Fred Beam stars in play, “Holy Grail of Memphis,” in Philadelphia

Fred Beam, the well-known Deaf dancer, actor, and educator is one of the main actors in a play at the Arden Theatre in Philadelphia called “Holy Grail of Memphis.” The play premiered in January and is continuing to show in February.

“The Philadelphia Inquirer” explained that the play is about a white man who discovered rare recordings of a famous Black bluesman named Alfred “Deaf Duck” Mason in the basement of his grandfather, who was a music producer that underpaid Mason and cut him out of any royalties during the 1920-1940s era. The man tries to make up for the injustices by opening a museum and playing Mason’s music, but runs into many challenges that include ghostly encounters.

Beam’s role is Alfred “Deaf Duck” Mason, so he’s the star of the show and in this world. Here is a short clip that was provided by Arden Theatre.

[Clip]

Nice! On February 21 and February 22, there will be ASL interpretation provided. On February 14 and 15, there will be open captioning provided. For other dates, the theatre is providing “screen caption glasses” that are available upon request.

I’ve provided a link to the theatre for more information and tickets. Ticket prices range from $38 to $68.

https://ardentheatre.org/production/holy-grail-of-memphis/

https://www.inquirer.com/arts/theater/arden-theatre-holy-grail-of-memphis-review-20250130.html