In celebration of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, Core Ensemble will present “Ain’t I a Woman!” on Wednesday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m. in Ice Auditorium in Melrose Hall at Linfield College.
Chamber Music Theatre is a unique performance format developed by the Core Ensemble featuring a marriage of theatrical narrative to chamber music performance. In “Ain’t I a Woman!” actress Shayla Simmons portrays multiple characters while interacting with the onstage musical trio of cello, piano and percussion.
“Ain’t I a Woman!” celebrates the life and times of four powerful African American women – renowned novelist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, ex–slave and abolitionist Sojourner Truth, folk artist Clementine Hunter and civil rights worker Fannie Lou Hamer. The musical score is drawn from the heartfelt spirituals and blues of the Deep South, the urban vitality of the Jazz Age and contemporary concert music by African Americans. “Ain’t I a Woman!” is a joyful exploration of the trials and triumphs of four passionate and accomplished women.
This is Core Ensemble’s third visit to Linfield.
Since 1993, the Core Ensemble has toured every region of the United States and internationally to Australia, England, Russia, Ukraine and the British Virgin Islands. It has received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, The Palm Beach County Cultural Council and the Aaron Copland Fund for Music.
The performance is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Lacroute Arts Series, the Department of Theatre and Communication Arts, and the Department of Music. For more information, call 503-883-2802. The Lacroute Arts Series is made possible by the generosity of Ronni Lacroute, Linfield College trustee and arts benefactor.
