On Saturday, April 1st, Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park will host an exclusive showing of a brand new documentary film on the life and legacy of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Paul Laurence Dunbar: Beyond the Mask is a new film showcasing the life and legacy of the internationally renowned African American poet and author. Written and directed by Frederick Lewis, and co-produced by Lewis and Joseph Slade, the film took more than eight years to create and received support from the Ohio Humanities Council and major funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The film will be shown in the auditorium of the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center at 16 South Williams Street in Dayton. There will be two screenings for the public on April 1st. The first screening will begin at 1:00 P.M. and the second screening will begin at 4:00 P.M. The film is approximately two hours long. After each screening, the film’s producers will be on hand to discuss the film and to answer questions from the audience.
This special screening is free for the public to attend, but due to limited seating in the park’s auditorium, an RSVP is requested. To RSVP for this event, please send an email to: [email protected] with “Film RSVP” in the subject line. Please be sure to include your name, how many people total (including yourself) will be attending and which screening time (1:00 P.M. or 4:00 P.M.) you and your guests will be attending. You can also call the park at 937-225-7705 to RSVP. A light assortment of food and refreshments will be available at both screenings.
“Paul Laurence Dunbar: Beyond the Mask” features Willis “Bing” Davis, James Pate, Herbert Martin, LaVerne Sci, and a host of others, and is a production of the Central Region Humanities Center at Ohio University.
For information about other programs and events and for directions to Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, please visit: www.nps.gov/daav. For information about the Paul Laurence Dunbar House Historic Site, please visit: go.nps.gov/dunbarhouse.