Award-winning Black theater company takes the stage in Philadelphia this weekend

Matteo Iadonisi Image
Friday, February 16, 2024
Award-winning Black theater company takes the stage in Philadelphia
A piece by the late Philadelphia playwright Charles Fuller is seeing new life this weekend with the Negro Ensemble Company at the University of Pennsylvania.

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- "I always wanted to tell stories, or help tell stories, that were relevant to what me and people who look like me are going through," said Benjamin Rowe.

Rowe is an actor in the award-winning Negro Ensemble Company (NEC), which is bringing a Philadelphia-based play to life this weekend.

NEC originally debuted 'Zooman and the Sign' by the late Charles Fuller, which was written about gun violence in Philadelphia in 1979.

Fuller was from Philadelphia and graduated from Roman Catholic High School. Current students at the school attended the show in his honor.

Penn Live Arts presents 'Zooman and the Sign' with NEC from now until Sunday, February 18th. To learn more and how to purchase tickets, visit their website.

To see snippets of the performance and hear reactions from Roman Catholic students, watch the video above.

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