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New Black Works: Damone Williams’ WARD|FOSTER

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Welcome to New Black Works, a bi-monthly profile of emerging Black playwrights and their work.

This is a new venture here at Broadway Black that we think you’ll enjoy. It is our hope that we can introduce you to next-generation movers and shakers, whose work as playwrights documents the non-monolithic brilliance of the Black experience here in America and abroad.

First up is a young actor, writer, and filmmaker — a self-titled Griot — whose work highlights the lives and lived experiences of Black gay men in America.

Damone Williams is a California born and bred artist who is steadily making a name for himself in the film industry. But be not mistaken, the theatre is his home. In his piece WARD|FOSTER, we follow the story of two foster brothers who return home to the Oakland, California cul-de-sac they grew up on, after their foster mother dies. The young men find themselves knee-deep in messy tension, and end up forced to deal with vicious inner demons and suppressed taboo feelings, that the house brings to a head.

We introduce to you:
WARD.FOSTER-a-play-by-Damone-Williams

What are your goals with this particular piece?

With WARD|FOSTER I’ve set out to take a peek into the interior lives of a group of people as they deal with the ramifications ofdeath, and the revelation of something taboo that has taken root in their home. If I can usher in a rarely-had conversation with this piece, my work will be done.

For you — why storytelling through the medium of theatre?

Theatre is a spiritual experience — a meeting of The Creator and the people, if you will. Having the privilege of telling stories in this medium is a honor. I come from the world of film, and one thing I’ve realized is: I absolutely love (and hunger for) that immediate communing with a community of people. That’s not something that is usually offered in the realm of film. Theatre, for me, is King. The beginning. The original medium. Home.

Share your thoughts on the importance of the Black voice (or the voice moving ‘at the margin’) in the theatre.

As an artist who is Black and happens to identify as queer, the Black voice and/or the voice moving ‘at the margin,’ is of utter importance. As a people, Black queer folk’s voices have been disproportionately side-lined or ignored. One of my goals is to give voice back to members of my community, through my work in the arts.

What play do you wish you had written, and why?

Good question! August Wilson’s ‘Fences,’ I think. That piece resonates so deeply with me. August’s words are poetry. His characters are so familiar. I hear the voice of my people in his work. Yeah — if I could’ve written any play, it would’ve been ‘Fences.’

What’s next for you? What are you working on?

Outside of continuing to pursue my career as an actor, I’m actively writing. I have a short film in the can that I’ll hopefully be producing really soon. I’m also exploring a web series idea. On top of that I’m dabbling in a handful of other projects for stage and film. I have to have my hands in all kinds of different pots at once, I’ve learned. Focusing on just one project at a time drives me crazy! Lol.

Damone Williams

 Ways to stay in touch with the playwright:

Twitter: @DamoneWilliams_
 Facebook: Damone Williams
 Instagram: griotDAMONE
 Email: griotDAMONE@gmail.com
Website: About.me/DamoneWilliams

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Leads & Legends

Brian Stokes Mitchell Thanks Cherry Hill High School’s Ragtime Cast and Crew

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Early January 2017, New Jersey’s Cherry Hill High School came under fire for their decision to censor their production of Ragtime. In response to parents and civil rights groups raising concerns, the school decided to censor the musical’s original lyrics. The main target of censorship, the show’s use of the word “nigger,” or as the non-Black community appropriately labels it, the “n-word.”

This, amongst other ethnic slurs, sits at the very soul of Ragtime. The musical, based on E.L. Doctorow’s novel, begins by depicting a world defined by segregation between white, Eastern European immigrant, and Black communities. Repercussions of that deliberate racial divide, namely a white man calling a Black man a “nigger,” then disrupt this world, further spiralling things out of control.

This show’s conflict is rooted in the repugnance of this word and Cherry Hill High School wanted to censor it. Censoring Ragtime of its racism and racial commentary is like making The Book of Mormon church-friendly. Many agreed, including 1,200 students, community members, artists, and original Broadway cast member Brian Stokes Mitchell.

Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald in Ragtime.

Image: Catherine Ashmore

“Our country has an ugly history with race,” Mitchell said of the controversy. “To take the ugly language out of Ragtime is to sanitize it and that does it a great disservice.”

Despite threats to cancel the musical if they could not censor it, the New Jersey high school agreed to continue the production with the original book and lyrics, by Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens, and Stephen Flaherty.

Mitchell visited the school on March 3rd to mentor the students, prior to their March 10th opening, in conjunction with the Camden County East NAACP. They discussed topics ranging from the power of language to the show’s racial themes. Mitchell, while agreeing to participate in a talkback with the cast after a show, also performed “Make Them Hear You,” his big number from the musical.

To top it all off, he thanked the school with a video on Facebook.

We have to give our own thanks to Broadway’s finest. Brian Stokes Mitchell constantly uses his platform to educate and uplift young artists. His integrity and kindness precede him and his selflessness is consistent. This saga ends with a Tony winner’s gratitude and Cherry Hill taking a bow.

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Behind The Scenes

Behind The Curtain: Eclipsed Will Air The Historic Broadway Journey On Centric TV

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Eclipsed is returning and this time it’s on television. Well, kind of.

According to the press realease:

BET International releases a multi-part documentary series chronicling the ascent and realization of ‘Eclipsed’; a Broadway play all written, directed and acted by women of African descent.

  • Danai Gurira (Zimbabwe), playwright
  • Liesl Tommy, (South Africa), director
  • Lupita Nyong’o (Kenya), actress
  • Akosia Busia, (Ghana), actress
  • Zainab Jah (Sierra Leone), actress
  • Saycon Sengbloh, (Liberia), actress
  • Pascale Armand, (Haiti), actress

A winner of nine accolades including a Tony Award, the play tackles the survival stories of five women near the end of the second Liberian civil war. Written by actress, Danai Gurira who was inspired by a New York Times article about Black Diamond, a female freedom fighter and the female peace activists.

Broken into three episodes, each part delves into a central theme; Context, Cultivation, and Community. The series documents the fearless women using art to combat social injustice and give voice to the voiceless. With a strong production team including Stephen Byrd, Alia Jones Harvey and Michaela Angela Davis the documentary uses cinema-verite style to complement the rehearsal/show footage and ancillary interviews.

Ava L. Hall, executive producer and Vice President, Programming & Brand Advancement, BET International commented:

“It was really important to us to capture and to some extent immortalise the extraordinary stories of these women in Liberia and also the women who fought to bring it to fruition on the other side of the Atlantic, in New York on Broadway. This is a tale of how sisterhood, support and humanity travels globally to create a vision which breaks boundaries, sets new standards and while sobering, inspires a generation to find value and strength in their stories.”

This ground breaking play took its place firmly on Broadway and this documentary will take a place firmly in your heart and mind. Celebrating the intersection of Black and women’s history months airing on March 1, 2017 at 8pm EST on Centric

This is not one you’ll want to miss. You’ll even see a guest appearance from a photoshoot Broadway Black did before the Tony Awards. Live tweet with us tonight! @BroadwayBlack

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Twitter: @BroadwayBlack

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