Arts & Entertainment

‘The Double V’ at ICT

Dramatizing true story of first Black civil rights movement in the U.S. Activism that altered the color of a nation.

International City Theatre presents “The Double V,” a historical drama by Carole Eglash-Kosoff about the first Black civil rights movement in the U.S. Michael A. Shepperd directs the limited, three-week run Aug. 23 through Sept. 8 at ICT’s home in the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, with two low-priced previews on Aug. 21 and Aug. 22.

In 1942, his attempt to enlist in the army rejected because of his color, 26-year-old James G. Thompson of Wichita, Kan. wrote a letter to the editor of The Pittsburgh Courier, at the time the most highly circulated Black newspaper with a readership of over 350,000. “Should I sacrifice my life to live half American?” he asked, leading the Courier to kick off the “Double V” campaign.

Building on the popular “V for Victory” slogan that called for triumph in the war, the super-imposed, second “V” called for victory in the fight for racial equality – in the army, the navy and in all aspects of segregated daily life. Other Black newspapers, including the Chicago Defender and the Amsterdam Star-News, soon took up the call.

Under pressure from the campaign, and against the advice of J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI, the U.S. was forced to adopt a policy of “proportional representation” that allowed Black Americans to participate in the military in direct proportion to their percentage of the population.

“The Double V campaign was a hugely significant event in American history that has somehow been forgotten, lost between World War II and the launching of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s,” says Eglash-Kosoff. “It took the activism of that one young man and the bravery of the editor and reporters at The Pittsburgh Courier to change the system. We take that kind of activism for granted today, but then, in 1942, it was totally revolutionary.”

Jennifer Shelton (ICT productions of A Doll’s House Part 2, Master Class, Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Story) stars as Pittsburgh Courier reporter Madge Evans, determined to bring the letter written by Jimmy Thompson (Shon Oku) to the attention of editor Ira Lewis (Nic Few) and the world. Also in the cast are Nicolette Ellis (ICT’s A Doll’s House Part 2) as Jimmy’s girlfriend, Annie; Idrees Degas as Jimmy’s father, Clem; John E. Phillips as Clem’s white supervisor; and Lee James (ICT’s Into the Breeches) as an FBI agent under orders from Hoover himself to squash the campaign.

The creative team for The Double V includes set designer Tim Mueller, lighting designer Crystal R. Shomph, costume designer Kim DeShazo, sound designer Dave Mickey and prop designer Patty Briles. Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA and Richie Ferris, CSA. The stage manager is Jamie Tucker.

“The Double V” runs Aug. 23 through Sept. 8 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Two preview performances take place on Wednesday, Aug. 21 and Thursday, Aug. 22 both at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $49 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (except June 14, opening night, for which tickets are $55 and include a post-show reception), and $52 at Sunday matinees. Low-priced tickets to previews are $37.

International City Theatre has formed a community partnership with the African American community in Long Beach with the purpose of bringing the diverse community together, raising funds for college scholarships, and bringing students to the production. A Community Partnership Package, which includes a pre-performance gala dinner as well as the post-show reception with the actors on opening night, is $125; tables of ten are available for $1,200.

For more information and to purchase tickets, call (562) 436-4610 or go to InternationalCityTheatre.org.

Chris Eckert: Overload

Long Beach Museum of Art (LBMA) is thrilled to announce the opening of Chris Eckert: Overload, an engaging exhibition by Southern California artist Chris Eckert at LBMA Downtown. This exhibition will feature six large-scale installations that will occupy the entire interior and exterior of the gallery space. The exhibition’s main theme revolves around challenging common perceptions and initiating discussions about the overwhelming concept of humanity and its evolving relationship with technology.

“Overload” offers a glimpse into Eckert’s intricate world, where meticulously handcrafted mechanized installations – each with its own unique personality – come together to delve into the complexities of modern life. These installations question technology’s impact on our identity, relationships, and societal norms. By employing mechanical precision, Eckert’s work aims to offer profound insights into human behavior and encourage viewers to rethink their relationship with technology and contemplate its influence on human behavior, both positive and negative.

Chris Eckert: Overload will be open to the public through Oct. 6. Visitors are encouraged to engage with the artworks on display, designed to provoke contemplation and spark discussions on the intersection of humanity and technology.

For more information, visit www.lbma.org.

Musica Angelica 2024-25 Season Announced

Serving its audiences throughout Southern California, the area’s premier early music ensemble Musica Angelica has announced its 2024-25 season. Performances will take place at the First Congregational Church of Long Beach and the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles.

Giro D’italia: A Tour of Italy

Music from Naples (Giovanni Battista Pergolesi), Rome (Arcangelo Corelli & Nicola Porpora), Venice (Antonio Vivaldi & Benedetto Marcello), and Milan (Giovanni Battista Sammartini) paints a vivid picture of baroque Italy, the apotheosis of the concerto form, and the birth of the symphony.

Saturday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. – First Congregational Church of Long Beach

Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024 at 3 p.m. – First Congregational Church of Los Angeles

Christmas In Vienna

Vienna has hosted December Markets since 1296, so they were likely enjoyed by Joseph and Michael Haydn as well as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. For a holiday surprise, festive works by these composers will be joined by the 1921 Christmas Music of Vienna native (and Los Angeles resident from 1934 until his death) Arnold Schoenberg, in celebration of the sesquicentennial of his birth (b. Sept. 13, 1874 – d. July 13, 1951).

Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. – First Congregational Church of Long Beach

Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 at 3 p.m. – First Congregational Church of Los Angeles

Garden of Forking Paths

Taking inspiration from the 1941 story by Jorge Luis Borges said to foreshadow the quantum mechanics theory of a multiverse, virtuosic instrumental compositions of Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Henry Purcell, and Johann Heinrich Schmelzer form a labyrinth of musical routes where figuration and linearity are manipulated into fresh sonic narratives.

Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. – First Congregational Church of Long Beach

Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 3 p.m. – First Congregational Church of Los Angeles

St. Matthew Passion

Ever the colossal achievement in devotional text-painting and prolonged emotional intensity, Johann Sebastian Bach’s depiction of Christ’s Passion story continues to reward listener and performer alike; while Musica Angelica has made an annual tradition of interpreting this masterpiece in Los Angeles, we are excited to offer (for the first time in recent memory) an additional production in Long Beach.

Saturday, April 12, 2025 at 6 p.m. – First Congregational Church of Long Beach

Sunday, April 13, 2025 at 3 p.m. – First Congregational Church of Los Angeles

Tickets range from $160-$320 for the entire season. To purchase tickets, visit https://www.musicaangelica.org with options for the Long Beach or Los Angeles season, or call the box office at (562) 276-0865.

About Musica Angelica

Now in its 32nd season, Musica Angelica is firmly established as Southern California’s preeminent historical performance ensemble. Led by Music Director and world-renowned organist, Martin Haselböck, the ensemble has toured internationally to widespread acclaim.

Musica Angelica musicians play on authentic instruments of the period, or carefully crafted replicas. The ensemble performs its own series of concerts in Long Beach and Los Angeles and is in demand as a collaborative ensemble performing alongside LA Opera, the LA Master Chorale, Long Beach Camerata Singers Pacific Chorale and Long Beach Opera.