Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective presents
Ink Of Our Kin
Fri & Sat, Feb 6 – 21 • 7:30 pm
Celebrate theatre history with Different Strokes and Ink Of Our Kin — a bold new series featuring staged readings that spotlight ethnic and cultural diversity in theatre. Ink Of Our Kin runs Fridays and Saturdays, February 6–21 at 7:30, with a new powerful play each week: The Piano Lesson by August Wilson; our special Valentine’s presentation, The Motherfu(ker With the Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis; and closing with the iconic A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry.
The Piano Lesson (February 6-7)
This acclaimed play by August Wilson centers on the Charles family in 1936 Pittsburgh, where a brother and sister battle over the fate of a family heirloom, a carved piano, bearing the history, trauma, and legacy of their enslaved ancestors. As the siblings clash, the past manifests both literally and emotionally, forcing them to confront what inheritance truly means and how to honor their history while forging their future.
The Motherf**er with the Hat (February 13-14)
A dark comedy by Stephen Adly Guirgis that follows Jackie, a recovering addict fresh out of prison, who’s trying to rebuild his life and relationship with his longtime girlfriend, Veronica, herself still using. When Jackie discovers an unfamiliar hat in their apartment, it triggers a wild, spiraling chain of jealousy, betrayal, and self-reflection involving his AA sponsor, Ralph; Ralph’s resentful wife, Victoria; and Jackie’s loyal cousin, Julio. The play blends sharp humor with raw emotion as it explores addiction, loyalty, love, and the struggle to change.
This comedy contains harsh language and a theme of substance abuse.
A Raisin in the Sun (February 20-21)
A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, follows the Younger family, an African American household in 1950s Chicago, as they struggle with poverty, racism, and conflicting dreams after receiving a $10,000 life-insurance check from the late father. When a financial setback threatens their plans and a white neighborhood association tries to buy them out, the Youngers must decide whether to give in to fear or stand firm. Lorraine Hansberry made history in 1959 as the first African American woman to have a play produced on Broadway, breaking barriers in American theater.
Purchase the 3 Performance Package and get a ticket for all three readings for $40 (plus fees and sales tax).
Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective is the resident company of Wortham Center for the Performing Arts.
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