See Curt Columbus here.
Best Of: Ask A Playwright with Panelist Psalmayene 24
Playwrights Karen Zacarías, James Ijames, and Psalmayene 24 join our panel.
Before Hamlet could pose the iconic question of “To be or not to be,” the line began as merely a thought in the mind of a playwright.
While Shakespeare is long gone, theater – and thus playwriting – is very much alive.
Theater, in contrast to television or film, offers a unique chance for audiences to come together and experience a one-of-a-kind production. Playwrights, in collaboration with actors, directors, and stage crew work, are chiefly responsible for bringing that magic to life.
For this installment of our “Ask A” series, where we talk to interesting people about what they do and why it matters, we speak to a group of playwrights about the power of storytelling on stage.
Ameenah Kaplan Visits Sesame Street
Ameenah Kaplan visited Sesame Street, where she got to meet a fellow drummer !
THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH by Mark St. Germain Wins a Berkie
The seventh annual Berkshire Theatre Critics Association Awards, known as the Berkies took place this week, where a total of 27 awards in 22 categories were presented for shows that were produced between Oct. 1, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2023 at theaters in and around the Berkshires.
The Sally and Robert Sugarman Award for a world premiere of a new play or musical was presented to playwright Mark St. Germain for The Happiest Man on Earth, produced by Barrington Stage Company. Kenneth Tigar’s performance in St. Germain’s play as concentration camp survivor Eddie Jaku earned him the award for outstanding solo performance.
Winners were announced Monday, Nov. 13, in ceremonies at Zion Lutheran Church on First Street, hosted by BTCA president J. Peter Bergman and Macey Levin.
The Fled Collective PRESENTS Step Kids: A Developmental Workshop
NEW YORK CITY, October 3, 2023 — The Fled Collective will present its second developmental workshop of its 2023 Season this month. Step Kids is written by Tyrone L Robinson with additional music by Postell Pringle and directed by Raz Golden. Tickets are available for performances on October 26th, 27th and 28th at 7:00 PM at The Flea Theater. The performance on October 27 is Black Theater Night followed by a talk-back with the cast and creative team.
Tickets are $15 and will be available through Eventbrite.
ABOUT: Step Kids is a one act hip hop musical that tells the story of a group of college
students auditioning for the elite and competitive step dance team, The All Stars. Competition is tough and no mis-step goes unnoticed by “The Voice of God” (Erin Cherry). After much scrutiny and questioning, our heroine, Yessica (Kamiah Vickers) shares her love of Step. In her explanation, she goes into the history of Step Dancing in America and its African Roots, leading her to find her own voice.
The audience gets a beautifully recounted history lesson on the history of Step in America along with a High energy show full of music and dance. In an effort to bring step to communities across NYC, this past spring, The Fled Collective hosted a Step workshop at Kings Elementary School in Brownsville, NY, where scholars ages 5-10 were given firsthand the opportunity to learn the vocabulary of basic Step routines ahead of their graduating recital, Stepping Up! The goal of this workshop was to teach the students about the history of Step and the significant role it played throughout Black History and how it evolved into the artform it is today. Following a brief presentation of the history of Step (which you can view HERE), the students were taught some basic stepping phrases and ultimately the workshop will end with the students having learned a short routine.
Book, Music & Lyrics by Tyrone L. Robinson
Additional Music & Lyrics by Postell Pringle
Choreography by James Alonzo White