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"The 7th cycle of our New Works Lab (which is co-directed by Cynthia G. Robinson and A.J. Muhammad) is winding down! Read about the exciting projects our playwrights have been diligently developing over the past several months!" - The Fire This Time Festival

My genre-hopping coming-of-age play "Stranger Danger!"—a true crime horror mystery adventure comedy—is having a reading on Thursday, June 12, 2025. A literal pipe dream of mine since 2016, I am penning a theatre project that has been ruminating in my head for eight years! Truth be told, I wanted to write it when I had a few more plays penned or in process under my belt because I cared so much about the story and its characters. TFTT has been so supportive of my journey over the past couple of years and so it feels natural that I develop it under their care. A big thank you to Cezar Williams, Cynthia Robinson and AJ Muhammad for putting my feet to the fire (pun absolutely intended) to write this play.

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Surprise, surprise! I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I am part of the 2025 cohort of The Outrage: A Queer Writers’ Residency! This spectacularly multifaceted lineup of writers and multidisciplinary artists includes C Julian Jiménez, Hansol Jung, Jeffrey James Keys, CQ Quintana, yours truly, Aurin Squire, Kathleen Warnock, and Gein Wong. To be included in this collective of storytellers is still a bit of a mental mindfuck; I’ve been following most of these people since I decided to take the leap of faith to pursue this dream of mine and I am beyond grateful to have the opportunity to be around these masters to write and better my craft! It is an absolute honor and Tisch-era Marcus Scott is pinching himself. From June 2nd to 8th, I will be joining these incredible writers at the imagination emporium that is the North American Cultural Laboratory (NACL) in Highland Lake, NY, for a week of creative conjuring, chimerical craftsmanship, synergy and support. You can find out more about the cohort at https://www.theoutrageresidency.com/

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Program Alum wins Chesley/Bumbalo Award for Playwriting

Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024

Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Alum Marcus Scott (Cycle 22) awarded the Chesley/Bumbalo Award for Playwriting. The Robert Chesley/Victor Bumbalo Foundation supports playwrights of Gay and Lesbian theatre.

Established in 1993 by Victor Bumbalo in playwright Robert Chesley’s honor, The Robert Chesley/Victor Bumbalo Foundation seeks to advance gay and lesbian theatre by honoring writers whose work is making a substantial contribution to our culture.

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Playwrights Selected For Garden State New Play Festival

This collective of writers was carefully selected from an extensive submission and outreach process to honor the mission of JCTC, and to realize the goals of The GSNPF.

By: A.A. Cristi Oct. 28, 2024

Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) and The New Jersey Play Lab (NJPL), in partnership with the Department of Theatre and Dance's BA Theatre Studies Program at Montclair State University, have announced the collective of playwrights selected for participation in the inaugural year of The Garden State New Play Festival (GSNPL).

The diverse collective of playwrights include:

Yangzhou (Yao) Bian Sichuan; China (Binghamton University, NY)

Khadija Diop; Jersey City, NJ

Boris Franklin; Highland Park, NJ

Gabriel Diego Hernández; Jersey City, NJ

Vincent Langan; Union, NJ

Rossella Lopez; Bayonne, NJ

Elijah Maldonado; Belleville, NJ

Palesa Mazamisa; Johannesburg, South Africa

Tiffany McQueary; Jersey City, NJ

Cynthia Mellon; Newark, NJ

Francisco Mendoza; Brooklyn, NY

Dave Osmundsen; Denville NJ

Syd Rushing; Raleigh, NC

Marcus Scott; West New York, NJ

Dylan Zwickel; New York, NY

For more information on these writers, visit The NJPL website.

For a Full pass to the festival, visit www.jctcenter.org.

This collective of writers was carefully selected from an extensive submission and outreach process to honor the mission of JCTC, and to realize the goals of The GSNPF: Community, Festivity, Advocacy, Sustainability, and Artistic Equity.

As artistic institutions in a rapidly changing world, it is incumbent upon us to constantly question whether our work is truly being created, developed, and produced in service of our community, and assess whether or not our work is reaching audiences in a meaningful, impactful manner.

The GSNPF was conceived around a new strategy of blending community and artistic development in which community members are given access to create art not just consume art, resulting in an understanding and celebration of the opportunity for individual and collective growth inherent in the process of new play development.

The Collective of Playwrights participating in the GSNPF include both emerging and early career playwrights, Jersey City Community Members working in the non-profit and advocacy sector, International Artists both from abroad and from our local immigrant communities, college students, and high school students. Each of their plays focuses around an aspect of social justice.

The Garden State New Play Festival will take place on May 1st-4th and 8th-11th, 2025 at Jersey City Theatre Center.

Over the course of the six months leading up to the Festival, each writer will embark on an individualized dramaturgical track to further develop their play for presentation at the Festival. Woven into each track will be an interactive forum with a local community group or organization selected according to the lens of social justice through which the play has been conceived.

Concurrently to the individualized play development tracks, a schedule of workshops, exchanges, classroom visits, play readings, and public events, will take place between November and May, and be open to all Festival participants, including writers, actors, dramaturgs, directors, and community leaders.

The goal is that by the time the Festival itself opens, hundreds of artists and community members will have collaborated and contributed to this process of new play development, and personally experienced the power of the written word for the stage.

The GSNPF offers a new model for a new play festival that brings together artists of all career levels without barriers of hierarchy, and blurs the lines between artist and audience, all while respecting the integrity of each individual artist's craft and experience. This model frames the art of playmaking as a means of expression and advocacy, and as a tool for deeper understanding of self and one's community, and dismantles barriers to producing full productions of new plays by cultivating a vibrant ecosystem that values and champions the power of playmaking.

The Garden State New Play Festival is supported by a grant from the NJ State Council on the Arts, Project Serving Artists grant.

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Playwrights Set for THE FIRE THIS TIME Festival 7th Cycle Of New Works Lab

The seventh cycle began in October 2024 and will meet monthly through May 2025.

By: Chloe Rabinowitz Oct. 24, 2024

The Fire This Time Festival, an annual festival of new work by playwrights of African and African-American descent, has revealed that playwrights Melda Beaty (2022 International Black Theatre Festival's Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin Rolling World Premiere Award for "Coconut Cake"), Rachel Herron (2022-2023 resident playwright with Colt Coeur), and Marcus Scott (Princess Grace Award finalist) have been selected to develop full-length plays in the seventh cycle of their New Works Lab. The seventh cycle began in October 2024 and will meet monthly through May 2025.

In 2015 The Fire This Time established The Fire This Time Writers' Group with the mission to provide TFTT alumni and writers from the TFTT community the opportunity to develop new work in a nurturing and supportive environment. In 2017, the initiative was renamed the New Works Lab. From its inception to the present, the lab has been co-directed by educator and playwright Cynthia Grace Robinson ("Letters From Loretta," "Freedom Summer" "What If?" "Dancing on Eggshells") and A.J. Muhammad, a producer with TFTT. Funding for the 7th cycle of the New Works Lab was made possible by generous support from The Black Seed Fund.

Since its launch, over twenty playwrights have developed work in the New Works Lab including Kendra Augustin, Ngozi Anyanwu, France-Luce Benson, Kim Brockington, Tyrell Bennett, Christine Jean Chambers, Edgar Chisholm, Adrienne Dawes, Danielle Davenport, Khalil Kain, Jay Mazyck, Maia Matsushita, Liz Morgan, Shawn Nabors, Deneen Reynolds-Knott, T.R. Riggins, James Anthony Tyler, William Watkins, Shamar S. White, Mars Wolfe, and Antu Yacob.

Melda Beaty is an enthusiastic playwright of eight stage plays: "Front Porch Society," "Coconut Cake," "Thirty," "The Lawsons: A Civil Rights Love Story," "Feebleminded," "COVID Be Damned," "Gaslight Garden" and "Guess What's for Dinner?" Her plays have enjoyed national productions and/or recognition. Most recently, she received the 2022 International Black Theatre Festival's Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin Rolling World Premiere Award for her stage play, "Coconut Cake." The play will receive five professional productions between 2024-2025. She was also a 2021 Confluence Fellow with the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. In addition, Melda is the author of two books. When not writing, she serves on the Board of Directors for the August Wilson Society and as a contributing editor for Black Masks magazine. Melda resides in Chicago, Illinois with her three talented daughters and is an assistant professor of English at Olive-Harvey Community College. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her graduate degree from Illinois State University.

