I've learned a lot over the years as a result of listening to "old black guys just sitting around talking." Women too. Penumbra has long been that kind of place where teaching happens through storytelling. One of the most celebrated American writers, Penumbra company member August Wilson, honed his craft not in classrooms but in barbershops, cafes and on the corner. These are the places where many of our elder company members learned to be men and women, learned to love, defend and express themselves within a vernacular that was savvy enough to sidestep the cultural warfare being waged against them. They listened to elders tell "lies," tall tales that carried with them not just humor and creativity, but the dogged resilience of a people to stay alive and protect their history from distortion and misappropriation. It is out of this tradition that Gus Edwards penned Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking. One of the most important lessons I've learned here is that history isn't necessarily epic; sometimes it's quiet conversations like these that teach us the most about being human.

Sarah Bellamy
Education Director