HOUSTON, Feb. 6, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ensemble Theatre Artistic Director Eileen J. Morris joins the ranks of Houston's continuing education instructors in her Leisure Learning course entitled A Slice of Life: Cuttin' Up at the Ensemble Theatre , Saturday, March 24, 2012, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
"I feel that Cuttin' Up depicts the barbershop as a celebrated American institution," says Morris. "I've sat in barbershops with my grandson listening and observing the jovial, the stern, the melancholy, and sometimes quick witted conversations...and walking out with a fresh haircut is like walking out with a fresh perspective on life."
Morris will host a discussion brought to light by The Ensemble Theatre's upcoming production of Cuttin' Up by Charles Randolph Wright. Cuttin' Up is an exploration of life in the African American barbershop with a series of thought-provoking and funny anecdotes along with memories and music that cover 60 years of history. The barbershop is a gathering place where people, mostly men, come to exchange ideas on current events, politics, sports, and daily struggles. A discussion, before and after the play, will include a history of barbering, style and technique. See the play, Cuttin' Up, enjoy a catered lunch, and interact with the cast. Participants will dialogue about how theatre is fluid, active, interactive and reactive.
A Slice of Life: Cuttin' Up at The Ensemble Theatre Instructor: Eileen J. Morris, The Ensemble Theatre Artistic Director Date/ Time: Saturday, March 24, 2012, 11:00AM - 5:00PM Registration Fee: $65 (includes theatre ticket and lunch) To register visit: www.llu.com Course number: V8590A Location: 3535 Main St. Houston, TX 77002
"This is a great opportunity to show how relevant live theatre is in our communities by relating it to one of the most common businesses you will find in any neighborhood," says Morris. "Theatre is a catalyst for introspective thought and sometimes a call to action...either way we leave with a seed for understanding and change planted in our souls."
Eileen J. Morris holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre Arts from Northern Illinois University. She has a long history of working with The Ensemble Theatre where she currently serves as Artistic Director. She has directed and produced over 75 plays that embrace human dynamics and spirit. Morris facilitates workshops on August Wilson, and has been acting and directing with a diverse group of organizations in Houston and Pittsburgh. She is the only African American woman in the U.S. to have directed eight plays of the August Wilson 10 play cycle. Recently, she was honored at the National Black Theatre Festival with the 2011 Larry Leon Hamlin Producer Award.
Leisure Learning Unlimited, Inc., is a privately owned continuing-education firm in Houston, Texas. Established in 1979 by Ted Weisgal and Kathy Kamin, Leisure Learning Unlimited (LLU) offers non-credit courses for people interested in taking up new hobbies, getting exercise and recreation, enhancing their careers, and socializing.
The Ensemble Theatre was founded in 1976 by the late George Hawkins to preserve African American artistic expression and to enlighten, entertain, and enrich a diverse community. The theatre is known as the only professional theatre in its region dedicated to the production of works portraying the African American experience. In addition to being the oldest and largest professional African American theatre in the Southwest, it also holds the distinction of being one of the nation's largest African American theatres that owns and operates its facility with an in-house production team. Board President Emeritus Audrey Lawson led the capital campaign for The Ensemble's $4.5 million building renovations that concluded in 1997.