Poet, essayist, educator and playwright Charles Payne has a lot of feelings about the American public school system. His new play called When the Classroom Ain’t Enuf opens at Broom Street Theater this Friday, April 19th, and draws on his own experience as a math and science teacher. The play is a series of vignettes about the Black and Brown experience in American public schools, performed by a local cast of Madison community members.  It’s set to original music and was influenced by Ntosake Shange’s 1976 play for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf.  

Bianca Martin catches up with Charles to learn more about the innovative production and ideas for diversifying local community theater.

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