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Cush Jumbo Channels Josephine Baker in Her New Solo Show, Josephine and I

The drama plays Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater.

Cush Jumbo channels Josephine Baker in her new solo show, Josephine and I, at Joe's Pub.
Cush Jumbo channels Josephine Baker in her new solo show, Josephine and I, at Joe's Pub.
(© Joan Marcus)

Josephine and I, a solo drama by The River star Cush Jumbo, has begun performances at Joe's Pub at the Public Theater. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, the production officially opens March 10 and opens April 5.

Josephine and I explores the life of Josephine Baker, from her birth in the St. Louis slums to her rise as one of the most important stars of the 20th century. The first African-American performer to rise to international prominence, she was a French Resistance spy and civil rights activist who was married twice by age 16 and served as muse to Pablo Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway, who called her "the most sensational woman anyone ever saw." Now, nearly 40 years after her death, Baker’s life inspires a young woman to face up to the sacrifices required to follow one’s dreams.

For the work, which premiered at the Bush Theatre in England in 2013, Jumbo received the Emerging Talent Award from the Evening Standard Awards. She has previously collaborated with director Lloyd on the all-female Julius Caesar, which recently played St. Ann's Warehouse. In that production, she received an Olivier Award nomination for her performance as Marc Antony.

Cush Jumbo does a high-kick in Josephine and I at Joe's Pub at The Public.
Cush Jumbo does a high-kick in Josephine and I at Joe's Pub at The Public.
(© Joan Marcus)

For tickets and more information, click here.

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Josephine and I

Closed: April 5, 2015