Native Sun to Perform in Dayton Ohio for The Signature: A Poetic Medley

Oral Funk Poetry Productions will host the final show in the eighth season of its Off-Broadway Theatrical Revue The Signature: A Poetic Medley Show at The Loft Theatre, 126 N. Main St., from 9 to 11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. The Signature Lounge opens in the lobby at 8:15 p.m., featuring live music and a full bar. Advance tickets are $22.50 in advance and $24 at the door, available by calling 937-228-3630 or visiting www.ticketcenterstage.com.

“The show will feature the keen, stimulating spoken word of performing artist Prentice Powell and the robust, spirit-lifting fusion of poetry and music by Barbara Fant,” said Sierra Leone of Oral Funk Poetry Productions. “The season finale production will be a melting pot of melodic vibes and authentic artistry mixed with synergetic Signature flavor.”

Spoken word artist Prentice Powell has made 10 appearances on Lexus Verses and Flow and three on the Arsenio Hall Show. He was a 2013 NAACP Image Award nominee, a two-time Grand Slam champion and a National Slam finalist. Along with his poetry collective Fivelology, Powell performed on Jill Scott’s 2013 summer tour.

Ohio native Barbara Fant is a minister, poet and artist-facilitator. She has been on three National Poetry Slam teams from Columbus, Ohio, and has represented the city in four individual National and World Poetry Slam competitions. Her first poetry collection,Paint, Inside Out, was released in April 2010, when she was awarded the Cora Craig Award for Young Women Authors. Her commissioned poem “Today, Beginning Again,” written for Columbus’ bicentennial year, can be found in Revealed: Columbus, The Story of Us. She works at The Columbus Foundation.

The show also will include spotlight performances from soul singer T.Wong and drummer Cedric Easton, along with a variety of local comics, singers and visual art by Ahmad Ivy. Native Sun will provide live neo-soul, jazzy funk, and R&B music.

The musical style of Columbus, Ohio, born T.Wong combines his gospel upbringing and his classical training. He began singing at age 5. In 2014, after receiving his license to practice law and practicing in Columbus, returned to music. He released his first album,Journey, in May 2015.

Cedric Easton is also a Columbus, Ohio-based artist who began his musical pursuits as a child, playing drums at age 4. He entered his first regional music competition at age 8 and took home first place, and began traveling internationally as a professional musician at age 18. Today, Easton is lead facilitator with the Lincoln Theatre/YMCA art camp, tours with national recording artist Christian Howes, serves as the fine arts director of New Covenant Believer’s Church and is a faculty member of the Jazz Academy in Columbus.

The Signature: A Poetic Medley Show is co-sponsored by the Human Race Theatre Company. The Signature has earned a reputation across the Midwest for being edgy, thought provoking, groundbreaking, funny, engaging, sexy, diverse and spontaneous. More information and details are available online at www.tripplecroxxent.org, Home of Urban Creative Arts.