Lemon Anderson's "County of Kings" Headed to Beverly Arts Center

It’s a one night only opportunity,

At 7 p.m. on Nov. 8, Lemon Andersen, the Tony Award-winning poet and performance artist, will appear in the Chicago debut of his theatrical memoir, “County of Kings,” at the Beverly Arts Center, 2704 W. 111^th Street. Presented by The Collective Theatre, one of the city’s newest companies, this autobiographical piece is a journey of self-discovery set in Brooklyn in the 1980s and ’90s. Moving from full-fledged drama to street poetry, Anderson explores the loving relationship between a mother and son, neighborhood mores, young romance, juvenile crime, addiction and personal triumph.

“County of Kings” has been staged for American audiences from coast-to-coast and in Europe, Australia and South Africa. In 2009, Spike Lee produced the show at New York’s Public Theatre to wide acclaim.

Anderson won his Tony Award in 2003 for “Def Poetry Jam,” produced by Russell Simmons on Broadway and broadcast on HBO for six seasons. On film he has appeared opposite Denzel Washington in Spike Lee’s “Inside Man,” and in “The Soloist” with Robert Downey, Jr. and Jamie Foxx. “Lemon,” a documentary film portrait of Andersen’s life and career path, was shown at many film festivals prior to its national PBS broadcast in 2012.

Tickets for “County of Kings” (the title refers to the official county of Brooklyn), are $25 (or $75 for the VIP patron package that includes a cocktail reception following the show, as well as a meet-and-greet with Andersen and members of The Collective Theatre, the ensemble comprised of six actors who first met 15 years ago as student at Thornridge High School in Dolton, Il.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.thecollectivetheatre.ticketleap.com.