"What To Expect"

BlackPlayBook seeks to re-vision "black play"as cultural production that counters gender, race and class- based oppression. As such, BlackPlayBook performs within a womanist/black feminist tradition on a "play-ground" of black performance, scholarship and activism. BlackPlayBook references a special issue of Theatre Journal v57, n4 (December 2005) that asks, "What is Black Play?"

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Thursday, December 8, 2011

BlackPlaywright - I Am Theatre

Theatre Communications Group - I Am Theatre

BlackPlay on Broadway: Black Play is BIG BUSINESS

Alicia Keys' Stick Fly & Rise of Blacks on Broadway - Black Enterprise

BlackPlayBook Production Notes: Crowns in Ft. Valley, GA - March 2012

On March 1-4, 2012, Regina Taylor's "Crowns" will be staged at the Austin Theatre in Ft. Valley, GA (@crownsfv). "Crowns," an adaptation of a coffee table book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marbury, documents and explores African American womens' tradition of wearing elaborate church hats.

This production is a collaborative effort between myself, as director of Fort Valley State University's (FVSU) Joseph Adkins Players (JAP) student drama group, actress and Ft. Valley native Karan Kendrick (The Hunger Games, CSI Criminal Intent; @karankendrick,) and Mrs. Betty Rivers, wife of Larry Rivers, FVSU's president (a professor, a performer and a presidents wife). In the words of President Rivers, "Crowns-FV" will be a "communiversity" event in which members of the Ft. Valley, GA community as well as FVSU's JAP students have been cast together to bring this piece to a Middle Georgia stage for the first time! Staging "Crowns" is truly a labor of love for all involved since Ms. Kendrick toured with a production of the play for two years, Mrs. Rivers community programming overlaps with the play's themes and my graduate research on the ring shout and performance ethnography structure the work.

Although this marks my first entry in this series, we have actually been in pre-production for this show since summer, 2011. Now is the time to share our process! Look forward to reading about the show's development, preview pics and the (funny) stories I have to share about producing this show. (I already have several). I must also admit to being excited to finally write in my own words for this blog. I am elated to be able to share my work in this way.

Tickets for the show go on sale soon! Stay tuned for more details. Follow us at @crownsfv.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Saturday, August 27, 2011

NewBlackMan: Emmett Till and Dr. King's Memorial

BlackPlay Talk:NewBlackMan: Emmett Till and Dr. King's Memorial: Emmett Till & Mamie Till Mobley
Emmett Till and Dr. King's Memorial by Eddie Glaude, Jr. HuffPost BlackVoices Emmett Till was murd...

NewBlackMan: Imani Perry on the Significance of the MLK Memoria...

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NewBlackMan: What Happened to Post-Blackness? Touré, Michael V...

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NewBlackMan: The Corporate King Memorial and The Burial of a Mo...

NewBlackMan: The Corporate King Memorial and The Burial of a Mo...: The Corporate King Memorial and The Burial of a Movement by Jared Ball Black Agenda Report Dr. King and the liberation movement he repr...

Monday, July 11, 2011

BlackPlay on Broadway: Alicia Keys, Reuben Cannon Bringing “Stick Fly” To Broadway; Kenny Leon Directing Shadow and Act | Cinema of the African Diaspora

Alicia Keys, Reuben Cannon Bringing “Stick Fly” To Broadway; Kenny Leon Directing Shadow and Act Cinema of the African Diaspora

BlackPlay on Broadway: Suzan-Lori Parks/Audra McDonald “Porgy & Bess” Revival Will Head To Broadway In January 2012 Shadow and Act | Cinema of the African Diaspora

Suzan-Lori Parks/Audra McDonald “Porgy & Bess” Revival Will Head To Broadway In January 2012 Shadow and Act Cinema of the African Diaspora

Watch Denzel Washington Tell A True Story About “The Nigga They Couldn’t Kill” Shadow and Act | Cinema of the African Diaspora

Watch Denzel Washington Tell A True Story About “The Nigga They Couldn’t Kill” Shadow and Act Cinema of the African Diaspora

Rutina Wesley Heads Off-Broadway To Co-Star In Play About White Man Who Pretends To Be Black Woman Shadow and Act | Cinema of the African Diaspora

Rutina Wesley Heads Off-Broadway To Co-Star In Play About White Man Who Pretends To Be Black Woman Shadow and Act Cinema of the African Diaspora

Waiting 4 Giovanni: Those Damned Trust Exercises

Waiting 4 Giovanni: Those Damned Trust Exercises: "We started rehearsal last week!!! This was a particularly interesting beginning for a (not-Broadway) production—the director (and my colla..."

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Check Me Out: I'm One of "Georgia's 50 Most Influential Women 2011"

In honor of Women's History Month 2011, I was chosen by the editors at the Georgia Informer as one of the 50 Most Influntial Women in Georgia.  I deeply appreciate the acknowledgement and encourgement. More importantly, as outlined at the 2011 Georgia Association of Black Elected Offficials Annual Leadership Conference (February 25-27, 2011), the women on this list represent a most valuable resource for community organizing which constitutes a first line of defense for many upcoming political battles.  Here's the introduction to the GA Informer article and you can check out the rest of the list after the jump:

The 50 women who, in the opinion of the staff of the Georgia Informer, are the most influential women in Georgia for the year 2011 are listed on these pages. This list resulted from informal polling across Georgia to receive nominations and a meeting of the staff at which the merits of the numerous nominees were discussed.

During the deliberations, the staff had these criteria in mind: Does the individual’s position command widespread influence among people of the state? Do the individual’s decision-making activities affect the lives, thinking, and actions of large segments of the state's population? Does the individual head an organization which greatly influences people statewide or whose members are traditionally influential in their communities? Is the individual significantly influential among those who hold positions in which their policies directly affect the lives of large numbers of people?

We believe all of these women meet these criteria; however we welcome your comments and any suggestions.

TO VIEW FULL ARTICLE ( CLICK HERE )