Shaw University, Agape Theatre Project Collaborate For Day Of Giving 2024

RALEIGH — The opening night of Blues for an Alabama Sky at Burning Coal Theatre (224 Polk Street) is an opportunity to support Shaw University Day of Giving 2024. The June 28 show is a fundraising event that includes a 6:00 p.m. pre-production reception and a 7:30 p.m. performance. 

Blues for an Alabama Sky chronicles the aspirations and tribulations of five characters whose lives intersect in an apartment building in Harlem over an eight-week period during the summer of 1930. As the playwright Pearl Cleage notes in setting the action, “The creative euphoria of the Harlem Renaissance has given way to the harsher realities of the Great Depression.” The characters battle economic hardship and the challenges of finding success in a society where racism, sexism, and homophobia challenge them at every turn. The lives of the onstage characters are set against a panoramic view of the vibrant African American culture of the period as they interact with key historical figures, move among iconic community landmarks, and play roles in evolving social movements.

There is limited seating for this adaptation of the Pearl Cleage play. Tax-deductible donations of $100 include reserved seating and the reception prior to the show. To secure a seat, go to www.shawu.edu/donate, select “other” as the gift donation, and specify “theater ticket,” or call 919-546-8260. Proceeds support scholarships for students at Shaw University, the first historically Black university in the South and among the oldest HBCUs in the nation.

Blues for an Alabama Sky is a production of the Durham-based Agape Theatre Project, a faith- and community-based organization that produces and promotes original plays by predominantly African-American playwrights to reach across social, spiritual, economic, and racial lines.

Learn more about Shaw University’s Day of Giving at dayofgiving.shawu.edu.