Interdisciplinary theater artist Djola Branner does not write plays. He creates what he refers to as "collage[s] of movement, text and melody." Branner co-founded the acclaimed Pomo Afro Homos (short for Postmodern African-American homosexuals), a prominent Bay Area theater troop, in the '90s.
In his latest semi-biographical tale, dubbed sash & trim, Branner incorporates real and imagined events into his narrative. Childhood memory plays a prominent role in this production, and it makes Branner's choice to juxtapose reality and fantasy particularly interesting. By blending music and vignette, he creates a sense of a father's unfulfilled dreams of being a singer/songwriter.
Branner is being honored as this year's featured artist in New World Theater's Community Spirit Showcase.
Sept. 25-26, 8 p.m., The Curtain Theater, UMass-Amherst, (413) 545-2511, www.newworldtheater.org.
