"The W. Kamau Bell Curve" July 30, 2009

The W. Kamau Bell Curve
One part manifesto, one part diatribe, and several parts funny
Returns to the EAST BAY
BRING A FRIEND OF A DIFFERENT RACE & GET IN 2FOR1!
JUST LIKE SKINNY JEANS, superhero movies, and frozen yogurt, racism continues to make a comeback. In 2007, “The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About An Hour” opened big came out swinging against big targets. Back in 2007, it was celebrity racism that was all the rage. (Imus, Kramer, Rosie O’Donnell, Dog The Bounty Hunter, etc…) But two short years later, America has amazingly elected the first black president… of the Republican National Committee — Michael Steele. Oh, and also we elected, as president of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama. All this MUST mean racism is over. We’re officially in Post-Racial America… Right?… Right? WRONG! Because now that a black man — or a half black/half white man if we want to split not so nappy hairs — is leading the free world, the stakes just have gotten higher. Racial injustice has become more insidious (thanks to Rush Limbaugh, the continued broadcast of BET, black and Latino people being blamed for the passage of Prop 8, Teabaggers marching in lock step with white supremacists, and most of the comments on Kamau’s YouTube page). That’s right. Racism has redoubled — no, re-quadrupled — its efforts. Well, W. Kamau Bell is here to make (non)sense of all of it all. And because racism is always attacking in new ways and from new angles, Kamau attacks back by adding new material at every performance. The Curve is a seamless mix of stand- up comedy, video and audio clips, and theatrical solo performance.
W. KAMAU BELL: Over the past two years, “The W. Kamau Bell Curve” has played to sold-out houses in San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley and has been the subject of 20 articles and reviews in newspapers, magazines, radio shows and television programs. On May 13, The SF Weekly dedicated its cover story to Kamau and featured him on the front cover. He is also the co-founder of the Solo Performance Workshop and has directed solo shows written and performed by Bruce Pachtman (“don’t make me look too psychotic”), Enzo Lombard (“Love, Humiliation & Karaoke”) and Jennifer Jajeh (“I Heart Hamas: And Other Things I’m Afraid to Tell You”). In 2005, he was chosen to perform as a stand-up comic at the prestigious “Just For Laughs Festival” in Montreal. Kamau recently appear at “The Aspen Comedy Festival” (as a stand-up) and in August will perform “The W. Kamau Bell Curve” at The New York International Fringe Festival.


WHAT
The W. Kamau Bell Curve
Written and Performed by W. Kamau Bell
Produced by Lisa Marie Rollins and Third Root Productions

WHERE
La Peña Cultural Center
3105 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94705 USA

WHEN/PRICES
Thursday, July 30 -- 8:00 $15.00
Friday, July 31 -- 8:00 $20.00
Saturday, Aug.1 -- 8:00 $20.00

Every show: Bring a friend of a different race and get in 2for1

PURCHASE TICKETS
www.lapena.org

Official Website: http://lapena.org/event/1149