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Through fictional characters and personal experiences growing up around gang violence and the drug trade in Pittsburgh, Nathan James uses monologues, poetry, and movement to tackle hyper-masculinity and society’s perception of the African American male.  It takes a first-hand look at how rap videos, media, and environment have all played a part in the desensitization process of black males, turning them into one-dimensional entities. 

 

 

 

 

Growing Pains explores how we end up where we are in life based on our personal experiences.  It examines the influence of media and upbringing over the way we view politics, beauty, each other, and most importantly ourselves.  It taps into the part of the human spirit that enables us to empathize with one another as individuals, even if we can’t always relate to each other’s life experiences.

 

 

"Nathan James’ poetry skillfully crushes stereotypes that plague the African American community, as well as satirize the materialist and wasteful opulence that grips American society" — The Pittsburgh Courier

As a kid growing up in Pittsburgh in the 1990’s, Nathan often found himself living in two completely different worlds.  On one end, he grew up in a neighborhood heavily induced with poverty, drug activity, and gang violence.  On the other end, he was fortunate enough to have parents who scraped together what little money they had to involve him in acting classes and conservatories to distract him from the allure of street life (in which most of his childhood friends fell into).  This gave him a unique opportunity to gain a social education by becoming an observer of the two different ways of life (especially since he’s never been able to completely fit in to either environment because of his affiliation with the other).  He wasn’t “Hood” enough” to be completely “Hood” because of his interest in the arts, yet he was too much of a product of his upbringing to be completely accepted among the “Privileged” in his acting classes.  The reclusion from both worlds transitioned from childhood resentment to a sociological advantage in his artistic endeavors.

 

The Story behind Growing Pains

For booking information:

 

The Cooper Company

Talent Management



Contact:  ChiChi Anyanwu

T: 212-904-1000

chichi@thecoopercompany.biz

www.thecoopercompany.biz/

Growing Pains has a runtime of 1 hour and 15 minutes.

 

Nathan is also available to perform excerpts from the show, as well as facilitate workshops, and master classes on writing, performing, and finding your artistic voice.

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