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Nat: The Life And Times Of Nat King Cole Written and Starring Verlon Brown Directed By Rome Neal -Thursday, September 20- Sunday, September 30, 2018 THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY Crystal Field, Executive Artistic Director Presents NAT: The Life And Times Of Nat King Cole Written and Starring Verlon Brown Directed By Rome Neal Produced by Carolyn Adams Band members: Baptiste Horcholle - Piano Alex Talarico - Bass Michael Hojnacki - Drums Thursday, September 20- Sunday, September 30, 2018 Thurs - Sat 8pm, Sat & Sun 3pm Tix: $18 Sat, Sept 22 @8pm. (Special Opening Night Fundraiser $50) @Theater For The New City 155 First Avenue (near 10th Street) New York NY 10003 Verlon Brown (NAT/ Playwright) discovered his passion for acting during a stint at a Fresh Air Fund camp in Delaware; he was twelve years old. Hooked immediately, Verlon spent much of his summer performing in plays and assisting in other aspects of stage production. He excelled as an actor and loved breathing life into his characters. Verlon’s time in Delaware set the foundation for his professional career. Verlon graduated from Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) and fully devoted himself to acting. He enrolled in formal acting classes at Queens College. To sharpen his skills and familiarize himself with the technical demands of his craft In 2004, Verlon’s humility and hard work were rewarded when a peer referred him to Black Nexxus, Susan Batson’s acting studio in New York. Though Verlon initially thought Susan’s classes were very different from anything he’d experienced, he persevered and eventually felt a freedom he’d never experienced as an actor. Now under Susan’s direction at Susan Batson Studios, Verlon lends his talent to a number of plays and ensembles. He recently portrayed Nat King Cole in Nat King Cole: The Vanguard of Avant Garde. For his role, Verlon dedicated himself to intensive character study and research, and as a result, he developed a profound respect for Nat King Cole’s body of work. Innovative and creative by nature, Verlon’s peers have described him as generous, supportive, and kind-hearted both on the stage and off. He exudes a warmth and congeniality that actors, directors, and audiences appreciate. His willingness to help his fellow actors reach their pinnacles has become his trademark. Verlon is committed to his calling, and he brings an impeccable level of professionalism to every role. Rome Neal (Director) Is the Artistic Theatre Director/Chairman of Board of Directors of the Nuyorican Poets Café. Mr. Neal received an Obie Grant with Café founder Miguel Algarin for excellence in theatre. Over the years he has received five Audelco Awards for his direction of Pepe Carril’s "SHANGO de IMA" and Samuel Harp’s "DON”T EXPLAIN" Mr. Neal also received two Audelcos for his acting: one for Lead Actor in Gabrielle N. Lane's “SIGNS” at Theatre For The New City and one for Solo Performance in his critically acclaimed "MONK, " by Laurence Holder. Neal also received the National Black Theatre Festival's coveted Lloyd Richards Director’s Award. His fifth Audelco Award was a technical award for his light design of "SHANGO de IMA." Mr. Neal received a Triumph Award for his acting in Alex Mc Donald's "PRISM" and a Monarch Merit Award for his outstanding contributions in New York Theatre. His directorial credits includes his adaptation of William Shakespeare's "JULIUS CAESAR SET IN AFRICA, " Sekou Sundiata's "THE CIRCLE UNBROKEN IS A HARD BOP" Amiri Baraka's "MEETING LILLIE, " "SHANGO de IMA”, Alex McDonald’s "PRISM, " Ishmael Reed's "THE C ABOVE C ABOVE HIGH C" and Amiri Baraka's "PRIMITIVE WORLD: AN ANTI- NUCLEAR JAZZ MUSICAL, " all performed at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and National Black Theatre Festival in Winston Salem North Carolina. Rome directed Wesley Brown's "LIFE DURING WARTIME" at the Cafe and The National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta Georgia. His production of Alex McDonald's "PRISM" was performed at the Ex-Ponto Festival in Slovenia, Eastern Europe. Carolyn Adams (Producer/Costume Designer) Studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology, The Black Fashion's Museum's Harlem Institute of Fashion and Forty Acres And A Mule Film Works. Theatre Credits includes: "NAT..." Inspired By The Life And Times Of Nat King Cole, written by Verlon Brown, Directed By Rome Neal, Produced by, Carolyn Adams and the Theater For The New City, "Life Among The Aryans, written by, Ishmael Reed, Dir. by Rome Neal, ONE DROP, written and produced By, Aundrea Fulton, Directed by Sabura Rashid, TWO TRAINS RUNNING, by August Wilson, Prod. by Aundrea Fulton, DUTCHMAN by Amiri Baraka, Directed by, Woodie King, Jr., BLACK WALL STREET, by Celeste Bedford Walker, WHISTLE IN MISSISSIPPI: The Emmit Til Story by, Daniel Carlton, Nat King Cole, by Verlon Brown, I Got The Last Laugh!, The Life and Times Of Jackie "Moms" Mabley, Cooking With Pearl and LBJ, by Jamal Williams, Produced by, Karen Mobley, Dir. by Jamal Williams & Tamiko Ball, Josh by Michael Jones, The Price Of The Ticket, by M. Younger Roberts, Dir. by Eric Coleman, produced by Garland Lee Thompson & The H.A.D.L.E.Y Players; Sweet Mamma Stringbeans, Dir. Elizabeth Van Dyke, produced By, Woodie King, Jr., Mr. Hirsch Died Yesterday, Dir. by Woodie King, Jr., Produced by, Jessica Massad & Castillo Theater. Carolyn is also a Fashion Stylist, Costume & Image Consultant, Wardrobe Supervisor & Technician, Costume & Accessories Research Consultant, Producer, Personal Shopper, and a noted Millinery Designer. As a Fashion & Wardrobe Stylist, she is the recipient of the American Photo Magazine and Elle Girl Magazine's Fashion, Costume and Wardrobe Stylist Of The Year Award. Television credits: The Essence Awards, The Children's Choice Awards, and Uptown Fashion Avenue. Carolyn's, Private Clients, Film, Video, Web Series and TV credits include: Actor/comedian, Phyllis Y. Stickney, Recording Artist, Libya Pugh, Recording Artist/Songwriter and music legends; Teddy Riley & Blackstreet, Cuba Gooding, Sr., Chuck Jackson and OC Smith, feature film, Dana's Story, The Birth Of Hip Hop Web Series By, Cortez Mckay and the legendary, DJ Grand Wizzard Theodore, Where Is The Love? Web Series By, James Gillard Just to name a few. |
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