GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY 7:00PM: January 20, 2014Speak-Up GR: A Forum on Gentrification featuring: A frank conversation on the myths and realities of gentrification.

• David Allen – Executive Director of the Kent County Land Bank Authority• Jennifer Metz – Principal at Past Perfect, and Adjunct at Kendall College of Art and Design. • Carol Townsend, (retired) Community Development Extension Educator with MSU Center for Urban Affairs • Judith Transue, Executive Director of Trinity Village Non Profit Housing Corporation and adjunct for Grand Valley State University. \

WGVU NEWSMAKERS with Patrick Center. Gentrification: Stories from a community in transition. Air Dates:• January 17 on the Create Channel• January 19th (re-broadcast) on WGVU

THE PANEL:Bruce E. Tinker, Executive and Artistic Director of GRCT and show Director Nancy L. Haynes, Executive Director Fair Housing Center of West MichiganRichard App, Founder Richard App GalleryDarel Ross II, Co-Executive Director of LINC

Michigan Debut at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre & School of Theatre Arts

Jan 17 - Feb 2

Written by: Bruce Norris

Production Sponsor: Warner Norcross & Judd

Artistic Sponsor: Bob and Aleicia Woodrick Diversity Learning Center and Stellafly

Awards: This wickedly funny and fiercely provocative play about race, real estate, and the volatile values of each won nearly every honor the theatre has to give: including the Tony for Best Play (2012), the Pulitzer Prize for Best Drama (2011), the Olivier Award for Best New Play (2011), and the Theatre World Award (2012).

Synopsis: ACT ONE takes place in 1959, suburban Chicago. A grieving middle aged white couple is preparing to sell their home to the Younger Family, who is African American. Their anxious neighbors do almost anything to block the sale.

ACT TWO takes place in 2009, in the same neighborhood and the same, albeit now empty, house. The now predominantly African-American neighborhood battles to maintain its identity in the face of aggressive gentrification.

A RAISIN IN THE SUN, by Lorraine Hansberry (1959): While this story is not an official prequel or sequel to the literary classic, it does give a nod the literary classic. The Younger family featured in A Raisin in the Sun are the family described as the buyers and “Karl” is obviously Karl Lindner, the white representative of the neighborhood association that tries to bribe the Youngers out of their new home.

Attention: Clybourne Park contains language that may be offensive to some patrons.

WRITTEN BY BRUCE NORRIS: Mr. Norris is an American Playwright who attended Northwestern for a degree in Theatre (Class of 82). He is most directly associated with the Chicago based, Steppenwolf Theatre, who have produced seven of his pieces. His writing is classified as comically tragic expressing the complexities of the American psyche and family dynamic. He was awarded the Steinberg Playwright Award in 2009.

WEST MICHIGAN Community Partnerships:

Clybourne park cast

www.grct.org 616.222.6650

MLK ANNUAL COMMEMORATION PROGRAM at Grand Rapids Community College Gerald Ford Field House - Monday Jan 20 - 6:30 - 8:30pmKeynote : Chuck D - Leader and Cofounder of Rap Group, author, political activist, publisher, radio host and producer.Special music performance: by Fisk Jubilee Singers

Jon March MaryBrownAshlie Lowe

Jesse Aukeman George Ward Matthew Swartz

Kristen Pearson George Spelvin

CONTAINS MATURE LANGUAGE