Episode 05: Playwright Richard Wesley Shares The Black Arts Movement’s Newark Roots Tune in to the podcast, WhatsNewarkGotToDoWithIt.com, to hear award-winning playwright, Richard Wesley, share how the 1970s Black Arts Movement in Newark inspired his contributions to theater, film and books over the past five decades. Richard wrote the libretto for Anthony Davis' opera The Central Park Five, which was awarded the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Music. The opera (originally titled Five) was conceived and produced by Kevin Maynor, whose Newark-based Trilogy, An Opera Company, performed it at the New Jersey Performance Arts Center (NJPAC). Since 1971, his work has explored the full spectrum of the Black experience in America, provoking audiences to think deeply and reflect on their own worldviews. Whether moved to tears or laughter, anyone fortunate to be in the audience will never forget Richard's Drama Desk winning play, The Black Terror, the controversial Mighty Gents (about former gang members in Newark) or his hilarious Uptown Saturday Night film. As both a celebrated participant and eager student of the Black Theater Movement in the late 1960s, he became part of a seismic force in American culture, breaking down barriers and helping to disrupt the cultural landscape. Images: 1. Play, Black Terror 2. Five, 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Music 3. Uptown Saturday Night 4. The Mighty Gents 5. Native Son 6. Wesley Memoir #blacklivesmatter #richardwesley #newark #blackartsmovement #blacktheatermovement #broadway #movies #whatsnewarkgottodowithit https://www.instagram.com/p/CNUzOILFRni/?igshid=1oqx74a69ul6g