Rachel Herron is a Black, queer, multidisciplinary artist residing in Brooklyn. She is currently a company member of Colt Coeur Theater, where she was a 2022-2023 resident playwright. Her plays include "It's Only a High School Reunion" (Live and In Color 24 Hour Festival), "Red Red Wine" (Fire This Time Festival 13th annual Ten-Minute Play Program), and "Token" (O'Neill Center Semifinalist). Additionally, her playwriting portfolio has landed her as a finalist for the WP Theater Lab and a semi-finalist for the June Bingham Commission with Live and In Color. She's written several original pilots, of which she was named a CBS Writers Mentoring Program finalist (2019), a Mentorship Matters semifinalist (2021), and a two-time Disney Writing Program finalist (2022 and 2023). She is a mentee in the #startwith8 program for women of color trying to break into television writing. She wrote, directed, and starred in a short film called IDOL CHASER, which premiered in Fall 2024 at Katra Film Series and took home the Audience Choice Award. Her satirical writing is featured on McSweeney's Internet Tendency. She received a BFA in Drama from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

Marcus Scott is a dramatist and journalist. Full-length works: TUMBLEWEED (finalist: 2017 BAPF & 2017 Austin Playhouse Festival of New American Plays; semifinalist: 2022 O'Neill NPC, 2022 Blue Ink Playwriting Award & 2017 Princess Grace Award), SIBLING RIVALRIES (finalist: 2023 Normal Ave's NAPseries, 2021 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference & 2021 Judith Royer Excellence In Playwriting Award; semi-finalist: 2022 Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival, 2021 Blue Ink Playwriting Award & 2021 Princess Grace Award), THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD (finalist: 2023 Princess Grace Award, 2023 Blue Ink Playwriting Award; semifinalist: 2024 BAPF, 2024 Fault Line Theater's Irons in the Fire & 2024 O'Neill NPC), CHERRY BOMB (recipient: 2017 Drama League First Stage Artist-In-Residence). Heartbeat Opera commissioned Scott to adapt Beethoven's FIDELIO (Co-writer; Met Live Arts at the MET Museum, NY Times Critics' Pick). Scott is the recipient of the Chelsey/Bumbalo Playwriting Award (2024). He is a finalist for the 2024-2025 Dramatists Guild Foundation National Fellows Program, 2022 Many Voices Fellowship, 2021 NYSAF Founders' Award and is a 2021 Doric Wilson Independent Playwright Award semi-finalist. His articles appeared in Architectural Digest, Time Out New York, American Theatre Magazine, Playbill, Elle, Out, Essence, The Brooklyn Rail, among others. MFA: NYU Tisch.

The Fire This Time Festival was founded in 2009 by playwright and producer Kelley Girod to provide a platform for playwrights of African and African-American descent to write and produce evocative material for diverse audiences. Since the debut of the first 10-minute play program in 2010, presented in collaboration with FRIGID New York, The Fire This Time Festival has has produced and developed the work of more than 90 playwrights including Katori Hall, Dominique Morisseau, Radha Blank, Antoinette Nwandu, Jocelyn Bioh, korde arrington tuttle, Stacey Rose, Aziza Barnes, C.A. Johnson, Kevin R. Free, Charly Evon Simpson, Angelica Cheri, James Anthony Tyler, Jordan Cooper, Nathan Yungerberg, Nia A. Robinson, and Cris Eli Blak.

The Fire This Time's first anthology, "25 Plays from The Fire This Time Festival: A Decade of Recognition, Resistance, Rebirth, and Black Theater" edited by Kelley Girod was released by Bloomsbury Publishing in February 2022. www.firethistimefestival.com

FRIGID New York's mission is to provide both emerging and established artists the opportunity to create and produce original work of varied content, form, and style, and to amplify their diverse voices. We do this by presenting an array of monthly programming, mainstage productions, an artist residency, and eight annual theater festivals that create an environment of collaboration, resourcefulness, and innovation. Founded in 1998, the aim was and is to form a structure, allowing multiple artists to focus on creating and staging new work and providing affordable rental space to scores of independent artists. Now in our third decade we have produced a massive quantity of stimulating downtown theater. www.frigid.nyc

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Fall 2024 ScreenCraft Virtual Pitch Competition Semifinalists

by ScreenCraft on September 18, 2024

Listed below are the Semifinalists of the Fall 2024 ScreenCraft Virtual Pitch Competition. These exceptional pitches were selected from almost 800 submissions. Congratulations to the writers who have made it this far and thanks to all for submitting!

Stay tuned for the Finalist announcement on October 16th on our blog and on our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages! And if you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

Here are the Semifinalists:

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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REVIEW: A One-Act Jamboree At The Black Theatre Troupe Of Upstate New York

By Jess Hoffman

To close out their season, Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York is producing a collection of one-acts, playfully titled One Act Jamboree. The one common thread among these plays is that they showcase, in one way or another, the Black experience. Many of these plays are by emerging local playwrights, and BTTUNY has taken on a commendable challenge producing such an eclectic collection of works.

As with most one-act festivals, the show is a mixed bag. There is no shortage of talent among the cast, crew, and writers; but some of the pieces come together much more successfully than others. As a White person I may not be the most qualified to speak to “the Black experience,” but as a theater and literature expert I am all too familiar with the novice playwright’s desire to take on big ideas when they would have more success diving deeply into something smaller and more familiar that hints at other, larger things at play. Ten or Twenty minutes is not enough time to thoroughly interrogate race relations in modern America; it’s barely enough to thoroughly interrogate a single moment or person. It is therefore unsurprising that the most successful pieces in this show are those that endeavor to encapsulate a brief slice of life (such as one fateful night in a segregated hospital or an awkward encounter between a Black deliveryman and a concerned White man outside a luxury apartment building) or those that take a cheeky sketch-comedy approach to one aspect of life as a Black person (such as the absolutely stellar “Natural Hair Helpline”).

Before the lights even go down, this show starts out strong with some excellent pre-show music courtesy of sound designer Chad Reid. The funky, upbeat pre-show soundtrack seems to promise the audience that they are in for a good time. But when the show opens, it is with the off-putting “No God in the Streets” which is a slam-poetry-adjacent, interpretive-dance-like piece that tries to express too many broad ideas in too short a time–and does so in a way that neither introduces a thought that any member of the audience hasn’t already had nor manages to evoke any emotion that any member of the audience hasn’t already felt. This off-putting beginning is immediately followed by a more cohesive piece about an interracial couple going to their school’s first integrated prom. While this seems like an excellent moment that could shed light on larger issues, the Black teen character Keshawn spends most of that play waxing philosophical and bemoaning his station in life in a way that is unnatural, jejune, and annoying; ultimately this makes him hard to listen to, even when his ideas and feelings make perfect sense. 

From there, we jump into what is more of an extended monologue than a play. But as the exceptionally talented Jocelyn Khoury tells the story of her brother’s premature birth in a segregated hospital, she takes the audience on a journey that evokes heartbreak and sympathy, and successfully touches on how the ripple-effects of segregation are still felt today (without having to lecture the audience about it, as the two previous plays were all too eager to do).

1 / 8

Scene from the One-Act Jamboree produced by the Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York in the Lauren and Harold Iselin Studio at Capital Repertory Theatre.

The fourth and fifth plays in the line-up finally bring in the energy that the lively pre-show music seemed to promise. “Nice Day” tells a humorous story about a delivery man struggling to get inside an apartment building to deliver groceries. Thanks to cleverly subverted expectations, a great ending, and very funny prop work with a carrot, “Nice Day” is a stand-out piece in this collection. “Wookies in the Wilderness” follows with what is probably the most compelling story of any of the one-acts, but it ultimately falls into the trap of trying to do too much in too little time. In the course of a two-man, one-act play, “Wookies in the Wilderness” tries to fit in backstory for both of its characters; an examination of emotional toll that a hate crime can have on surviving family and friends; a cultural critique of the way People of Color are represented in Science Fiction; and the overarching plot of one friend discovering another friend’s plan to carry out a revenge murder, grapple with the discovery, and decide whether or not to take part. I would love to see playwright Marcus Scott adapt “Wookies in the Wilderness” into a full length play so that all of his excellent ideas and well-written dialogue may have the time and attention they deserve; but as a one-act it is rushed and shallow.

