Support JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM!

JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM is a play with music by Nambi E. Kelley that follows a Chicago boy's journey from fear to hope. www.jabari-dreams-of-freedom.com.

WHY WE'RE HERE:

From Playwright Nambi E. Kelley: "I wrote Jabari Dreams of Freedom as a love letter to my nephew and all Black children when Trayvon Martin was murdered. Sadly, the need for this play to teach Black children how to live fearlessly in a world that does not love them only magnifies with each passing news cycle.  Help us bring this work to the children who need it the most." 

We are raising funds to cover production costs for the upcoming digital presentation, as well as for the future national tour! Your generous donations will ensure that this important story for today's youth makes it into the hands of as many children as possible. 

ABOUT THE PLAY:

JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM is a play to save Black youth from living through fear. It tells the story of Jabari, a young Black boy from the South Side of Chicago who loves to paint. Through painting, he can escape the turbulent world around him. When a friend is hurt by police, Jabari is afraid to leave the house. With his Forever President Barack Obama as a guide, he dreams he meets children from the Civil Rights Era including Ruby Bridges, Claudette Colvin, and a 7-year-old Barack Obama on the eve of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Can Jabari use the lessons he's learned to instill in young Barack the ideas he'll need to become president? Will Jabari take these lessons back into his own life and heal his community? Using history, rap, freedom songs, and humor, this play explores what it means to have courage in a world where Black children—Black boys—are not safe.

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

Directed by Daniel Carlton
Media Design/Video Editing by Yu "Leo" LeiMusic Direction/Choreography by Joe Plummer

Featuring:

Cameron Goode as Jabari
Octavius Lanier as Jabari's Dad, Obama & Others
Lori Sinclair Minor as Jabari's Mom, Claudette Colvin, Ruby Bridges & Others

Stage Manager - Jes Aguilar-Smucker
Assistant Stage Manager - Olivia Leslie

PRESS FOR CHICAGO CHILDREN'S THEATRE 2016 PRODUCTION:

"The frank and compassionate new children's play from Nambi E. Kelley."
- Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune​.
 
“Young people need this play right now."
- Jacqueline Russell, Artistic Director, ​Chicago Children's Theatre.

​"Award-winning playwright and actress Nambi E. Kelley has created an exciting new play for young audiences. It tells about a likable young man who, frightened by his own world, yet piqued by what he’s learned in school, time travels through dreams to meet Ruby Bridges, Claudette Colvin, a young Barack Obama and others. Through these encounters, Jabari experiences firsthand the lives and times of several young pioneers of the Civil Rights Movement."
- Colin Douglas, Chicago Theatre Review

"The show entertains and educates children and adults alike, nicely encapsulating important events and encouraging young people to effect positive change."
- Lauren Whalen, Chicago Theatre Beat