N.C. A&T Theatre Arts Program to Perform “Seven Guitars” at International Black Theatre Festival

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (July 29, 2024) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s Theatre Arts Program will present “Seven Guitars,” August Wilson’s poignant, heart-rending depiction of the Black experience in post-war America, at the International Black Theatre Festival (IBTF) on Tuesday, July 30, and Wednesday, July 31. 

Formerly known as the National Black Theatre Festival, IBTF highlights more than 120 theatrical performances and a host of complementary events across Winston-Salem from Monday, July 29, through Saturday, Aug. 3, for a celebration of theatre, film and the arts. Theatre workshops, film festivals, a midnight poetry slam, International Vendors Market and a star-studded celebrity gala all combine to create one of the largest theatre festivals in the country. Tickets range in price from $10 to $60.

During the festival, N.C. A&T theatre students will perform in front of, and network with, major celebrities in the film and theater industries. A&T’s performance of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Wilson’s “Seven Guitars” is set in the summer of 1948 in Pittsburgh’s Hill District where jazz and blues music reign supreme. A tight-knit group of friends gather to reminisce and explore the ties that bind after the untimely death of their friend, a rising blues star. The play paints a melodic tragic-drama that explores the complications of chasing a dream, and what’s right and wrong. As the friends gather to mourn, a mystery unfolds that profoundly touches each of their lives.

The A&T production was developed during a directing class, where students were challenged to use minimal scenic elements and costumes to tell this searing drama. “Seven Guitars” is directed by Autumn Carter, an A&T junior theatre arts major, and is presented in the IBTF Collegiate Fringe category.

Event Dates and Times

Tuesday, July 30, 2 p.m.

Tuesday, July 30, 8 p.m.

Wednesday, July 31, 2 p.m.

Wednesday, July 31, 8 p.m.

Location

Winston-Salem State University
Dillard Auditorium, Anderson Center
601 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27110

For tickets and more information, visit www.ncblackrep.org or call 336-723-2266.