Three "Extra Special Flavor" performances with poetry, prose, and dance set for this week

This year’s Heritage Ensemble Flavor Show will fill Thoresen Theatre with Pan-African poetry, prose, and theatrics that will offer new experiences even for those who have seen the show before.

This year’s show, “Extra Special Flavor,” includes two performances with special appearances from alumnae.

Hiawatha Johnson Jr., left,  coaches students during a rehearsal
for "Extra Special Flavor," the 18th annual Flavor Show.

Hiawatha Johnson Jr., Randolph’s composer in residence, is directing the Flavor Show for the 18th year. He began producing the show because he saw a need for an outlet to reduce the unnecessary conflicts and confrontations, both between people and within individuals, that exist when people from different backgrounds are placed together. “I wanted to use the arts to speak to the flavor that we’ve added to this world,” he said.

That flavor will take the form of prose and poetry with a significant Pan-African essence, enhanced with movement, music, and theatrics. African American poets Nikki Giovanni, Langston Hughes, and Maya Angelou will be featured at this week’s performances in addition to original works from faculty members, current students, and alumnae.

The show will be presented Wednesday and Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m. Each performance will convey the same message but in slightly different ways, Johnson said. Alumnae will perform in the Friday and Saturday shows.

The show is free to the Randolph community, $5 for the general public, and $2 to students from the general public.

The audience is encouraged to attend Pan World Coffeehouse, a campus-wide event featuring fashions performances that highlight cultures from around the world, which will begin at 7 p.m.