By Mary Sisk
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Rockford native Nathan Alan Davis’s plays have shown in theaters across the country. Now, for the first time, one story set in Rockford will be produced here, too.

“The Wind And The Breeze” will run Oct. 20 through Nov. 6 at The West Side Show Room, 1414 N. Main St. on the city’s North End. The story, which is set entirely on the State Street bridge, centers around a Rockford emcee who is approached by hip hop performers and forced to weigh whether to stay in the city or chase his dreams elsewhere.

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Davis developed “The Wind And The Breeze” at the Kennedy Center in 2013 and won a Lorraine Hansberry award for his work. This award honors playwrights who best portray the African American experience.

The West Side Show Room and Eight Fifteen Capital are collaborating with Davis to produce the show.

“Nathan first told me about this play in 2014 when we were mentoring young artists for Rockford Area Arts Council’s Arts Place summer apprenticeship program,” said Epic Jones, artistic director of The West Side Show Room, in a news release. “The WSSR was new and I worried about our ability to find the actors for the show.”

The creative team casted Rockford-based actors for the performance, giving the actors a personal connection to the script and their characters.

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The play will be produced by Joshua Patterson and directed by Matthew Simpson.

Rockford performers including Antwon “AG” George, singers Ashleye Armelin and Yazmin Jones, ValMarie Black and Malachi Goldsmith, who both recently performed in “Dreamgirls” at Starlight Theatre, and Jaylen Marks, who was recently in “The Outsider” at Artists’ Ensemble.

“The script is amazing because it’s so relatable,” Simpson said in a news release. “Each character is wrestling with their own personal connection and relationship to Rockford.

“I’ve had to look in the mirror and ask myself some of the same questions. I know attendees will appreciate the relationships that are on display and the questions that the characters are working through.”

Know before you go

Where: The West Side Show Room, 1414 N. Main St., Rockford

When: Oct. 20 – Nov. 6.

Admission: Free, but donations are accepted

More information: Additional information can be found here

This article is by Mary Sisk. Email her at msisk@rockrivercurrent.com or follow her on Instagram at @maryrrcurrent