THE PRIDE PROJECT Miniseries to Showcase Poetry by KINKY BOOTS' Timothy Ware

Accidental Pictures is proud to introduce an online poetry miniseries entitled THE PRIDE PROJECT. They will release seven poems every Monday for seven consecutive weeks from May 16th- June 27th, 2016 on Facebook and YouTube. These poems, written by Timothy Ware (Broadway's KINKY BOOTS), are performed by 10 American actors of African, Latin, Asian, and European descent.

THE PRIDE PROJECT was inspired by the musical A TASTE OF CHOCOLATE, which follows a young Black man, named Coffee, who is thrust into the position of leading a peaceful movement to protest the killing of an unarmed black boy by police in Montgomery, AL. Being home to the Civil Rights Movement, the community is no stranger to the racial tensions they now face, but Coffee fears that if the secret of his sexuality comes out, the movement could fall apart. How does he reconcile his pride of being a black man, verses his shame of being gay? Somehow, he must find the pride in his shame.

Timothy asked the multiethnic cast of A TASTE OF CHOCOLATE to give him three stereotypes about who they are that bring them pride, and three stereotypes that bring them shame. Thus, THE PRIDE PROJECT was born.

In the miniseries, the 10 actors strip down and begin to spit riveting and sometimes satirical prose. With nothing to hide behind, they get to the raw truth -- that underneath all of the baggage that society, family, and even ourselves, have placed on us, we are all the same. We are all human.

Ware says, "Through this human experience, we hope to help others find the pride in their shame."

"We strip away fear
We strip away assumptions
We strip away apathy
We strip away hate
With action
With humor
With words
With love
We find the pride in our shame"

Featuring performances by:

Kyle Scatliffe (Color Purple)
Alex Chester (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Madison Square Garden)
Kelvin Moon Loh (The King and I)
Stevin Goldsmith (Jersey Boys)
Laiona Michelle (Amazing Grace)
Kimberly Marable (The Lion King)
Lacretta Nicole (Disaster)
Pamela Shadrow (Wicked)
Diana Sanchez (The Pineapple Diaries, web series)
Timothy Ware (Kinky Boots)

ABOUT THE POEMS:

That Big Black... (performed by African-American male): It is assumed that all black men have a big d#%k. This poem highlights how the "Black Johnson" has become the equivalent of leather and latex... a fetish. "I've slept with a black man before..." but have you had a relationship with one?

China Doll (performed by Asian-American male and female): Aren't all Asians from China? This poem explores the loss of identity in a society that only sees one race in a sea of diversity.

Mama (performed by Caucasian-American male): There is often tremendous shame about the black maid, yet they have the power to raise two families at once without neglect for either. They are Superheroes.

The T-Word (performed by 2 African-American females): When did it become politically correct to use "The T- Word"... Thug? Have we substituted "nigger" for a word that continues to cause just as much damage?

For Jasmine (performed by African-American and Caucasian- American females : Fat, lazy, and obese are only a few words used to describe full figured women. This poem removes that shame and celebrates the pride of her curves.

Literally (performed by Latin-American female): Americans often tell immigrants to literally like learn English. But shouldn't we like literally learn how to like speak it first?

I'm Lovin' It (performed by African-American male): How do you love the skin that you're in when society equates light with good, but dark with evil? This poem embraces "the dark side" and unapologetically celebrates blackness.