After intermission, One Act Jamboree continues with a play about two former convicts at a dive bar discussing their place in the world and the unjust circumstances that led to their current lot in life. This play starts off strong with excellent stage presence from all its actors and some entertaining sass from Dawn Harris as Stella. But as Harris struggles with her lines and the other two actors begin monologuing to the audience rather than engaging with one another (despite their excellent chemistry when they do engage with one another) the intensity is lost and the play begins to drag.

One Act Jamboree ends on a high note with Kyora Wallace’s “Natural Hair Helpline,” a fun and energetic play about an employee at a call-in helpline for natural hair and a woman with particularly difficult hair in the midst of a hair emergency. Thanks in part to its script, but also to a talented cast and expert direction by Jean-Remy Monnay, “Natural Hair Helpline” is the strongest piece in this collection. If anyone is on the fence about whether or not to see One Act Jamboree I must recommend they come see the show if only to experience this truly excellent one-act play.

This collection of short playsis far from perfect, but its stand-out moments are well worth the ups and downs in quality that any collection of one-acts is bound to suffer. I was impressed with many of the playwrights showcased, many of the actors involved, and especially with Sheilah London-Miller, who handled the costumes, hair, makeup, sets, and props for the entire production. Anyone interested in Black theater, in local rising talent, or in the art of the one act play is encouraged to see One Act Jamboree and experience all of its high points and its problems for themselves.

Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York presents One Act Jamboree, featuring plays by Yetunde Babalola, Cris Eli Blak, Kathryn Grant, Matthew Sheridan, Marcus Scott, and Kyora Wallace; directed by Jean-Remy Monnay, Hettie Barnhill, Tony Pallone, Aaron Moore, and Hasson Harris Wilcher; runs from June 1-11, 2023, at the Rep, 251 North Pearl Street

Albany, NY 12207. Produced by Jean-Remy Monnay. Cast: Shannell West as Fula, Theo Rabii as Aham and Jill, Gabriel Fabian as Keshawn and Smokey, Aaliyah Al-Fuhaid as Martha, Jocelyn Khoury as Rita and Toya, Gregory Theodore Marsh as Black Man and Latrell, Chad Reid as White Man, Susan Katz as Old Woman, Luis Lowery as Bishop, Alvin Kershaw as Clive, Dawn Harris as Stella, Wisdom Johnson as Manager, and Earth O. Phoenix as Gia. Production Stage Manager: Jacqui Anscombe-Waring. Assistant Stage Managers: Q’ubilah Sales and Alexandra Walters. Lighting design by Maya Pomazal-Flanders. Sound design by Chad Reid. Lightboard operator: Willie David Short V. Costumes, hair and makeup, set decorations, and props by Sheilah London-Miller.

Performance dates are Thursday-Sunday, June 6-16. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday curtains are at 7:30pm and Sundays are at 4:00 pm. Tickets are $22.50; senior, military, and veteran tickets are $17.50; student tickets are $12. Runs approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes with a 10-minute intermission. Contains discussions of racism, incarceration, and hate crimes, and a gunshot. Recommended for ages 13+. Tickets are available online at https://attherep.org/, by phone at 518-346-6204, or at the door for any performance. For more information, visit https://www.blacktheatretroupeupstateny.org/, email BTTUNY518@gmail.com, or call 518-833-2621.

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2024 INKubator New Play Festival Lineup Announced By Art House Productions

Six Playwrights Will Offer Readings Of Their Works Created In The Program

By Daniel Israel

PublishedApril 14, 2024 at 3:38 PM

JERSEY CITY, NJ- The lineup for the 2024 INKubator New Play Festival has been announced by Art House Productions, a nonprofit organization committed to the development and presentation of the performing and visual arts in Jersey City, presenting theater, performing and visual arts festivals, arts events, visual art exhibitions, and adult and youth art classes.

The festival will run from May 13 to 21, featuring playwrights Upasna Barath, Amanda Sage Comerford, Leo Layla Díaz, Neil Levi, Dave Osmundsen, and Marcus Scott. 

INKubator is a year-long generative process for a select group of six playwrights in residence at Art House Productions, during which playwrights meet on a monthly basis alongside program director Alex Tobey to share new work, receive feedback, and develop a first draft of a new play. 

The program culminates in the INKubator New Play Festival, where the playwrights work with professional directors and actors to hear the play read aloud for the first time. Casting will be announced at a later date, according to Art House.

“It’s incredible to think six years have flown by since our first INKubator cohort in 2018,” said Tobey. “Since then, INKubator has nurtured 38 playwrights, with their works seen in readings and productions nationwide. I’m excited to showcase New Jersey’s top playwrights once more, and unite artists and audiences to foster new play development in Jersey City.”

Audiences who attend the festival will have the opportunity to participate in conversations with the writers, directors, and actors following each performance. All readings are free to attend, but advanced registration is required.

On Monday, May 13 at 7 p.m., the festival will kick off with “Gore is for Girls,” by Leo Layla Díaz and directed by Hannah Marie Pederson.

Following that, on Tuesday, May 14 at 7 p.m., the festivities continue with “couple goals,” written and directed by Upasna Barath.

Up next, on Wednesday, May 15 at 7 p.m. is “We’d Rather Know If You Weren’t Coming Back,” by Dave Osmundsen and directed by Mack Brown.

The next week on Monday, May 20 at 7 p.m., the festival continues with “The Rip,” by Neil Levi and directed by Isabel Perry.

After that on Tuesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. is “Talk to Me, Ocey Snead,” by Amanda Sage Comerford and directed by Jessica Brater.

And last but not least on Wednesday, May 22 at 7 p.m. is “Bizarro World” by Marcus Scott and directed by Martavius Parrish.

According to Art House, the venue at 345 Marin Boulevard is ADA accessible, and to request ASL interpreters or captions, email info@arthouseproductions.org at least two weeks before the event.

For more information about the 2024 INKubator New Play Festival, go to arthouseproductions.org or email info@arthouseproductions.org.

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New lineup for INKubator brings everything from tech thrillers to drama

Updated: Apr. 10, 2024, 8:03 a.m. | Published: Apr. 10, 2024, 7:58 a.m.

By David Mosca | The Jersey Journal

Art House Productions 2024 lineup for the INKubator N­ew Play Festival includes Upasna Barath, Amanda Sage Comerford, Leo Layla Díaz, Neil Levi, Dave Osmundsen and Marcu­­­­s Scott. Audiences who attend the festival will have the opportunity to participate in conversations with the writers, directors, and actors following each performance.Courtesy of Art House Productions

Art House Productions has announced the lineup for their 2024 INKubator New Play Festival which will take place from May 13 to 21.

This year’s playwrights are Upasna Barath, Amanda Sage Comerford, Leo Layla Díaz, Neil Levi, Dave Osmundsen and Marcus Scott.

Audiences who attend the festival will have the opportunity to participate in conversations with the writers, directors, and actors following each performance.

INKubator is a year-long generative process for a select group of six playwrights in residence at Art House Productions. During the program, playwrights meet on a monthly basis with program director Alex Tobey to share new work, get feedback and develop a first draft of a new play.

The program culminates in the INKubator New Play Festival where the playwrights work with professional directors and actors to hear the play read aloud for the first time. Casting will be announced at a later date.

“It’s incredible to think six years have flown by since our first INKubator cohort in 2018,” said Tobey. “Since then, INKubator has nurtured 38 playwrights, with their works seen in readings and productions nationwide. I’m excited to showcase New Jersey’s top playwrights once more, and unite artists and audiences to foster new play development in Jersey City.”

