THE NEW BLACK FEST is A THEATER FESTIVAL.
THE NEW BLACK FEST
with guest curators Judy Tate and Godfrey Simmons
in association with
presents
THE AMERICAN SLAVERY PROJECT
In recognition of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War (now through 2015), The New Black Fest with Guest Curators Judy Tate and Godfrey Simmons, launch the American Slavery Project Series, a monthly reading series that celebrates the work of African American playwrights who boldly and refreshingly explore slavery and/or the Civil War. The purpose behind the American Slavery Project is to initiate new conversations around theater’s role in counteracting the increasing revisionism in our political/social discourse about the Civil War and slavery. More importantly, the American Slavery Project aims to promote a new generation of African-American voices who are telling the diverse and rich stories from an era that most adversely affected us. The series runs from mid-March through Juneteenth.
Schedule of Events
Monday, March 7, 2011 at 7 p.m.
Fast Blood by Judy Tate
It's 1845. Ham and Effie, an enslaved couple, stumble across the body of a hanging man who's miraculously still alive. It is their connection to this mysterious and seductive stranger that tests their faith, love and ultimately, their own notions of slavery.
Location: CAP 21 - 18 W. 18th Street, 6th Floor, NYC
Post Show Conversation: The Human Face of Slavery
Kick-Off Wine and Cheese Reception will follow.
Co-presented by CAP 21
Monday, April 4, 2011 at 7 p.m.
Sweet Maladies by Zakiyyah Alexander
It's been two years since slavery was abolished and three recently freed slavegirls, stuck in 'the big house', play the only game they know: history. But what happens when the game turns sticky sweet and deadly?
Location: Mark Morris Dance Center - 3 Lafayette Aveneue, Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Post Show Conversation: Tiny Rebellions
Monday, May 2, 2011 at 7 p.m.
Living in the Wind by Michael Bradford
Georgia. 1876. Isaiah, a former plantation stud, steps into Sarah's front yard after a twelve-year absence. Married as slaves and separated by their owner on the night of their marriage, Sarah and Isaiah attempt to salvage a relationship. However, difficulties arise as new lovers, past conquests, and the deadly reminder of slavery stand before them.
Location: The Drilling Company - 236 W. 78th Street, NYC
Post Show Conversation: Slavery's Impact on Male Sexual Identity
Co-presented by The Drilling Company
Monday, June 6, 2011 at 7 p.m.
Voices from Harpers Ferry by Dominic Taylor
In 1859, twenty-one men, including five free Black men, attacked the arsenal at Harpers Ferry along with the legendary John Brown. This exciting new play probes into the lives of the five Black men who fought alongside Brown, and more importantly, Osborne P. Anderson, the only Black man who survived to tell the tale of Harpers Ferry.
Location: Audubon Ballroom - 3940 Broadway, btw 165th & 166th Streets
Post Show Conversation: John Brown and Civil War Uprisings
Co-Presented by The Classical Theatre of Harlem
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 7 p.m.
Safe House by Keith Josef Adkins
1843. Kentucky. Addison Pedigrew is a free man of color who has big dreams of opening a shoe business. His family also secretly helps fugitives flee to Liberia. When a young woman knocks on his door seeking refuge, Addison's loyalty to race and family finally clashes with his unrelenting desire for success.
Location: Audubon Ballroom - 3940 Broadway, btw 165th & 166th Streets
Post Show Conversation: Free People of Color and the Trek to Liberia
Co-Presented by The Classical Theatre of Harlem Future Classics Reading Series
Please check back for updates.
THE NEW BLACK FEST is URGENT.The New Black Fest is a movement. It’s a call to action inspired by the state of Black theater in the 21st century. It is a bold step motivated by a growing need within the Black theater community for serious change and boundless opportunity.
THE NEW BLACK FEST is A COMMUNITY.The New Black Fest is a gathering of artists, thinkers, activists and audiences who are dedicated to stretching, interrogating and uplifting the Black aesthetic.
THE NEW BLACK FEST is VISIONARY.The New Black Fest is a commitment to celebrate, advocate and showcase diverse and provocative work in a festival of Black theater artists from throughout the Diaspora. It is a convening of visionaries who are determined to reintroduce the way black theater is perceived, who are ready to chart out resolutions and promote action through panel discussions, workshops, and putting both artists and community members on the hot seat.
THE NEW BLACK FEST is FOR EVERYONE.The New Black Fest is for everyone and anyone who supports elevating and celebrating Black theater around the world, in a fresh way.
THE NEW BLACK IS NOW.WE ARE THE NEW BLACK.
We fulfill our mission by:
- Presenting live dance, music and theater events in venues throughout Brooklyn;
- Maintaining a robust educational program that provides unique opportunities for youth in public schools to engage with professional artists from around the globe;
- Investing in artists by providing financial and other resources needed to advance their careers and to develop new work;
- Supporting exchange between U.S.-based and African artists in both the United States and Africa;
- Leveraging years of experience and leadership to advocate for artists, to develop projects that impact the field of performing arts, and to provide expertise about the artists and art forms of the African Diaspora;
- Linking communities, artists and audiences as close as our Brooklyn neighborhoods, as varied as our metropolitan area, and as integral as our African Homelands.
We abide by the following principles when undertaking our work:
- A healthy society requires diverse, continuously generative creativity. To ensure the vibrancy and continuity of artistic creation requires a commitment to both artist development and audience engagement.
- Art and art appreciation must be fostered and nurtured in each generation: Having a community which values our art and culture in the future requires education of young people today.
- Being a culturally specific organization provides a distinct platform on which the multiplicity of perspectives, aesthetics and disciplines being practiced throughout the vastly diverse African Diaspora can be acknowledged and celebrated.
- Because of our unique history, Americans and especially Black Americans value connections to the heritage and culture of Africa. Channels for communication, collaboration and information between the United States and Africa need to be expanded and fortified.