Rhapsody in Black

Written& Performed by LeLand Gantt
Developed at the Actors Studio by Estelle Parsons, Rhapsody in Black is a one man show that explores Gantt’s personal journey to understand and eventually transcend racism in America. We follow his spellbinding life story -- from an underprivileged childhood in the ghettos of McKeesport, PA to teenage experiments with crime and drugs to scholastic achievement and an acting career that lands adult LeLand in situations where he is virtually the only African-American in the room. How he manages to cope with the various psychological effects of consistently being marked The Other is recounted in remarkable and exquisitely moving detail, guaranteed to leave lasting impressions. Charming, self-deprecatingly funny and linguistically awesome, Gantt confronts heavy subjects with all the passion and poignancy of a preacher speaking the Gospel. In his own words, “Objective truth strikes a chord.”

Read more in this Huffington Post article 
Read interviews with LeLand Gantt & Estelle Parsons

Made possible with the support of Poughkeepsie City School District, Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union and
Vassar College, "Dialogue and Engagement Across Differences" Initiative.