Voices of a People's History of the USA July 1, 2007

Sliding scale donation: $15.00 - $25.00. Tickets are available
at the door. This Common Ground Theatre Ensemble production will be
directed by former Ann Arborite Elise Bryant, with original music by Kathy
Moore.

A celebration of the enduring spirit of dissent, Zinn and Arnove's book
features testimonies--speeches, letters, poems, songs, petitions, and
manifestos--of people throughout U.S. history who spoke out against slavery,
racism, and war, and who articulated a vision for a better world.

A talented group of local actors and activists will bring the book's
dramatic voices to life in the Ann Arbor production. The cast includes
La'Ron Williams (as Frederick Douglass), Rhonda Bantsimba (Fannie Lou
Hamer), Jennifer Young Yim (Susan B. Anthony), Maurice "Skip" Turner
(Malcolm X), Molly Raynor (Genora Dollinger), Anne Drake (Cindy Sheehan),
Julia Bayha (Harriet Hanson Robinson), Sam Kirkland (John Lewis), Deanna Gao
(Emma Goldman), Natasha Raymond (Yuri Kochiyama), Bea Coleman (Phyllis
Rodriguez), Hank Greenspan (John Brown), Kathy Moore (personal story), and
Elise Bryant (Sojourner Truth).

"Voices" director Elise Bryant served as Artistic Director for both Common
Ground Theatre Ensemble and Workers' Lives/Workers' Stories from 1982 to
1997 in Ann Arbor before moving to the Washington, DC area in 1997. A
playwright, director, actor, and singer, she has received numerous awards
for her artistic and organizing work, including a "Joady" award in 1992 from
the Film Arts Foundation of California for her commitment to showcasing the
lives of working people. She wrote the script for the 1998 PBS documentary,
"Porgy and Bess: An American Voice." Her most recent work in Michigan was
as director of the Detroit production of "Forgotten: The Murder at the Ford
Rouge Plant," 2004 and 2005.

All proceeds after expenses will be donated to the Bantsimba family. This
Ypsilanti family is struggling financially due to ongoing immigration
issues.