A Huey P. Newton Story

Smith relies on the audience’s memory, anger and sense of community to explore a wide range of conflicting facts and emotions. The ambivalent trust forged between performer and audience as they journey through Newton’s story is kinetic and revealing of both sides.

The production doesn't resolve the paradoxes in Newton's life, but it does give viewers some idea of what it might have been like to be inside his head.

Lee and his top-notch production staff employ camera wizardry and lighting techniques to evocative effect, yet manage to never take away from Smith’s performance.

By bringing Newton alive, Smith opens the door for further exploration of this colorful, insightful figure.

Onscreen, A Huey P. Newton Story is memorable, but it must have been something to see on stage. Roger Guenver Smith gives a striking, extremely physical, performance.