Arts
“A Brooklyn Boy” tells Steven Prescod’s coming-of-age story growing up in Brooklyn, New York. Born in Brooklyn’s Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood to a Grenadian mother and a Guyanese father, Steven was only one year old when his father was incarcerated. Although his single mother, Kathyann Marrast, kept him busy with sports, it wasn’t long before he found himself in trouble with the law. Despite his efforts to break free from his neighborhood’s unyielding grip, as an impressionable teenager, Steven was constantly pulled back, ultimately leading to his arrest. While facing a seven-year jail sentence, Steven could have been another statistic or another headline. However, he was given a second chance at life. After a six-week internship at The CityKids Foundation, Steven discovered the world of acting and met his mentor, former CityKids Artistic Director Moises Roberto Belizario. Together, the two set out to tell Steven’s unique yet universal story, resulting in the tale of love, family, gang violence, and self-acceptance that is “A Brooklyn Boy.” Three years ago, Steven performed an excerpt from “A Brooklyn Boy” for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their visit to New York City. Inspired by Steven’s performance, Prince William offered to help him in any way he could, which led to a performance at The National Black Theatre sponsored by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Since then, “A Brooklyn Boy” has been performed at the U.S. Department of Education, the American Museum of Natural History, the Fox Theatre as part of President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Success Mentors Initiative inspirED Youth Leadership Lab, General Colin and Mrs. Alma Powell’s America’s Promise Summit, the Vineyard Theatre, and locally for numerous groups of New York City public school students. Straight from a successful four month run Off-Off-Broadway at East Village Playhouse, “A Brooklyn Boy” makes its West Coast debut at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.