The full schedule includes:

Monday, May 13, 7 p.m. “Gore is for Girls” by Leo Layla Díaz, directed by Hannah Marie Pederson. When Trinity finds a dead body in her backyard, she invites her friends over to resurrect the mystery man. As they celebrate summer, they must also try not to cause the zombie apocalypse in Jersey City.

Tuesday, May 14, 7 p.m., “Couple Goals” written and directed by Upasna Barath. Two actors; Ananya, a fresh-out-of-rehab TV actress, and Nathan, an award-winning performer; meet at a Malibu house for a romantic and creative getaway after exchanging flirty messages on Instagram. During their time together, they realize the complexities of their relationship are tied to their industry.

Wednesday, May 15, at 7 p.m. “We’d Rather Know If You Weren’t Coming Back” by Dave Osmundsen, directed by Mack Brown. When a young autistic woman becomes a tour guide for a local ghost tour company in a seaside town called Crichton-by-the-Sea, she and her fellow guides confront the literal and metaphorical ghosts that haunt them. As sinister secrets arise, they are forced to reexamine their individual and collective mythologies.

Monday, May 20, 7 p.m., “The Rip” by Neil Levi, directed by Isabel Perry. In a coastal town on the edge of a vast ocean, two teenage brothers defy their parents’ prohibition and head to the beach, where hostile locals and a menacing sea await them. When one brother returns home without the other, things begin to fall apart. The story looks into trying to find your way in the world when you don’t know where or who you are as well as the fine line between love and hate.

Tuesday, May 21, at 7 p.m. “Talk to Me, Ocey Snead” by Amanda Sage Comerford, directed by Jessica Brater. A bizarre yet true New Jersey tale of spectacle, scandal and betrayal, and a bathtub drowning that quickly becomes a murder mystery. Three sisters cloaked in black emerge as the prime suspects and local sleuths set out to discover what’s real and what lies behind the veils.

Wednesday, May 22, 7 p.m. “Bizarro World” by Marcus Scott, directed by Martavius Parrish. A group of diversity hires at a Big Tech company in Silicon Valley decide to strike out on their own by creating a one-of-kind simulated reality affinity space that comes complete with a truly revolutionary and singular artificial intelligence–powered virtual assistant. When a power grab commences and the players try getting ahold of the algorithm that will launch the group into the upper echelon of the tech world, they make a last-minute addition before launching. But when an unforeseen circumstance occurs, chaos breaks out.

All readings are free to attend, but advanced registration is required at arthouseproductions.org. Art House is located at 345 Marin Blvd., Jersey City.

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Art House Productions presents 2024 INKubator New Play Festival

originally published: 04/03/2024

(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Art House Productions presents the 2024 INKubator New Play Festival from May 13-21. This year's playwrights are Upasna Barath, Amanda Sage Comerford, Leo Layla Díaz, Neil Levi, Dave Osmundsen, and Marcus Scott. Audiences who attend the festival will have the opportunity to participate in conversations with the writers, directors, and actors following each performance. All readings are free to attend, but advanced registration is required.

INKubator is a year-long generative process for a select group of six playwrights in residence at Art House Productions. During the program, playwrights meet on a monthly basis alongside program director Alex Tobey to share new work, receive feedback, and develop a first draft of a new play. The program culminates in the INKubator New Play Festival, where the playwrights work with professional directors and actors to hear the play read aloud for the first time. Casting will be announced at a later date.

"It's incredible to think six years have flown by since our first INKubator cohort in 2018," remarks program director Alex Tobey. "Since then, INKubator has nurtured 38 playwrights, with their works seen in readings and productions nationwide. I’m excited to showcase New Jersey's top playwrights once more, and unite artists and audiences to foster new play development in Jersey City."

Performances of the 2024 INKubator New Play Festival take place at 345 Marin Boulevard in Jersey City, New Jersey. The venue is ADA accessible. To request ASL interpreters or captions, please email info@arthouseproductions.org at least 2 weeks before the event.

Art House Productions is generously supported by The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Public Funds from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund, The Princeton Area Community Foundation, SILVERMAN, Exchange Place Alliance, The Albanese Organization, Liberty Harbor, and The Hudson County Office of Cultural Affairs. A full list of funders can be found on their website.

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Monday, May 13 at 7:00pm - Gore is for Girls by Leo Layla Díaz, directed by Hannah Marie Pederson. You’re invited to Trinity’s Necromancy Party! She found a dead body in her backyard, and now she’s invited all her friends and others to resurrect the mystery man. Together they’ll celebrate the summer, play jump rope with the line between life and death, and try not to start the zombie apocalypse in Jersey City in this new play by Leo Layla Díaz.

Tuesday, May 14 at 7:00pm - couple goals, written and directed by Upasna Barath. After exchanging flirty messages on Instagram, two actors meet at a futuristic Malibu house for a romantic and creative getaway. As Ananya, a fresh-out-of-rehab TV actress, and Nathan, an award-winning performer, spend time in isolation with each other, reality unravels. In this drama with a surrealist twist, Ananya and Nathan realize the complexities of their relationship are inextricably tied to their industry.

Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00pm - We’d Rather Know If You Weren’t Coming Back by Dave Osmundsen, directed by Mack Brown. In a seaside town called Crichton-by-the-Sea, a young Autistic woman becomes a tour guide for a local ghost tour company. As she and her fellow guides confront the literal and metaphorical ghosts that haunt them, sinister secrets arise that force them to reexamine their individual and collective mythologies. A new play about the places and people we haunt, and the people and places we allow to haunt us.

Monday, May 20 at 7:00pm - The Rip by Neil Levi, directed by Isabel Perry. A coastal town on the edge of a vast ocean. Two teenage brothers defy their parents’ prohibition and head to the beach, where hostile locals and a menacing sea await them. When one brother returns home without the other, everything that’s held the family together threatens to fall apart. The Rip is about trying to find your way in the world when you don't know where or who you are, and the fine line between love and hate.

Tuesday, May 21 at 7:00pm - Talk to Me, Ocey Snead by Amanda Sage Comerford, directed by Jessica Brater. In this bizarre yet true New Jersey tale of spectacle, scandal and betrayal, a bathtub drowning quickly becomes a murder mystery. As three sisters cloaked in black emerge as the prime suspects, local sleuths set out to discover not only what’s real, but what lies behind the veils.

Wednesday, May 22 at 7:00pm - Bizarro World by Marcus Scott, directed by Martavius Parrish. A clique of young entrepreneurial computer programmers—all diversity hires at a Big Tech company in Silicon Valley—decide to strike out on their own by creating an innovative, one-of-kind simulated reality affinity space that comes complete with a truly revolutionary and singular artificial intelligence–powered virtual assistant. When a power grab commences and power players try getting ahold of the algorithm that will launch the group into the upper echelon of the tech world, they make a last-minute addition before launching. There’s just one thing they weren’t counting on and now all hell is about to break loose. Part office comedy, part sci-fi techno-thriller, Bizarro World explores machine learning, unlearning, the dualities of justice and injustice, equity and equality, visibility and representation, surveillance and over-policing in the digital age.

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

Art House Productions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to the development and presentation of the performing and visual arts in Jersey City, NJ. Art House Productions presents theater, performing and visual arts festivals, arts events, visual art exhibitions, and adult and youth art classes.

[writemarcus]

Art House Productions to Present 2024 INKubator New Play Festival

This year's playwrights are Upasna Barath, Amanda Sage Comerford, Leo Layla Díaz, Neil Levi, Dave Osmundsen, and Marcus Scott.

By: Chloe Rabinowitz

Apr. 02, 2024

Art House Productions has revealed the lineup for the 2024 INKubator New Play Festival from May 13-21. This year's playwrights are Upasna Barath, Amanda Sage Comerford, Leo Layla Díaz, Neil Levi, Dave Osmundsen, and Marcus Scott. Audiences who attend the festival will have the opportunity to participate in conversations with the writers, directors, and actors following each performance. All readings are free to attend, but advanced registration is required.

INKubator is a year-long generative process for a select group of six playwrights in residence at Art House Productions. During the program, playwrights meet on a monthly basis alongside program director Alex Tobey to share new work, receive feedback, and develop a first draft of a new play. The program culminates in the INKubator New Play Festival, where the playwrights work with professional directors and actors to hear the play read aloud for the first time. Casting will be announced at a later date.

