Few know of Selma Burke, the Black American sculptor who played a major role in the Harlem Renaissance movement of the 1920s and 30s. Among her works is a bas-relief plaque of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which is now widely accepted to be the basis for the design on the American dime, and something for which she never received credit within her lifetime.

Theatre Calgary, in partnership with Alberta Theatre Projects, are proud to bring Calgary audiences the world premiere of a stirring new play, running April 2 - 27 in the Martha Cohen Theatre at Arts Commons, about the importance of art, courage, romance, and justice in Selma Burke, by Calgary playwrights Maria Crooks and Caroline Russell-King.

“Gifted with exceptional talent, Selma chronicled many of the extraordinary events of the 20th century through her art - lynchings, the Harlem Renaissance, the Holocaust, the assassination of Martin Luther King,” explains playwright Crooks. “Selma Burke recounts the incredible life and talent of Dr. Burke, who creates art despite a husband who destroys her work, the government that steals it, and the FBI that threatens her.”

Directing the show is Felicia Turner Sonnenberg, who hails from San Diego. While she admits that she didn’t know a lot about Selma Burke prior to reading the script, she was in awe of her artistic achievements. “Most of my life’s work has been dedicated to giving voice to female artists. I am grateful to Theatre Calgary and our playwrights, that I finally know more about her,” she says. “This play is not a biography. It’s not a lecture. It is ‘a flight of fancy’ born from the imaginations of the playwrights, infused with the inventiveness of the designers, actors, and now, the audience.”

Crooks adds that while based in fact and the history of Selma Burke, “We took liberties in our interpretation. For example, in her mind, actors metamorphize into sculptures who challenge, support, and bicker with her and each other.”

Selma Burke features a cast of four Calgary actors including Norma Lewis (Selma Burke), Christopher Clare, Heather Pattengale, and Christopher Hunt (pictured above in rehearsal). Theatre Calgary audiences will recognize Lewis from her recent appearance on our stage in Steel Magnolias. Pattengale was last seen in The Scarlet Letter, Hunt has appeared on our stage 40 times, and Clare is making his Theatre Calgary debut. Apart from Lewis, all the cast play multiple characters that played a part in Burke’s life. Hunt, for example, has in the neighbourhood of 50 different roles over the course of the 95 minute show.

Tuner Sonnenberg hopes that this look into Selma Burke will be inspirational. “I hope, like me, you are moved by an artist striving to create. An artist trying to find, hear and follow her voice. I hope it inspires you to listen and follow your own,” she says. “More importantly, I hope it encourages us to seek out, engage, and invest in the current Selmas building and creating amongst us.”

Presented in partnership with Alberta Theatre Projects, Selma Burke runs April 2 - 27 in the Arts Commons Martha Cohen Theatre. As part of Theatre Calgary’s ‘Theatre For All’ initiative, all tickets are just $39 for all regular performances. They are selling quickly, and can be purchased online at theatrecalgary.com.