Remy Bumppo and Lookingglass present Speak Truth to Power
Remy Bumppo and Lookingglass Theatre Company will present a one-night only performance of Speak Truth to Power: Voices From Beyond the Dark by Ariel Dorfman, based on the book by Kerry Kennedy, to benefit Human Rights Watch. This 70-minute play by the author of Death and the Maiden will be performed on Tuesday, April 20th at 7:30 pm at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Avenue. Speak Truth to Power will be directed by Remy Bumppo Theatre Company Artistic Director James Bohnen. The cast includes Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Jasmin Cardenas, Joseph Foronda, Henry Godinez, Morocco Omari, Remy Bumppo Artistic Associates Greg Anderson, Annabel Armour and Nick Sandys, and Lookingglass Ensemble member Lisa Tejero. Advance tickets are available for a $20 donation to Human Rights Watch, and can be purchased online at www.lookingglasstheatre.org or by calling the box office at 312-337-0665. Tickets are pay-what-you-can at the door to benefit Human Rights Watch.
Based on interviews of human rights defenders around the world conducted by Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, Speak Truth to Power was originally performed at the Kennedy Center in 2000 and subsequently aired on PBS as part of its "Great Performances" series starring Kevin Kline, John Malkovich, Sigourney Weaver, and Alec Baldwin among others. The stories are from around the world and include such well known voices as Elie Wiesel, Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, and many others such as Marina Pisklakova, who began the first domestic violence hotline in Russia, Wangari Maathai, who started the Greenbelt Movement in Kenya, and Fauziya Kassindja from Togo, who works against kakiya (female genital mutilation). The play has been performed in theatres across America and around the world, frequently to benefit human rights organizations.
Remy Bumppo Artistic Director James Bohnen says "This is a powerful piece featuring testimony about human rights violations around the world, a celebration of activists who combat it, and a reminder of the need for vigilance and compassion from all of us, wherever we live." Lookingglass Theatre's Artistic Director Elect Andy White notes "This play dovetails thematically with both Lookingglass' current production of Trust and Remy Bumppo's recent production of Athol Fugard's The Island . We're thrilled to be able to partner with Remy Bumppo and Human Rights Watch for this important event.