From Free to Freedom: A Juneteenth Celebration

In collaboration with Juneteenth RI, Mixed Magic Theatre, Rhode Island Black Storytellers, and Providence's Department of Art, Culture, and Tourism.

From Free to Freedom is a play with music, dance and storytelling that celebrates Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the end of 300 years of the enslavement of African people in America. This special Wonders of the Wurlitzer concert tells the story of Juneteenth and is a pre-event to the 6^th Annual Juneteenth RI Festival to be held this year in Downtown Providence at 195 District Park on June 22, 2024 from 12P - 7P.

Written and directed by Ricardo Pitts-Wiley of Pawtucket’s Mixed Magic Theatre, From Free to Freedom takes the audience on the journey of a people torn from the lives of family, friends, and traditions in their homelands, through the horrors of bondage, to freedom, accompanied by PPAC’s rare and historic Mighty Wurlitzer as brought to life by PPAC’s House Organist Peter Edwin Krasinski, and narrated by Jomo Peters and Bernadet V. Pitts-Wiley, with a special appearance by Valerie Tutson of the Rhode Island Black Storytellers.

The show’s musical director Kim Pitts-Wiley, in collaboration with veteran Ricardo Pitts-Wiley, direct some of Rhode Island’s finest singers and actors, including Joyce Brayboy, Jeannie Carson, Matt Fraza, Autumn Jefferson, Donna Osborne, Corinne Pitts-Wiley, Habibah Quddus, Ondrea Robinson, Lauri Smalls, Kim Trusty, Aaliyah Turner, Diane Straker, Denyse Wilhelm and Gia Yarn.  

This event is free and open to the public. No ticket required.

ABOUT JUNETEENTH RI AND THE ANNUAL FESTIVAL

Join us for our 6th Annual Juneteenth RI Festival Downtown Providence at 195 District Park on June 22, 2024 from 12P - 7P. Enjoy Live Entertainment, Cultural Presentations, Dance, Food, Family and Fun. FREE TO THE PUBLIC

For the past five years, Juneteenth RI has collectively celebrated African American liberations, accomplishments and contributions, inner strength and endurance through the observance of Juneteenth. We are excited and looking forward to this year’s "From Free to Freedom" performance, a dynamic collaboration between PPAC, Mixed Magic Theatre, RI Black Storytellers, that received a standing ovation last year as it took the audience through the emancipating and resilient journey of freedom. This year's performance will be as transformative, uplifting and engaging.

https://www.juneteenthri.com/festival

 

ABOUT MIXED MAGIC THEATRE

Based in historic Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Mixed Magic Theatre is an acclaimed non-profit 501 (C) 3 arts organization founded in 2000 by Ricardo and Bernadet V. Pitts-Wiley. For the past 24 years, the Company has brought diverse stories and images to the stage through song, dance and poetry, and by tackling well-known dramas and original theatrical productions.

The company has presented a wide variety of established and new works ranging from Shakespeare to August Wilson, staged adaptations of classic novels including Zora Neale Hurston’s Sweat and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, presented critically acclaimed plays by contemporary authors, and created new works based on the lives and works of significant historical figures. Mixed Magic Theatre received The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities’ Tom Roberts Prize in 2021.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Jonathan Pitts-Wiley, Mixed Magic Theatre continues to thrive, pursue excellence, and remains committed to its mission: To build more literate and arts-active communities by presenting a diversity of images and ideas on stage, and telling great stories from across America and around the world.