Al Letson

Soul-stirring, interdisciplinary work has garnered Al Letson national recognition, critical acclaim and devoted fans. Early in his career, Letson established himself as a heavyweight in the Poetry Slam Movement, which reaped artistic credibility and renown. He has performed on a number of national, regional and local stages, including such venues as HBO's Def Poetry Jam, and CBS's 2004 Final Four PreGame. In 2008, Letson was one of three finalists out of more than 1,500 applicants to win the Public Radio Talent Quest. The Talent Quest is an effort by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to find new voices and innovative programming to launch nationally on public radio. Letson's program "State of the Re:Union" is gearing up for a full season of 12 episodes and a robust multimedia campaign that will launch in February with a Black History Month. Produced by the Public Radio Exchange and distributed by National Public Radio, State of the Re:Union travels to an American city or town to discover the interesting things that people are doing to create community and transcend their circumstances, while placing focus on the vital cultural narratives. In addition to the radio show, Letson works as a professional playwright, and actor. Drawing on his background as a performance poet, Letson seamlessly weaves spoken word into the fabric of his theatre work His solo play, Summer in Sanctuary, will be produced off Broadway by The Abingdon Theatre Company at the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre. The Baltimore Sun said, "Letson is a powerful performer who tells his story by moving fluidly from one role to the next." While his many interests are diverse, the common theme in Letson's work is his effort to bring people together. By examining difficult topics and influential historical themes, Letson strives to focus on our common humanity-and always present a production with consummate artistry.