Video preview of CAC’s Black Box premiere ‘Twice the First Time’

Wednesday-Friday. Feb. 22-24, 7:30 p.m. Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E. Sixth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202

Writer, producer, human beat-box artist, vocalist, and “true hip-hop ambassador” Napoleon Maddox will debut his multi-media Black Box performance “Twice the First Time,” a retelling and exploration of the true story of his great-grand aunts, conjoined twins Millie-Christine McCoy. Check out the video below…

Born into slavery in 1851 and freed after the Civil War, Millie-Christine embarked on major tours across the U.S. and Europe, often in conjunction with P.T. Barnum’s circus.

Although Millie-Christine were inspected and labeled sideshow freaks, they defiantly self-identified as “beautifully and wonderfully made,” a strength celebrated in “Twice The First Time.”

Through the performance, Cincinnati-based Maddox will examine the hyphen separating Millie-Christine as a metaphor for “Black” life in America; trapped between two identities, examined and exhibited. Bringing Millie-Christine to life with poetry, song, and scenography, Maddox draws on the powerful metaphor present in their story – the truth of Africans living in America, captured persons living free and the objectified claiming dignity.

Pre-performance discussion:

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 6:30 p.m. Freedom Center, 50 E. Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202

This event is free, but RSVPs are requested.

Context: Napoleon Maddox – Twice The First Time from Contemporary Arts Center on Vimeo.