First Throws Play Reading Series: All Dressed Up April 26, 2010

The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College presents the second staged reading in the First Throws Play Reading Series, Cesi Davidson’s "All Dressed Up", directed by Mary Hodges and featuring Lorna Haughton and Sadrina Renee, with stage directions read by Florence Kildare, on Monday, April 26, 2010 at 7pm at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, 899 Tenth Avenue, NYC. Admission is FREE and reservations are not required.

This one act play is the story of two young African American sisters, Fredericka (Fredie) and Jane (Janie), who find themselves living in poverty after the death of their mother. They have no remaining family. They own a few valuables passed down through the slavery of their ancestors: a pearl necklace, a Freedom Box and a quilt. Fredie and Janie take turns looking for jobs sharing one set of “dress up” clothes and the pearl necklace. Hand clapping games, call and response chants and retelling of oral history passed down through their mother helps them maintain their optimism through daily hand to mouth struggles.

When Jefferson, the landlord’s son, steals the remains of the money left by their deceased mother Fredie attempts to sell the pearls. Her visit to the jeweler reveals that the pearl necklace is faux. The visit to the jeweler however, triggers their mother’s emergency plans for her daughters. The jeweler, Mr. Kravitz, contacts Ms. Nicole, a neighbor and secret guardian. The real pearls are safely stored in a vault. The story ends as Fredie and Janie prepare to move to a new home with new jobs and a renewed perspective on the real treasures left by their mother, wisdom and perseverance.