In 'HerO: A Work in Progress,' Omari Hardwick blends storytelling, poetry, rap, photographs, video and live music
Award-winning actor, poet and musician Omari Hardwick, in collaboration with RestorationART, will present HerO: A Work in Progress in a one-night-only performance on Friday, June 29, at the Billie Holiday Theatre in Bedford Stuyvesant.
HerO: A Work in Progress is a solo performance during which Hardwick blends storytelling, poetry, rap, photographs, video and live music. Drawing from his personal journey as a Black man in America, the actor connects to topics that are driving national conversations in the 21st century: gun violence, relationships and Black fatherhood.
Written by Hardwick and actor/ writer Grant Sullivan, the performance will be directed by Indira Etwaroo, executive director of RestorationART. Musical director Arden Altino will lead a live musical ensemble to perform Hardwick's original music as a dynamic and lush sound score.
"When I was approached about this work and had the chance to hear Mr. Hardwick express his vision to bring this story to the sacred space of theater, I was moved not only by the power of the story, but the poeticism infused throughout the narrative," stated Etwaroo. "Working with such a passionate team of people to bring this story to the stage is a testament to the significance of Black artists and Black-led institutions coming together to present work by us, about us and for us."
RestorationArt with The Billie Holiday Theatre is Brooklyn's creative space for Black culture and art. Established artists come home to perform, mentor, collaborate, take new risks and celebrate the rich global stories of people of African descent, while new playwrights, dancers, musicians and artists, experiment and perfect their work.
"'A true journeyman can never be too forgiving. For that is how and why they are able to journey,' is a throughline of HerO that has emerged from my life," said Hardwick. "To be able to launch this journey of my own one-man show that I hope will travel with me and evolve over the next decade at The Billie Holiday Theatre, theater home to the largest Black community in the nation - as a Black artist, that's very special."
HerO: A Work in Progress
When: Friday, June 29 | 7:00pm & 9:00pm
Where: The Billie Holiday Theatre, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11216.
How much: $20, available here.