"It's incredible to think six years have flown by since our first INKubator cohort in 2018," remarks program director Alex Tobey. "Since then, INKubator has nurtured 38 playwrights, with their works seen in readings and productions nationwide. I’m excited to showcase New Jersey's top playwrights once more, and unite artists and audiences to foster new play development in Jersey City."

The venue is ADA accessible. To request ASL interpreters or captions, please email info@arthouseproductions.org at least 2 weeks before the event.

For more information about the 2024 INKubator New Play Festival, please visit arthouseproductions.org.

FULL FESTIVAL SCHEDULE 

Monday, May 13 at 7:00pm

Gore is for Girls  by Leo Layla Díaz directed by Hannah Marie Pederson

You’re invited to Trinity’s Necromancy Party! She found a dead body in her backyard, and now she’s invited all her friends and others to resurrect the mystery man. Together they’ll celebrate the summer, play jump rope with the line between life and death, and try not to start the zombie apocalypse in Jersey City in this new play by Leo Layla Díaz.

Tuesday, May 14 at 7:00pm

couple goals written and directed by Upasna Barath

After exchanging flirty messages on Instagram, two actors meet at a futuristic Malibu house for a romantic and creative getaway. As Ananya, a fresh-out-of-rehab TV actress, and Nathan, an award-winning performer, spend time in isolation with each other, reality unravels. In this drama with a surrealist twist, Ananya and Nathan realize the complexities of their relationship are inextricably tied to their industry.

Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00pm

We’d Rather Know If You Weren’t Coming Back by Dave Osmundsen directed by Mack Brown

In a seaside town called Crichton-by-the-Sea, a young Autistic woman becomes a tour guide for a local ghost tour company. As she and her fellow guides confront the literal and metaphorical ghosts that haunt them, sinister secrets arise that force them to reexamine their individual and collective mythologies. A new play about the places and people we haunt, and the people and places we allow to haunt us.

Monday, May 20 at 7:00pm

The Rip by Neil Levi directed by Isabel Perry

A coastal town on the edge of a vast ocean. Two teenage brothers defy their parents’ prohibition and head to the beach, where hostile locals and a menacing sea await them. When one brother returns home without the other, everything that’s held the family together threatens to fall apart. The Rip is about trying to find your way in the world when you don't know where or who you are, and the fine line between love and hate.

Tuesday, May 21 at 7:00pm

Talk to Me, Ocey Snead by Amanda Sage Comerford directed by Jessica Brater

In this bizarre yet true New Jersey tale of spectacle, scandal and betrayal, a bathtub drowning quickly becomes a murder mystery. As three sisters cloaked in black emerge as the prime suspects, local sleuths set out to discover not only what’s real, but what lies behind the veils.

Wednesday, May 22 at 7:00pm

Bizarro World by Marcus Scott directed by Martavius Parrish

A clique of young entrepreneurial computer programmers—all diversity hires at a Big Tech company in Silicon Valley—decide to strike out on their own by creating an innovative, one-of-kind simulated reality affinity space that comes complete with a truly revolutionary and singular artificial intelligence–powered virtual assistant. When a power grab commences and power players try getting ahold of the algorithm that will launch the group into the upper echelon of the tech world, they make a last-minute addition before launching. There’s just one thing they weren’t counting on and now all hell is about to break loose. Part office comedy, part sci-fi techno-thriller, Bizarro World explores machine learning, unlearning, the dualities of justice and injustice, equity and equality, visibility and representation, surveillance and over-policing in the digital age.

[writemarcus]

The 24 Hour Plays Make NJ Debut at Mile Square Theatre

originally published: 03/27/2024

(HOBOKEN, NJ) -- On April 7, 2024, The 24 Hour Plays make their New Jersey debut at Hoboken's Mile Square Theatre. Established in 1995, The 24 Hour Plays are a non-profit theater company that bring creative communities together to write, rehearse and perform new plays and musicals in twenty-four hours. Showtime is 7:00pm.

“Mile Square Theatre and The 24 Hour Plays honor an abiding belief in the power of creative collaboration to develop transformative multicultural voices for the theater,” said Kevin R. Free, Artistic Director of Mile Square Theatre. “We’re thrilled to be a partner to The 24 Hour Plays for its New Jersey premiere and host to a delightful mix of talents from New Jersey and New York City to make the program really sing.”

“The relationships artists build during formative theatre experiences like The 24 Hour Plays last their entire careers,” said producer Leo Layla Diaz. “We seek the very best cross-section of multi-generational and multi-cultural theater artists �� and we arm them with what they need to hone their voices for this unique event."

Actors slated to participate include Gabriel Hernandez (Quarter Rican), Nirvaan Pal (School of Rock), Matt Lawler (“Station 11”, “Billions”), Kennedy Kanagawa (Into the Woods), Stephanie Kurtzuba (“The Irishman;” Wolf of Wall Street;” “Annie”), Joy Katharine Donze (Funny, Like an Abortion), DeAnna Supplee (B.R.O.K.E.N. code B.I.R.D switch.), Jason Yanto, Joelle Zazz, Maya Jeyam, Julia Way, Rich Frohman, David F. Gow (“The Girls on the Bus”), Jordan Ho, Grant Madison Stanton, Ross Cowan, Keivana Wallace (The Christmas Tree Farm) and Ian Lloyd Sanchez.

Writers include Susie Felber (Host/Producer "The Hawk"), DW Gregory (The Yellow Stocking Play, Radium Girls), Iraisa Ann Reilly (The Jersey Devil is a Papi Chulo), Pia Wilson (Black Bee), Marcus Scott (Sibling Rivalries), and Raakhee Mirchandani (JOURNEY TO THE STARS: KALPANA CHAWLA, ASTRONAUT). Directors include Julie Tucker, Rachel Dart (The Christmas Tree Farm) and Goldie Patrick (Paradise Blue). Musical Guests include Faye Chiao and Tasha Gordon-Solmon (Fountain of You). Additional artists to be announced.

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

Participating actors, writers, directors and production staff gather for the first time on the evening of Saturday, April 6th to introduce themselves and share prop and costume items they’ve been asked to bring. The writers will take inspiration from this meet and greet to write new plays overnight. In the morning, the actors and directors will receive the six new plays and team up with production staff to begin their rehearsal and tech process, with curtain at 7:00pm that night.

The 24 Hour Plays: Hoboken are produced by Leo Layla Diaz and Mark Armstrong in conjunction with Mile Square Theatre’s Artistic Director Kevin R. Free.  The event will honor the long-standing contributions of the Rostan Family to Mile Square Theatre with the dedication of the naming of the gallery space. Proceeds from The 24 Hour Plays: Hoboken will benefit Mile Square Theatre’s non-profit theatre making and educational programming.

Tickets start at $45 and are available for purchase online.

The 24 Hour Plays (est. 1995) bring together creative communities to produce plays and musicals written, rehearsed and performed in twenty-four hours. Through our radically present approach to theater, we make work that responds immediately to the world around us, builds communities and generates new artistic partnerships. Our events include The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway and The 24 Hour Musicals, as well as productions in Athens, Denver, Dublin, Finland, Florence, Germany, Little Rock, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco, Savannah and more. Beginning March 17 2020, The 24 Hour Plays Viral Monologues series generated over 600 new free-to-view theater pieces, featuring over 1000 artists, viewed millions of times worldwide and archived in the Library of Congress.

Mile Square Theatre, a non-profit company, has been producing original and gently used theater since 2003 in Hoboken New Jersey. Located at 1400 Clinton Street in Hoboken, New Jersey, Mile Square Theatre enriches and engages the region through the year-round production and presentation of professional theatre and innovative arts education.

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

[writemarcus]

THE 24 HOUR PLAYS Make Their New Jersey Premiere At Mile Square Theatre In April

The 24 Hour Plays are a non-profit theater company that bring creative communities together to write, rehearse and perform new plays and musicals in twenty-four hours.

