For Release: Aug. 25, 2003
PROGRAM: Produced by Kentucky Educational Television (KET), "Poof!" is the second program of American Shorts, an anthology drama series of one-hour programs featuring adaptations of new short plays premiered by regional theaters. The plays are selected for their entertainment value, social content and cultural perspectives. Each play is followed by a documentary segment that explores the drama's social and artistic context.
TALENT: Rosie Perez and Viola Davis star.
PRODUCTION TEAM: African-American playwright Lynn Nottage adapted her award-winning play. Fred Barzyk (The Lathe of Heaven) directed, and Guy Mendes of KET produced.
CONTENT: A serious play with comic elements, "Poof!" deals with domestic violence. Its companion documentary, A Voice to Be Reckoned With, is about African-American women playwrights and includes interviews with Lynn Nottage, Regina Taylor, Dael Orlandersmith, Kia Corthron and Kirsten Childs.
AUDIENCE: General adult. Some profanity and implied violence.
PROJECT GOALS: To highlight social issues through drama; to expand the audience of regional theater through television; to encourage new dramatic writing; to bring more thoughtful scripts to television drama; and to lend itself to a variety of educational uses.
EDUCATIONAL/OUTREACH: As a broadcast program, "Poof!" appeals to a diverse audience. For college and mature high school students, "Poof!" addresses language arts and social studies in many subject areas, including African-American literature; black and Hispanic history; urban culture; American theater; world literature; and the societal and psychological basis of domestic violence. It presents students with culturally different yet universal experiences and themes. The program shows how personal and social history affect artistic creation and examines the relationship of art and society.
WEB SITE: www.ket.org/americanshorts/poof contains information about domestic violence and resources for teachers on black women playwrights. It includes notes on the production and series, interviews and links to important regional theaters.
FORMAT: The drama is shot on location in high definition. The program is available in standard format as well as HD and in two versions for broadcast: a one-hour version in which the drama is followed by the documentary segment, A Voice to Be Reckoned With; and a second version in which the drama and documentary have been edited as stand-alone, 30-minute programs that may be aired separately.
PROJECT SUPPORT: "Poof!" is funded by generous grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Diversity Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts. American Public Television is the national distributor.