Debbie Allen-Helmed Freeze Frame to Explore Gun Violence in the U.S. | Playbill

News Debbie Allen-Helmed Freeze Frame to Explore Gun Violence in the U.S. Freeze Frame, a new work fusing dance, music, cinema and theatre, kicks off its U.S. premiere in Los Angeles Feb. 5. Inspired by real-life incidents, the piece examines issues of gun violence and race relations in America.

Written, directed and choreographed by Emmy and Golden Globe winner Debbie Allen, Freeze Frame runs through Feb. 7 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. It first debuted at the Brisbane Festival in Australia in 2013.

Watch the trailer below: 

Allen is the founder of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. Her directing and producing credits include the TV series "Grey’s Anatomy," "Scandal," "How To Get Away With Murder" and "Empire"; and on the Broadway stage, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Carrie. She has been an artist in residence at the Kennedy Center for over 15 years.

Allen recently told the LA Times that Freeze Frame is "probably the most important work that I've done in many years." She said that the narrative of the piece, about an innocent young black man who is targeted by the police, is one that she is all too familiar with – as are many of her dancers who grew up in tough, south L.A. neighborhoods. Allen says she hopes the multimedia work will help audiences see things differently and inspire change. "Art is a lens through which people can see themselves and see the world," she told the publication. "And maybe it can sensitize them to something they should think about." To purchase tickets to Freeze Frame, visit thewallis.org.

 
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