By: A.A. Cristi

Mar. 27, 2024

On April 7th, The 24 Hour Plays make their New Jersey debut at Hoboken's Mile Square Theatre. Established in 1995, The 24 Hour Plays are a non-profit theater company that bring creative communities together to write, rehearse and perform new plays and musicals in twenty-four hours.

“Mile Square Theatre and The 24 Hour Plays honor an abiding belief in the power of creative collaboration to develop transformative multicultural voices for the theater,” said Kevin R. Free, Artistic Director of Mile Square Theatre. “We're thrilled to be a partner to The 24 Hour Plays for its New Jersey premiere and host to a delightful mix of talents from New Jersey and New York City to make the program really sing.” 

“The relationships artists build during formative theatre experiences like The 24 Hour Plays last their entire careers,” said producer Leo Layla Diaz. “We seek the very best cross-section of multi-generational and multi-cultural theater artists – and we arm them with what they need to hone their voices for this unique event."

Actors slated to participate include Gabriel Hernandez (Quarter Rican), Nirvaan Pal (School of Rock), Matt Lawler (“Station 11”, “Billions”), Kennedy Kanagawa (Into the Woods), Stephanie Kurtzuba (“The Irishman;” Wolf of Wall Street;” “Annie”), Joy Katharine Donze (Funny, Like an Abortion), DeAnna Supplee (B.R.O.K.E.N. code B.I.R.D switch.), Jason Yanto, Joelle Zazz, Maya Jeyam, Julia Way, Rich Frohman, David F. Gow (“The Girls on the Bus”), Jordan Ho, Grant Madison Stanton, Ross Cowan, Keivana Wallace (The Christmas Tree Farm) and Ian Lloyd Sanchez.

Writers include Susie Felber (Host/Producer "The Hawk"), DW Gregory (The Yellow Stocking Play, Radium Girls), Iraisa Ann Reilly (The Jersey Devil is a Papi Chulo), Pia Wilson (Black Bee), Marcus Scott (Sibling Rivalries), and Raakhee Mirchandani (JOURNEY TO THE STARS: KALPANA CHAWLA, ASTRONAUT). Directors include Julie Tucker, Rachel Dart (The Christmas Tree Farm) and Goldie Patrick (Paradise Blue). Musical Guests include Faye Chiao and Tasha Gordon-Solmon (Fountain of You). Additional artists to be announced.

Participating actors, writers, directors and production staff gather for the first time on the evening of Saturday, April 6th to introduce themselves and share prop and costume items they've been asked to bring. The writers will take inspiration from this meet and greet to write new plays overnight. In the morning, the actors and directors will receive the six new plays and team up with production staff to begin their rehearsal and tech process, with curtain at 7pm that night.

The 24 Hour Plays: Hoboken are produced by Leo Layla Diaz and Mark Armstrong in conjunction with Mile Square Theatre's Artistic Director Kevin R. Free.  The event will honor the long-standing contributions of the Rostan Family to Mile Square Theatre with the dedication of the naming of the gallery space. Proceeds from The 24 Hour Plays: Hoboken will benefit Mile Square Theatre's non-profit theatre making and educational programming.

About The 24 Hour Plays

The 24 Hour Plays (est. 1995) bring together creative communities to produce plays and musicals written, rehearsed and performed in twenty-four hours. Through our radically present approach to theater, we make work that responds immediately to the world around us, builds communities and generates new artistic partnerships. Our events include The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway and The 24 Hour Musicals, as well as productions in Athens, Denver, Dublin, Finland, Florence, Germany, Little Rock, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco, Savannah and more. Beginning March 17 2020, The 24 Hour Plays Viral Monologues series generated over 600 new free-to-view theater pieces, featuring over 1000 artists, viewed millions of times worldwide and archived in the Library of Congress. 

About Mile Square Theatre

Mile Square Theatre, a non-profit company, has been producing original and gently used theater since 2003 in Hoboken New Jersey. Located at 1400 Clinton Street in Hoboken, New Jersey, Mile Square Theatre enriches and engages the region through the year-round production and presentation of professional theatre and innovative arts education.

[writemarcus]

Artistic ways to mark Black History Month in Central Florida

By MATTHEW J. PALM | mpalm@orlandosentinel.com | Orlando Sentinel

PUBLISHED: February 8, 2024 at 5:00 a.m. | UPDATED: February 9, 2024 at 3:22 p.m.

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As the nation observes Black History Month, there are plenty of ways in Central Florida to mark the occasion artistically. The following plays, concerts and art exhibitions below shine a light on Black history, celebrate Black heritage or give voice to contemporary Black artists in writing, painting and musical composition.

The arts always provide food for thought; these offerings allow for reflection and celebration along with entertainment.

Theater

Playwrights’ Round Table, for the third year, presents its Black History Month Showcase. Six short plays by Black writers are included in the production, which runs Feb. 9-18 at Imagine Performing Arts Center in Oviedo Mall (tickets are $12-$20 at ImaginePerformingArtsCenter.org).

In Marcus Scott’s “Call and Response,” a young man is confronted after falsely sending emergency responders to someone as a joke, a practice called “swatting.” Michael Hagins contributed two works: the dark comedy “Man Bites Dog” and “First Date,” which is humorously described as “Making a connection can be hard, especially if your kids are assaulting Chuck E. Cheese.”Thao Tran and Chuck Roberson perform a scene from “Technical Support” by Amaris Gagnon, part of Playwrights’ Round Table’s Black History Month Showcase. (Courtesy Daniel Cooksley via Playwrights’ Round Table)

Amaris Gagnon also wrote two of the plays. “Mother of the Apocalypse” looks at a nurse at a fake abortion clinic, and “Technical Support” asks where lonely people come from.

Finally, in Krystle Dellihue’s “White Coat,” a young man on the cusp of achieving his dreams suddenly has to make a very difficult decision with his girlfriend. The cast of “A Raisin in the Sun” at Rollins College prepares for the production with a West African movement and traditions workshop from Julie Coleman.

(Courtesy Rollins College) Rollins College in Winter Park presents a classic title with “A Raisin in the Sun” taking the stage at the Annie Russell Theatre Feb. 16-24 ($20, rollins.edu/annie). Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 masterpiece follows a multigenerational Black family as it navigates prejudice. Felichia Chivaughn directs.

Turning to African heritage, the MAC Boys tackle “Ruined,” Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play set during civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where strong Mama Nadi owns a bar that draws characters from different sides of the conflict. The play will be performed at Orlando Family Stage, where the MAC Boys spotlight stories and works of and by people of color. It runs Feb. 22-25 with tickets ($20) at OrlandoFamilyStage.com.Julian Brown plays the djembe, an African drum, in Orlando Family Stage’s “Giraffes Can’t Dance.” (Courtesy Michael Cairns via Orlando Family Stage)

Also at Orlando Family Stage is the theater’s own production of “Giraffes Can’t Dance” for youngsters and their families. Based on the children’s book by Giles Andreae, the show is set on the African savannah and features a look at African musical heritage. Julian Brown plays the show’s djembe drummer; the djembe is a goblet-style drum originally from West Africa.

The show itself, adapted by Black playwright Gloria Bond Cunie, is a sweet look at feeling different and friendship as African animals prepare for a big dance. Director Ke’Lee Pernell leads the creative team for “Giraffes Can’t Dance,” which runs through Feb. 25. Get tickets ($15 and up) at OrlandoFamilyStage.com — and check out the theater’s ongoing salute to Black playwrights at Facebook.com/OrlandoFamilyStage.

Joy Allen, from left, Adourin Jamelle Owens, Jordan Sophia, Dayla Carroll and Julian Brown star in “Giraffes Can’t Dance” at Orlando Family Stage. (Courtesy Michael Cairns via Orlando Family Stage)

Music

The Sanford Jazz Ensemble salutes Black musicians in its Black History Month Concert at 3 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Ritz Theater in Sanford. Featured singer Ron Stark will perform Motown songs by Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, The Four Tops and The Temptations, while the band will play songs by Michael Jackson, Grover Washington, Earth Wind & Fire and Tower of Power. Tickets ($27.50) are available at ritztheatersanford.com.

