News on your favorite shows, specials & more!
Versatile show poster

Versatile at Theatre West

Dates: (8/6/2022 - 8/7/2022 )

Theatre:

Theatre West

Theatre West

956 Eucalyptus Drive El Segundo California 90245
Los Angeles,CA 90068

facebook

Phone: 323-851-7977

Tickets: $35 in advance; $40 at the door.

  1. View All Los Angeles Shows
  2.  > 
  3. Versatile


Versatile is subtitled Stories from Inside the Closet of a Half-Black Gay Man, but thats really only part of it.Torn from the arms of a loving mother by Child Protective Services, Kevin is bounced around the foster care system in the 90s, when transracial child placement is frowned upon. Finally, he and his brother are adopted into a white family. But his adoptive parents are not comforting models of stability nor support for their mixed white and Black children.Being mixed-Black, Kevin struggles to exist between two worlds. With light skin privilege in contrast to his darker brother, Kevin is forced to learn his place in the Black community. Still perceived as Black by many, Kevin copes with the colorism and systemic racism dealt with by Black men today, whether that manifests in encounters with police, lowered expectations for him in the higher education system, or how he is perceived by others in the gay community. He treads along through comedy, despondency, and emerging hope.As he grows, he becomes aware of his emerging sexuality, at first denying it to some degree, but later discovering how far his pride can take him.Its not all doom and gloom, however. He finds a couple of mentors in the faculty at his university who champion his abilities. He also learns that he possesses significant emotional and intellectual resources strong enough to carry him through rough times.Youll have to see Versatile to fully appreciate the significance of the title. Kevin Neighbors portrays over twenty characters in the unfolding of his narrative, utilizing acting, poetry, Shakespeare, hip hop, characterized African wildlife that serve as his Lion King-inspired guides, all tied together with dynamic digital media. Written and performed by Kevin Neighbors. Directed and developed by Jessica Lynn Johnson. Produced for Theatre West by Dina Morrone.
Ages: 14 to Adult

Videos


Change The Game in Los Angeles Change The Game
McCadden (6/9 - 6/16)

NEW MUSICAL Tracker
PHOTOS VIDEOS
What The Constitution Means To Me in Los Angeles What The Constitution Means To Me
International City Theatre (5/2 - 5/19) Tracker
Footloose The Musical in Los Angeles Footloose The Musical
Mira Costa High School (4/26 - 5/4) Tracker
PHOTOS
VOX Cabaret in Los Angeles VOX Cabaret
Catalina Jazz Club (5/5 - 5/5) Tracker
Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka Jr. in Los Angeles Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka Jr.
Nobel Middle School (5/2 - 5/4) Tracker
PHOTOS
PRELUDE TO A KISS, THE MUSICAL in Los Angeles PRELUDE TO A KISS, THE MUSICAL
South Coast Repertory (4/5 - 5/4) Tracker
Spring Awakening in Los Angeles Spring Awakening
The Broadwater Mainstage (4/26 - 5/11) Tracker
Herbie Hancock Head Hunters 50th in Los Angeles Herbie Hancock Head Hunters 50th
Hollywood Bowl (8/14 - 8/14)
Halas Powyzej in Los Angeles Halas Powyzej
Palm Springs Cultural Center (5/23 - 5/26)
Velour: A Drag Spectacular in Los Angeles Velour: A Drag Spectacular
La Jolla Playhouse (8/13 - 9/8)
Ballet Folklórico de México with the LA Phil in Los Angeles Ballet Folklórico de México with the LA Phil
Hollywood Bowl (7/18 - 7/18)
Agatha Christie's Murder After Hours (The Hollow) in Los Angeles Agatha Christie's Murder After Hours (The Hollow)
The Group Rep at the Lonny Chapman Theatre (8/2 - 9/8)
VIEW SHOWS  ADD A SHOW   FIND A JOB

Recommended For You