Award winning choreographer Shakiri in a new theatrical solo performance Lottie's Ghosts
adapted from her novel of the same name
March 20-April 6, 2014
Brava Artist In Residence and Izzy award-winning choreographer, Shakiri, brings an innovative, original work for the stage to the Brava Theater. Adapted from her novel by the same name, Shakiri showcases her skills as a storyteller and as a visual artist as she and the handmade life-sized figures, that she created to populate the stage bring Lottie’s Ghosts to life.
In the play - set amid the backdrop of 1960’s Oakland, California when the Black Panthers are active, civil rights are being sought, and the Vietnam War is in full swing - Lottie’s ancestors piggy back a ride with her dead mother, clamor to be heard and, as a result, wreak havoc on Lottie’s life. In the safety of her sub-basement, she secretly paints them into existence. When Lottie’s adoptive son gets into trouble, she is forced to let go of her quiet demeanor, the unassuming library lady she’s become, and act. In the process, her greatest fear is revealed.
Goldie and Izzie Award winner Shakiri has been a performer and choreographer in the San Francisco Bay Area for over thirty years. Shakiri is a member of the internationally acclaimed Zaccho Dance Theater Company and has performed with them throughout the United States and abroad since 1988. She has written, directed, and choreographed several dance and theater pieces for her company Shakiri/Rootworker. Known for confronting controversial issues, her work has toured in Black Choreographer's and been listed on the "Best Ten" of the year by the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Shakiri is recognized for her role as Nutcracker in the highly acclaimed and long-running, "Revolutionary Nutcracker Sweetie." She trained with and was a member of Ed Mock's dance company. Shakiri has developed a dance/theater piece titled DEAR LOIS inspired by letters written to her mother during WWII and has exhibited paintings at the Kuumba Art Gallery in Sacramento. As an arts educator, Shakiri takes tremendous pride in having introduced several hundred children to the world of dance and theater