The 89th Bach Festival will acknowledge a significant moment in Black artistic history when its orchestra performs Florence Price’s Symphony No. 1 in E minor as part of its “Sanctuary Road” program Feb. 17-18 (tickets $15 and up; bachfestivalflorida.org). When the Chicago Symphony Orchestra played the work in 1933, it was the first time a symphony composed by an African American woman was performed by a major American orchestra.Composer and musician Florence Price, photographed by G. Nelidoff in Chicago, Illinois. (Courtesy University of Arkansas Libraries)

As for “Sanctuary Road,” it highlights a grimmer era of Black history. That work by composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell sets the stories of enslaved Americans to music. It’s based on William Still’s 1872 book of slave narratives, “The Underground Railroad.”

Composer James Lee III was inspired by a more modern moment in Black history, the Rev. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech.” His “Shades of Unbroken Dreams,” written 60 years after King’s famed 1963 speech, is part of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra’s “Brahms Third Symphony” program Feb. 24-25.Composer James Lee III was inspired by Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech.” (Orlando Sentinel file photo)

“Shades of Unbroken Dreams,” co-commissioned by the Philharmonic, is making its Florida premiere in the Steinmetz Hall performance (tickets: $20 and up at drphillipscenter.org). Composer Lee even matched the cadence of King’s speech in parts of the music.

“For me, this ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and this concerto is really a vehicle through the arts that can really stimulate one to think about what is their role?” Lee told the BBC about the work. “How can they participate in helping to achieve this dream 60 years later?”

Timucua Arts Foundation will present “Timucua Amplifies Black Voices,” a weekend of music and spoken word, Feb. 16-18 at its venue, 2000 S. Summerlin Ave. in Orlando. Performers include Solomon Jaye, Britton Rene Collins, Brandon Martin, the Jarred Armstrong Trio and the DeAndre Lettsome Quartet.

Jaye is a vocalist and high-energy tap dancer, while Collins combines pantomime, poetry, gesture and improvisation in theatrical percussion performance. Martin will present a vocal recital, “Voices of Justice.”

Get more information on the individual performances and tickets at timucua.com/events/tag/black-history-month.

Art

Orlando City Hall’s Terrace Gallery will host a Black History Month art exhibition through March 31, featuring works by African Americans. From 10-11:30 a.m. Feb. 12 the public is invited to meet some of the artists. Regular gallery hours are 8 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, noon-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The gallery is on the first floor of city hall, 400 S. Orange Ave. and admission is free, 12-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.Purvis Young is among the artists on view at the Mennello Museum of American Art in Orlando. (Orlando Sentinel file photo courtesy of Skot Foreman)

And finally, the city’s Mennello Museum of American Art is currently exhibiting “Self-Taught Black Artists in the American South.” Thirteen artists are featured in the exhibition, which highlights examples from the Mennello’s permanent collection alongside works from a 2023 acquisition from the Polk Museum of Art. Artists represented in paintings and sculpture include Mary Proctor, Alyne Harris, Purvis Young, Jesse Aaron and Mose Toliver.

The Mennello Museum, at 900 E. Princeton St. in Orlando, is open 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, noon-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $5 or less. Get more information at mennellomuseum.org.

Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Find more entertainment news at OrlandoSentinel.com/entertainment

[writemarcus]

Dev Bondarin is directing a reading of my kitchen-sink dramedy TUMBLEWEED with the UP Theater Company (www.uptheater.org). The reading will take place on Sunday, January 21st at 3pm at Ft. Washington Collegiate Church located at 729 W. 181st St. (1 train to 181st).

Kirby Fields, artistic director of the UP Theatre Company recently spoke with the Manhattan News recently about their Dead of Winter series: ‘Fields says it is particularly gratifying to establish relationships with writers. Marcus Scott, who wrote the third play in the series, “Tumbleweed,” came to a staged reading last year. Then he sent Fields a number of his own plays.

“This guy is just bursting with ideas,” said Fields. “He’s pulling from philosophy, pop culture…he’s culling from all different racial dynamics on stage and putting them all together.” Directed by Dev Bondarin, the play revolves around a young Black woman with “hair like a tumbleweed” who tries to reconcile different standards of beauty.’

👩🏾‍🦱👩🏿‍🦱👩🏽‍🦱👩🏾‍🦱👩🏿‍🦱👩🏽‍🦱👩🏾‍🦱👩🏿‍🦱👩🏽‍🦱👩🏾‍🦱👩🏿‍🦱👩🏽‍🦱👩🏾‍🦱👩🏿‍🦱👩🏽‍🦱👩🏾‍🦱👩🏿‍🦱👩🏽‍🦱

Read the story: Manhattan Times

[writemarcus]

ART HOUSE PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES 2023-2024 INKUBATOR PLAYWRIGHTS COHORT

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Editor

Art House Productions is proud to announce the 2023-2024 cohort of its INKubator Program. INKubator is a year-long generative process for a select group of 6 playwrights in residence at Art House Productions. This year’s playwrights are Upasna Barath, Amanda Sage Comerford, Leo Layla Díaz, Neil Levi, Dave Osmundsen, and Marcus Scott. Playwrights will meet monthly alongside program director Alex Tobey to share new work, receive feedback, and develop a first draft of a new play. In the spring, each writer will team up with a director and actors to present a public reading as a part of Art House Productions’ INKubator New Play Festival scheduled for May 2024. Audiences who attend the festival will have the opportunity to participate in conversations with the writers, directors, and actors following each performance. INKubator playwrights will be the first cohort to meet full-time in Art House Productions’ new theater inside the Hendrix, at 345 Marin Boulevard between Bay Street and Morgan Street. In addition to official INKubator programming, playwrights will also have the ability to utilize the space for meetings, rehearsals, and readings. Submissions were evaluated through a process coordinated by INKubator Program Director, Alex Tobey, in partnership with INKubator alum playwrights Iraisa Ann Reilly and Micharne Cloughley, and Art House Productions’ Associate Executive Director, Anna Gundersen. The following finalists were also honored in this year’s submission process: Phillip Gregory Burke, Lauren D’Errico, Kevin T. Durfee, Joseph Gallo, Lizz Mangan, Kyle Mazer, Frank Murdocco, and M. D. Schaffer. Anna Gundersen, Associate Executive Director of Art House Productions, says, “This year’s INKubator cohort is an exciting group of talented playwrights who pitched unique and thoughtful plays to develop. INKubator is a program that began at Art House in 2018, and under the leadership of Alex Tobey, it continues to grow. We look forward to supporting these artists during their play development residency and in the future.”

[writemarcus]

Art House Productions Announces 2023-2024 INKubator Playwrights

originally published: 10/04/2023

(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Art House Productions has announced the 2023-2024 cohort of its INKubator Program. INKubator is a year-long generative process for a select group of 6 playwrights in residence at Art House Productions. This year's playwrights are Upasna Barath, Amanda Sage Comerford, Leo Layla Díaz, Neil Levi, Dave Osmundsen, and Marcus Scott.

Playwrights will meet monthly alongside program director Alex Tobey to share new work, receive feedback, and develop a first draft of a new play. In the spring, each writer will team up with a director and actors to present a public reading as a part of Art House Productions' INKubator New Play Festival scheduled for May 2024. Audiences who attend the festival will have the opportunity to participate in conversations with the writers, directors, and actors following each performance.

INKubator playwrights will be the first cohort to meet full-time in Art House Productions’ new theater inside the Hendrix, at 345 Marin Boulevard between Bay Street and Morgan Street. In addition to official INKubator programming, playwrights will also have the ability to utilize the space for meetings, rehearsals, and readings.

Submissions were evaluated through a process coordinated by INKubator Program Director, Alex Tobey, in partnership with INKubator alum playwrights Iraisa Ann Reilly and Micharne Cloughley, and Art House Productions’ Associate Executive Director, Anna Gundersen.

The following finalists were also honored in this year’s submission process: Phillip Gregory Burke, Lauren D'Errico, Kevin T. Durfee, Joseph Gallo, Lizz Mangan, Kyle Mazer, Frank Murdocco, and M. D. Schaffer.

