Detroit Heritage Theatre Festival honors Tony-nominated Dominique Morriseau and the Tuskegee Airmen

The 2nd Annual 3-day Detroit Heritage Theatre Festival will be held May 17-19, 2019 at three unique Detroit venues. The mission of the festival is to achieve community engagement through the theatre arts, while providing a platform to empower Detroit artists. Tickets for the free and paid events are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/casablanca-consultants-17260310296.

Detroit high school students are invited to attend a free special showing at the Detroit Public Library Friends Auditorium on Friday, May 17 at noon of the play “Black Angels Over Tuskegee” and participate in a “meet and greet” with the last living WWII Tuskegee Airmen who are coming from all over the country to attend the festival and enjoy “Tuskegee Airmen Day” in Detroit.

On Friday evening, May 17, there will be a special awards ceremony in several categories for those who have contributed to theatre and arts community, including Detroit native and Tony-Award winner Marilyn McCormick who will direct the opening night presentation of “The Nacirema Society,” written by award-winning author and playwright Pearl Cleage. The opening night events will be held at the historic Players Club.

Students and young adults are eligible for monetary awards in the first ever Dominique Morisseau Monologue Competition, to be held on Saturday, May 18. Ms. Morisseau is a MacArthur Genius Grant Awardee and 2019 Tony-nominated Detroit native who will personally judge the competition and provide workshops to the participants. Students and young adults are eligible for monetary awards in the first ever Dominique Morisseau Monologue Competition, to be held on Saturday, May 18. Ms. Morisseau is a MacArthur Genius Grant Awardee and 2019 Tony-nominated Detroit native who will personally judge the competition and provide workshops to the participants. Dominique discusses this event here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KlcA3oDXzlv0xFsP037Qm3l8q6eZmAKM/view?usp=sharing]. This free event will be held at the Main Branch of the Detroit Public Library.

The unique “10-Minute Play Festival,” featuring original short plays about Detroit will be hosted by Christopher Johnson and David Burden. The live performances of the plays will be held at the Detroit Public Library Main Branch, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. All plays were written and submitted within the last three months, and will feature local actors in each performance.

The closing event on Sunday, May 19, will include a special stage production of “The Black Angels Over Tuskegee,” an award-winning Off-Broadway play written and directed by Layon Gray. The inspiring play is a narrative about six men as they embark on a challenging journey to become pilots in the still-segregated United States Army Air Force during World War II. The performance will be held at the beautiful Charles H. Wright Museum for African American History, and will include special presentations to the last living original Tuskegee Airmen.

Karen Chappelle, CEO of arts management consultancy Casablanca Consultants and founder of the Detroit Theatre, says: “I love collaborating with Detroit artists and art leaders and who are dedicated to making Detroit a world-class arts destination. I am very exited to be a part of what’s happening with the arts in my hometown.”
For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit https://detroitheritagefestival.org or call 313.683.1951.

About Casablanca Consultants

It’s All About Detroit!
A native of Detroit Michigan, Karen Chappelle is an attorney who worked in the California Office of the Attorney General for over four decades. In addition to her law degree, Karen also completed an MBA in Arts Management. After her retirement, Karen returned to her hometown and in 2016, founded Casablanca Consultants, an arts management firm that produces events and programs that empower the artistic community in Detroit.