Tarantino Smith embodies over 15 characters in Richard Wright's 'Black Boy'

Penn Live Arts presents its Children’s Festival, an annual event headquartered at the Annenberg Center and featuring an exciting list of professional, family-friendly, fun-filled events May 5-7.

One of those events is Richard Wright’s “ Black Boy,” on May 7. The production comes from Literature to Life which aims to liven up reading for those who may not otherwise be interested.

“Black Boy” is a powerful account of a young man’s journey from innocence to experience growing up in the Jim Crow South. A Philadelphia premiere, actor Tarantino Smith makes this poignant narrative come alive on stage, playing over 15 characters from Wright’s past, and illuminating connections between current times and troubled history.

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And yet, when Smith was offered the opportunity to play bestselling author Richard Wright on stage, including his many characters — some of them with racial prejudices — he admits he was scared.

“I took the part because I knew it was the right thing to do,” he says, “but that doesn’t mean it didn’t frighten me a little.

“As an artist you want to be challenged,” he adds. “I learned you grow through success and you grow through failure, so I don’t like to turn down things just because they are challenging.”

Read full interview with Tarantino Smith here