PITT'S KUNTU REPERTORY THEATRE ANNOUNCES 2000-2001 SEASON

PITTSBURGH, June 2 -- The University of Pittsburgh's internationally-known Kuntu Repertory Theatre has announced its 2000-2001 season, which features a love story, a family drama, a tribute to Mahalia Jackson, and a musical alive with both song and dance. The four productions are:

• Indigo Blues (September 21 through October 7, 2000)

Written by Judi Ann Mason, this love story is described as a "sweet love song filled with wailing saxophones, bluesy yearnings and simmering emotions" that magically entwine the lives and souls of two sisters and the man they love. Set in the Deep South, it is a suspenseful and intriguing drama that takes the audience on a haunting journey.

• Mahalia Jackson, Singing on Holy Ground (January 25 through February 10, 2001)

A celebration in dance, music, and words, written by Vernell A. Lillie. The world of Gospels and Spirituals created by Mahalia Jackson as she migrates from the musical city of New Orleans to Chicago and to the Civil Rights Movement with Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Fortunes of the Moor (March 22 through April 7, 2001)

Written by Barbara and Carlton Molette, this fictional work offers a view of Othello's family as it seeks to reclaim the son of Othello and Desdemona from her family. As Othello's African family and Desdemona's Venetian kin struggle for custody of the baby, the unavoidable issue becomes: who has the right -- or the obligation -- to establish their values in and through the child?

• Tap Dance Kid (May 17 through June 2, 2001)

Based on the Louise Fitzhugh novel, "Nobody's Family's Going to Change," this musical is a "cornucopia of music, drama, comedy, and tap dancing." It centers on the life of a 10-year-old black child, Willie, whose only goal in life is to dance like his uncle, an aspiring Broadway choreographer. Book by Charles Blackwell, music by Henry Krieger, and lyrics by Robert Lorick.

Performances are held Thursday through Sunday. Thursday through Saturday performances start at 8 p.m. Sunday curtain time is 4 p.m. For subscription, group discount, and ticket information, call 412-624-7298. All Kuntu performances are held in the 7th floor auditorium of the newly-renovated Masonic Temple, 4227 Fifth Avenue, Oakland.

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