, who has published more than 50 titles since his first collection of poems in 1967. The exhibition features original art from 14 titles and a selection of independent work, including sketches made while serving in World War II and large puppets made from found objects washed ashore on the Maine island where he has lived for over 60 years.
