Wednesday, May 13 | 7:30 PDT
CHUK OBASI: THE ACTUAL DANCE
“A life-affirming ode to commitment and boundless love.” (Manhattan Digest)
Chuk Obasi presents excerpts from The Actual Dance, the real-life story of a husband finding the strength as his wife’s lover and care partner as they anticipate an unhappy ending to her cancer. Chuk Obasi began taking on the role of Sam Simon in his play The Actual Dance in 2016, drawn by the opportunity to re-imagine the telling of Mr. Simon’s story after having viewed his performance several times.
Zoom Studio Audience
https://zoom.us/j/860621779
7:00pm Zoom Studio Audience opens
7:30pm Live MarshStream Program starts
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for additional live viewing.
The Actual Dance
Obasi Obasi is an actor/director, dancer/choreographer, and writer/poet with over twelve years of professional experience nationally and internationally. Obasi is currently a company member with The Private Theatre, an actor with TEA Creative, a Movement Director at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, an Adjunct Professor of Musical Theatre at Drew University, and Choreographer for STAR Theatre (Serving Teens through Arts and Research) at the Director’s Company. He has recently worked with Intersections International (Artist in Residence), the National Dance Institute (Teaching Artist), and Village Playback Theatre (Performer). Recent works include Let Me Fluff Your Pillow (May 2019, Director); Rocco, Chelsea, Adriana, Sean, Claudia, Gianna, Alex at HERE Arts (2019, starring as Rocco); Twisted Operettas at The Public Theater (2019, Co-Lyricist); The Neighbors at the Italian Theatre Festival (2018, Director); The Actual Dance at the United Solo Festival (2018, performer); Music concert A Drink with Death (2018, Lyricist) at Feinstein’s/54 Below; Critically acclaimed play Uniform Justice (Playwright/ Director), which he produced at the 2015 NY International Fringe Festival; Award-winning Feature films “The Depths (2017)” and “79 Parts (2016)” (Actor); A 2018 artist residency with The Marble House Project in Vermont (Actor); A 2016 artist residency at the Actor’s Studio (Actor). He has also been recently seen performing original spoken word poetry for the Diamond Empowerment Fund 2016 and 2017 Galas in Las Vegas and at The Declaration Initiative 2016 Conference in Washington, DC. He served as Artist-in-Residence for a June 2019 residency at the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.
Obasi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from SUNY Geneseo, where he studied communication with a double minor in musical theatre and dance. Obasi is a recipient of the 2019 Zelda Fichandler Award – a full scholarship to study with the Michael Chekhov Association this Summer in New London, CT.
A New York native, born in Queens and raised in the Bronx, Obasi currently resides in Manhattan with his wife and two sons. He dedicates his performances of The Actual Dance to the memory of his friend Bobby Kashif Cox, lost to cancer but ever-present in spirit.
Solo performers present real-life, empowering stories. Transformative experiences for audiences. A theater of resilience that celebrates overcoming mental and physical life challenges and offers hope and inspiration. SOLO ARTS HEALS will include excerpts, talkbacks, and Q&A that provide education and advocacy. Readings or clips of performances will be shared by artists in conversation with Gail Schickele, whose work as a manager and producer of solo artists inspired collaboration of performing arts presenters with artists on a medical track based on their personal experience. The collective creative vision? To help communities through educational outreach and the healing power of the Arts.
