FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:
Lauren E. Turner
Producer of Artistic & Community Engagement
Southern Rep Theatre
504.252.8974
lturner@southernrep.com

SOUTHERN REP THEATRE TO HOST JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION
Free event features food, performances, music, and vendors

NEW ORLEANS (June 12, 2017)-Southern Rep Theatre will host a commemoration of Juneteenth at Loyola University on the balcony of Marquette Hall on June 17, 2017 at 5:00 PM. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of emancipation, marking the anniversary of the 1865 announcement of the end of slavery in Texas. Southern Rep Theatre's celebration will highlight local performing artists, vendors, and the Southern Rep Theatre Acting Company. This event is followed by the regularly scheduled performance of FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (PARTS 1, 2 & 3) by Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks at 8 PM.

Scheduled events:
5:00 PM: Stories of Freedom - Emancipation narratives read by the Southern Rep Theatre Acting Company.

5:30 PM: DC Paul Comedian, Mwende Katiwa Spoken Word Artist, and Spirit and Sparrow Cellist/Vocalist Duo

7:00 PM: Panel Discussion: Black Bodies Then and Now - Discussion led by Lauren E. Turner, Producer of Artistic and Community Engagement at Southern Rep Theatre, with panelists Laura Rosanne Adderley, PhD, Associate Professor of History at Tulane University, and Reverend Denise Graves, Founder of Peace Ministries LLC.

This Juneteenth Commemoration is a part of Southern Rep Theatre's Community Table Programming. The Community Table an initiative that prioritizes community art making and discussion while embracing a radical approach to accessibility and inclusion for New Orleans community members.

For more information about Community Table events, contact Producer of Artistic and Community Engagement Lauren E. Turner at lturner@southernrep.com or 504.252.8974.

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About Southern Rep Theatre
Entering its 31st Season, Southern Rep Theatre, an independent non-profit professional theatre, produces award-winning productions that are engaging, educational, and accessible for audiences of every socioeconomic background. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Aimée Hayes and Managing Director Jenny Windstrup, Southern Rep Theatre's Mainstage Season work includes bold World and Regional Premieres as well as the best of Broadway, off-Broadway, and classic plays. Southern Rep Theatre's Lagniappe Series and "School to Stage Pipeline" of Arts Education Programs reflect the company's ongoing commitment to new play development bFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE