Rejoice!

The history of gospel music and its influence on much of popular music today is a fascinating one, and deeply intertwined with the African American struggles and triumphs of the 19th and 20th centuries. Using the music of gospel master Thomas Dorsey, playwright West (Jar the Floor, Play On!) gives us the stirring tale of a family of evangelists who struggle between the patriarch’s drive to uphold tradition and the younger generation’s need to make their own kind of music. Rejoice! is a joyous and vivid glimpse of the import, and impact, of this unique American art form.

Part of Hot Type 2005: Sizzling New Plays at Seattle Rep.