Gangsta Lean

The creators of the play Heaven for a G are justifiably concerned about youth violence. After all, as they say in their own press release, "violence is quickly becoming the new 'black' for the upcoming generation. Unfortunately, they are wearing it too well." Look around, folks--on runways from New York to London, from Miami to Prague, violence is all the rage. We kid, we kid. But no matter how far they overextend their metaphors, the members of Blacken Blues Theater have a point, as youth violence in America shows no sign of slowing down, with homicide currently the leading cause of death for blacks ages 10 to 24 and the second leading cause of death for Latinos of the same ages, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Heaven for a G is a piece of "conscious theater" created to preach against this social plague, telling the story of a rebellious teen named Gabriel and the sad fate he meets playing the drug game. Catch it at 7 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays through August 28 at the Rosewood Center for Family Arts, 5938 Skillman St. Tickets are $12 to $15. Visit dct.org for more info.
Thursdays, 7 p.m.; Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sun., Aug. 24, 3 p.m. Starts: Aug. 21. Continues through Aug. 28, 2008