Kent, OH – The National Alliance for Musical Theatre has awarded a Writers Residency Grant to Kent State University's School of Theatre and Dance. The grant, underwritten by the generous support from Kathryn and Raymond Harbert, will facilitate a residency in November for the creators of the new musical "My Heart is the Drum," Phillip Palmer, Jennie Redling, and Stacey Luftig. The musical, set in Ghana in the early 2000s, follows 16 year old Efua Kuti as she navigates her culture's traditional expectations and the hardship of rural West African life in an effort to achieve her dream of a university education. "My Heart is the Drum" was selected by the National Alliance for Musical Theatre as a featured production in the 2013 Festival of New Musicals in New York City.
"My Heart is the Drum" will receive its first full production Feb. 20-March 1 when it is performed at Kent State University's E. Turner Stump Theatre in the Center for the Performing Arts, 1325 Theatre Drive, Kent, OH. The production will be directed by Kent State professor and musical theatre program coordinator Terri Kent.
For more information on the Kent State production of "My Heart is the Drum," please visit www.kent.edu/theatredance.