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

Anna Gundersen, Associate Executive Director of Art House Productions, says, “This year’s INKubator cohort is an exciting group of talented playwrights who pitched unique and thoughtful plays to develop. INKubator is a program that began at Art House in 2018, and under the leadership of Alex Tobey, it continues to grow. We look forward to supporting these artists during their play development residency and in the future.”

Art House Productions is currently in rehearsal for the New Jersey premiere of Tracy Jones by INKubator alum Stephen Kaplan, which received early development during INKubator and was first presented at the 2019 INKubator New Play Festival. Tracy Jones is the first full production to be presented in Art House Productions’ new state-of-the-art theater and the first play developed in INKubator to receive a full production at Art House. Tracy Jones is a touching comedy that runs at Art House Productions from October 19 - November 5, 2023. Alex Tobey directs. Tickets are currently on sale at arthouseproductions.org.

2023-2024 INKubator Writers

Upasna Barath(she/they) is a queer South Asian writer, actress, and producer based in Brooklyn, New York, but originally from Naperville, Illinois. She began her writing career as an essayist, publishing work for Rookie Mag. In college, Upasna wrote her first play, "The Choice is Yours," which was runner-up for the 2019 Judith Barlow Prize. Her acting credits include Natalie in Lucy Kirkwood’s "Mosquitoes" (Steep Theatre) and Sarita in Sharyn Rothstein’s "Right to Be Forgotten" (West Virginia Public Theatre). She was awarded the 2020/21 Steppenwolf Theatre Literary Apprenticeship and Fellowship. Recently, she co-wrote, co-produced, and was a lead actress in her comedic coming-of-age short film "Little Sl*t," which is currently in post-production. She received a B.A. in Economics and a B.A. in Theatre from North Central College. She also has an MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises from Northwestern University.

Amanda Sage Comerford (she/her) is a New Jersey playwright who wrote her first play about an elderly woman’s rabid dog when she was seven. Since then, her plays have had productions and readings at Premiere Stages, Luna Stage, Chester Theatre Group, Chatham Players, The Actors Studio of Newburyport, The Red Room, and Under St. Mark’s Theatre. She has also participated in CODE Red: An Evening of Monologues with TSquared Production Co. and Voting Writes with Luna Stage. Amanda received her BFA in Dramatic Writing from Purchase College.

Leo Layla Díaz (they/them) is a Jersey playwright, dramaturg, and teaching artist, a recent graduate of The New School’s BFA Drama program, and completing their MA in arts management. Their recent plays include Orbiting Something at The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals 2023 (off-Broadway, NYC), Trophy Boys at The New School and The Tank (NYC), and Roleplay in 2023 at The Chain Theatre (NYC). Díaz’s writing has also been performed at Rebel Verses (Vineyard Theater, NYC), The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Monologues (NYC), Brave New Voices (Houston & Las Vegas), Louder Than a Bomb (NJ), Performance Anxiety Inc (WI), and Berg Originals (PA). They’ve been a Dramatists Guild member since 2022. Díaz’s work focuses on identity, myth, and legend, being mediocre at Spanish, queer people who never left their emo phase, and glitter.

Neil Levi’sfirst play, Kin, won the 2015 Patrick White Playwright’s Award in Australia and was presented in a staged reading at the Sydney Theater Company. He has since written plays on such topics as ultra-leftist political violence in the 1970s, doping in competitive swimming, the Jewish community in apartheid South Africa, and inherited family trauma. He received a BA in English and Philosophy from the University of Western Australia, an MA, MPhil, and PhD in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University. For many years he was a Professor of English at Drew University in Madison, NJ. Playwriting courses at ESPA Primary Stages and Pataphysics at the Flea. A long-time resident of Jersey City, he is thrilled and honored to be part of this year’s INKubator cohort.

Dave Osmundsen (He/Him/His) is an Autistic playwright and dramaturg whose work has been seen and developed at KCACTF Region 8, the Kennedy Center/NNPN MFA Playwrights Workshop, the Great Plains Theatre Conference, Purple Crayon Players, B Street Theatre, the William Inge Theatre Festival, the Midwest Dramatists Conference, Phoenix Theatre Company, Clamour Theatre Company, Premiere Stages, the Valdez Theatre Conference, and more. A two-time O’Neill semifinalist, he was a recipient of the Blank Theatre and Ucross Foundation’s inaugural Future of Playwriting Prize. His play Light Switch was the 2021 Distinguished Achievement recipient of the Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award, an Honorable Mention finalist for BAPF 2021, longlisted for the Theatre503 International Playwriting Award, and a finalist for the 2020 Carlo Annoni Playwriting Prize. Light Switch received its world premiere at Spectrum Theatre Ensemble in 2022. His play More of a Heart will receive its world premiere at BLUEBARN Theatre in March 2024. His plays have been published by The Dionysian, Canyon Voices, Exposition Review, Fresh Words: Contemporary One Act Plays Volume 5, and Broadway Play Publishing. MFA: Arizona State University.

Marcus Scott is a playwright, musical theatre writer & journalist. Full-length works: Tumbleweed (finalist: 2017 BAPF & the 2017 Festival of New American Plays at Austin Playhouse; semifinalist: 2022 O’Neill NPC, 2022 Blue Ink Playwriting Award & 2017 New Dramatists Princess Grace Award in Playwriting Fellowship), Sibling Rivalries (finalist: Normal Ave’s NAPseries, 2021 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference & 2021 ATHE-KCACTF Judith Royer Excellence In Playwriting Award; semifinalist: 2022 Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival, 2021 Blue Ink Playwriting Award & 2021 New Dramatists Princess Grace Award in Playwriting Fellowship; long-listed: 2020 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award), There Goes The Neighborhood (finalist: 2023 New Dramatists Princess Grace Award in Playwriting Fellowship, 2023 Blue Ink Playwriting Award, the 2019 Bushwick Starr Reading Series; semifinalist: 2023 BAPF) & Cherry Bomb (recipient: 2017 Drama League First Stage Artist-In-Residence, 2017 New York Theatre Barn's New Works Series; 2017 finalist for the Yale Institute for Music Theatre). Heartbeat Opera commissioned Scott to adapt Beethoven’s “Fidelio” (Co-writer; Met Live Arts at the MET Museum, Mondavi Center at UC Davis, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, The Broad Stage, Rutgers Presbyterian Church, Baruch Performing Arts Center; NYTimes Critics’ Pick! ★★★★). Scott is the recipient of the WTP Rosalind Ayres-Williams Memorial Scholarship (2022-2024). His one-act Sundown Town is published in Obsidian: Literature and Arts of the African Diaspora: Issue: 48.1.

His work has developed or presented at Concord Theatricals/Sam French OOB Short Play Festival, Queens Theatre (New American Voices series), The Fire This Time Festival, Zoetic Stage (Finstrom Festival Of New Work), Dixon Place, Feinstein's/54 Below, Abingdon Theatre Company, Downtown Urban Arts Festival, Classical Theatre of Harlem, Across A Crowded Room at Lincoln Center Performing Arts Library (NYPL), Musical Theater Factory's 4x15 Series, Space on Ryder Farm, Theatre West, New Circle Theatre Company, MicroTheater Miami, Columbia College Chicago, among others. Scott is a 2021 NYSAF Founders’ Award finalist, a 2021 Doric Wilson Independent Playwright Award semifinalist, a four-time National Black Theatre I AM SOUL Playwrights Residency finalist, and a four-time top finalist for The Civilians R&D Group. His articles appeared in Architectural Digest, Time Out New York, American Theatre Magazine, Playbill, Elle, Out, Essence, and The Brooklyn Rail, among others. BFA: State University College at Buffalo, MFA: NYU Tisch.

Art House Productions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to the development and presentation of the performing and visual arts in Jersey City, NJ. Art House Productions presents theater, performing and visual arts festivals, arts events, visual art exhibitions, and adult and youth art classes.

Art House Productions is generously supported by The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, SILVERMAN, The Princeton Foundation, The New Jersey Theatre Alliance, The Hudson County Office of Cultural Affairs, and the Alliance of Resident Theatres / New York.