For Immediate Release: April 11, 2008

Oakland Public Theater Presents Richard Wright Centennial Project
at the Oakland Public Library

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( Oakland, CA)—To celebrate the 100 th anniversary of Richard Wright’s birth, and to cast new light on the author’s work, the Oakland Public Theater (OPT) will bring its monthly reading series to the Main Library, at 125 14 th Street. The series, scheduled on the second Wednesdays of May, June, and July, will explore the important questions raised in the works of Richard Wright, the influential African American novelist who lived from 1908 to 1960.

The series kicks off on May 14, at 6:30 pm, with a program entitled Black Boys – a reference to Wright’s coming-of-age memoir, Black Boy. The discussion will naturally focus on the theme of growing up as Wright experienced it, but the topic will broaden to include parallel themes in the works of some of Wright’s contemporaries, such as James Baldwin, Chester Himes, and Ollie Harrington.

The OPT introduces new relevance to its exploration of Wright’s first novel, Native Son, on June 11, at 6:30 pm. The company offers what it calls a “director’s cut” of the novel, examining passages excised from the 1940 edition. These lost scenes reveal that Wright had originally intended an even more explosive story than the published book. The evening’s discussion will touch on the critical response to the book, Wright’s literary influence, and the “feud” that later developed between Wright and James Baldwin.

On July 9, at 6:30 pm, the series will conclude with The Unfinished Quest of Richard Wright. The discussion will examine the legacy of this controversial African American author, his larger body of work, and his fight for oppressed people around the world.

The brainchild of playwright Richard Talavera, the Richard Wright Centennial Project is directed by OPT Artistic Director Norman Gee, whose work on last season’s American Limbo earned strong praise. The project promises to be illuminating and entertaining to audiences ranging from teens to adults.

Richard Wright is a seminal figure in what would eventually grow into the Civil Rights Movement. He died under mysterious circumstances in Paris, France, on November 28, 1960.

For more information, call the library at 238-7352, or visit the Oakland Public Library’s Website at www.oaklandlibrary.org. To request sign interpretation or other accommodation, please contact the number above at least five working days prior to the event. The Oakland Public Library is a department of the City of Oakland.

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