Brian Copeland's "Not a Genuine Black Man" benefits Fresh Start

Brian Copeland returns to Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts with his hit one-person show, Not a Genuine Black Man. As with Copeland’s prior Lesher Center stints, the opening night performance, September 18, benefits Fresh Start, the Walnut Creek-based program that provides meals, clothing, social services, and a safe place to hang for the area’s homeless. 

Fresh Start, housed at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, suffered a major blow this summer. Susan Prather, the organization’s founder, executive director, and a crusading East Bay advocate for the homeless, died July 29 after a short battle with cancer. Copeland and other KGO-810 Radio hosts were good friends with Prather, and she was a frequent guest on their broadcasts. “I adored Susan,” says Copeland, “and the work Fresh Start does is so vital—especially today.” The work of the organization continues under the leadership of Prather’s husband, Bill Lunghi, and a dedicated executive board.

In Not a Genuine Black Man, Copeland uses his trademark humor and honesty to explore serious questions of race and personal identity as he recounts his childhood in the 1970s when he was one of the only black faces living in lily-white San Leandro. The dramedy set records as San Francisco’s longest-running solo show. Copeland transformed his stage act into a best-selling memoir that captured the attention of Hollywood, book lovers, and local communities. Local high schools, including Campolindo in Moraga, have asked Copeland to speak to students about racism and diversity.

Opening night tickets for Not a Genuine Black Man with Brian Copeland on September 18 cost $35 each. All proceeds go to Fresh Start. Regular performances for the show, which runs through Oct. 19, cost $35–$50. For tickets, call (925) 943-7469, or visit www.lesherartscenter.org. For more information about Copeland and Not a Genuine Black Man, visit www.briancopeland.com
 

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