Derek Yip and Nikita Productions present

SELF MADE MAN: THE FREDERICK DOUGLASS STORY

Performed by PHIL DARIUS WALLACE
Co-Creators: PHIL DARIUS WALLACE, MELANIA LEVITSKY
Directed by MELANIA LEVITSKY
Scenic Design: ANGELINA MARGOLIS
Costume Design: KATJA ANDRELEV
Lighting Design: NATASSIA JIMENEZ
Sound Design: ERIK T. LAWSON
Composer: JOHN McDOWELL
General Manager: RACHEL McMULLIN
Press Representative: GLENNA FREEDMAN PUBLIC RELATIONS
Advertising: HOFSTETTER + PARTNERS LLC
Production Stage Manager: DAVID BELLER

Arclight Theatre
152 West 71st Street
(866) 811-4111 or www.frederickdouglassplay.com
11/18/14 – 12/14/14; Opening Night: November 24, 2014

Born into slavery in 1818 and later turned Abolitionist leader dedicated to exposing slavery, Frederick Douglass was a self-made man who acknowledged the roles that circumstances and other people played in the journey of his life. In Phil Darius Wallace’s and Melania Levitsky’s SELF MADE MAN: THE FREDERICK DOUGLASS STORY, his amazing life is recounted through his writings, speeches, letters and autobiographies. Wallace commands the stage as he portrays not only Douglass, but also his grandmother, Little Freddie, Old Barney, the white lady who taught him how to read, William Lloyd Garrison, John Brown, President Lincoln, and a couple of Civil War soldiers and slave-owners. In a deep resonant voice he orates the philosophies, recounts the stories, and sings the songs that shaped Douglass’ forceful existence. His performance is so realistic and believable that at times it is difficult to watch.

SELF MADE MAN reminds us of the struggle, putting today’s events into perspective, while paying tribute to a remarkable man who shaped history. You can just imagine Frederick Douglass smiling down on the Wallace Eagle as he soars to dizzying heights in this performance.

- Laurie Lawson -