SHAFTED: The Blaqxsploitation Project

I was invited by producer, Anthony Julius Williams, to join his crew for a rehearsal last week for a performance project that communicates with an era of film making exploring stereotypes of the urban black community and race relations in the US. SHAFTED is set up like a variety show, with a cast of characters embodying and remixing figures one would find in typical 1970s flix. Black Panther talking about food justice?? Videos chopped up with original historical footage?? Spoken word, song, dance?? Goes live this weekend!

Itz 1970s San Francisco. In a hood bulldozed by “urban renewal,” an intergenerational, multigendered, pansexual gang of badasses – a rainbow of Blackness! – bands together to raise CLUB MYSTIQUE from the rubble of gentrification. The joint is jumpin’ with a crowd-of-all-colors-genders-sexualities singin’ “the only home we have is the love we have for ourselves” as they participate in SWEET SWEET BLAQ’S BAADASSSSS VARIETY SHOW. 

The communi-tay takes 1970s Blaxploitation flix like Superfly, Coffy, Blacula, Black Shampoo, Cleopatra Jones, Black Belt Jones, and The Spook Who Sat By The Door and turns them inside out in this night of interactive performance, music, dance, spoken word and film that gets down with SOUL POWER. Dress code iz 1970s disco, soul & funk, dig it?

SHAFTED features Star Amerasu, Brock Cocker, Sheila Collins, M. J. Isabell, Ernest Jolly, Dennis Jones, DaCarla Kilpatrick, Derek Lassiter, Mia McKenzie, Marc Scruggs and Anthony Julius Williams – with special appearance by Agatronica and Loan Hoang – and vinyl by DJ Lamont!

SHAFTED is directed and produced by Anthony Julius Williams.

Get your tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/375816

This production be dedicated to anyone searching for home.

We’re rolling with a crew, turn up if you’re in the bay!