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Building on its success in prostate cancer education, awareness and advocacy, the Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN) is enhancing its efforts with a Broadway-style stage play. “Daddy’s Boys” tells the story of a widowed father and his sons, whose relationships are fractured, coming together when faced with prostate cancer. This highly entertaining play imparts real-life messages and information to the audience which raises prostate cancer awareness.
It is the latest health-oriented presentation by playwright Garrett Davis, who uses humor and music-laden dramas to bring awareness to minority health issues. The PHEN/Davis collaboration builds on Davis’ established portfolio of stage productions that highlight diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease among other issues.
“Daddy’s Boys” will launch on March 9th in Philadelphia, PA, in partnership with Enon Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, a mega-church serving the African American community. On May 12th there will be a performance in Glendale, MD at Reid Temple AME Church. Informational workshops, resource materials and cancer screening will be provided as part of these efforts.
“We are thrilled to kick-off the Daddy’s Boys tour at Enon Tabernacle. It is a great complement to our ‘Men know your Numbers’ Health Initiative that will be held on March 10th, says Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Alyn Waller.
PHEN will sponsor each Daddy’s Boys performance with the support of its industry partners, and work with its national network of church partners to host and promote the play within their congregations and communities. The performances are free of charge with tickets made available through the host church and other local PHEN partners.
“The Daddy’s Boys play is a natural progression of PHEN’s educational outreach efforts,” says Thomas Farrington, Founder and President of the Prostate Health Education Network and a 17-year prostate cancer survivor. “Prostate cancer is a family disease as highlighted by this play, and this entertainment format will appeal to men and women enabling us to reach many more people and save more lives.
“We bring real life situations to the stage to educate and enlighten on health issues that affect us daily,” said playwright Davis. “We believe our stories help direct those in attendance to resources that can lead to a better quality of life.” His work centers on issues that affect everyday people to build awareness and advocacy. “What I call unreached people are African Americans,” Davis continued. “We learn differently. Our people need to see us giving them information. The infotainment format is an effective way to teach them.”
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer for men, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths behind lung cancer. About one in five African American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. Black men are diagnosed at a rate 60% higher with a death rate more than twice that for men of all other racial and ethnic groups.
About PHEN
The Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN) is the leading patient education and advocacy organization addressing the needs of African American prostate cancer patients, survivors and families. Based in Quincy MA, PHEN, a 501c(3) organization founded in 2003, sponsors educational webcasts, the Annual Father’s Day Rally education symposiums with church partners, and the Annual African American Prostate Cancer Disparity Summit in Washington DC.
About Gdavis Productions
Gdavis Productions is an urban theater company that tours stage plays across the USA. Established in 1994 by CEO/Founder Garrett Davis, playwright has won numerous awards for brining real life situations to the stage. The goal is to bring light to issues and concerns that affect our community in hopes of creating a change for a better quality of life for everyone.
Gdavis Productions is based in Winston Salem, NC: www.gdavisproductions.net
Management Contact: Bridget Fleury & Associates, LLC bridget.fleury@gmail.com 414-699-8357
Churches and other organizations that may be interested in hosting “Daddy’s Boys” should email PHEN at rapcancer@prostatehealthed.org
