Affirmation Theatre Company Celebrates Black History Month With The Return Of The Annual Pro Black One Acts Festival

Pro Black One Acts 2021 celebrates the rich culture that is Black history, featuring plays with dynamic Black protagonists on February 27-28, 2021.

Affirmation Theatre Company presents Pro Black One Acts 2021, an online theatre festival that explores Blackness within the African diaspora through 4 diverse plays by emerging Black playwrights. Pro Black One Acts 2021 features: #SuiteReality by TS Hawkins, P.A.B. by Kendra Augustin, Pocketbook by Cris Eli Blak, and Bodega Cat (Part 1 of "On The Block" Anthology) by Ura Yoana Sanchez.

#SuiteReality, by TS Hawkins, is an award-winning choreopoem experience that touches upon Women's Rights, Black Lives Matter, and #SayHerName; a campaign that highlights womyn who have been killed by the fragility of masculinity and police brutality. #SuiteReality is directed by Epiphany Samuels and features Seven Flowers, Anastasia Martin, Dasja Pennix, and Samantha Sp.

P.A.B., by Kendra Augustin, shares the story of a wannabe comedian, upset that her mother didn't laugh at her set, who locks herself behind closed doors-and confronts her mother about it-once they return home! P.A.B. is directed by Teddy Alexis Rodriguez and features Ariella Amar and Starnubia.

Pocketbook, by Chris Eli Blak, examines when an African American teenager commits a crime in defense of her mother, and a fresh-faced public defender is assigned to her case. When he visits the detention center to visit her, the two must find the common ground between them and learn that no matter what you did, no matter what you are, or where you come from, there is always a chance for redemption if you know you were doing the right thing. Pocketbook is directed by Saffron Quinn and features Anastasia Martin and Myles Denorris Rufaro Wright.

Bodega Cat (Part 1 of "On The Block" Anthology), by Ura Yoana Sanchez, centers around the unconventional Gina, a Black Puerto Rican pastor with a passion for social justice. Gina confronts a racist, gentrifying cafe owner dead set on mocking the community's culture, while privately facing the difficult realities of her crumbling marriage. Bodega Cat is the first installment of Sanchez' "On The Block" one-act play anthology series. Bodega Cat is directed by and features Sanchez, along with Jake Fallon and Tess Maxwell.

Pro Black One Acts 2021 will be live-streamed via Zoom, running all 4 plays for 3 performances. Scheduled dates include an evening performance on Saturday, February 27, 2021, at 8:00 p.m., and matinee and evening performances on Sunday, February 28, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

General suggested admission tickets are $5.00. In the spirit of accessibility and inclusivity, Pay-What-You-Want tickets are available for each performance. Our community is encouraged to give as little or as much as they'd like to support our artistry. And in the spirit of Pro Blackness, Black Folks Free tickets are available for each performance to anyone who identifies as Black. In the spirit of community, Bronx residents can access free Boogie Down tickets. To purchase tickets visit affirmationtheatre.eventbrite.com.

Affirmation Theatre Company was founded in the Summer of 2017 by then undergraduate students Epiphany Samuels and Danielle Covington at NYU Tisch School of the Arts after dealing with an extreme amount of racism on campus and within the theatre industry. As Black fems, they were inspired to create an artistic space of their own that celebrated diversity and inclusivity. Affirmation Theatre Company strives to provide a brave and inclusive community for artists to celebrate and affirm diversity by bringing empowering stories to viewers ready to embrace a change in the status quo. Under the artistic direction of Epiphany Samuels, Pro Blacks One Acts 2021 is produced by Samuels, Marcus Dargan, and Mickalia Forrester-Ewen. Funding has been made possible by the Puffin Foundation. This project is supported, in part, by public funds for the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the Bronx Council on the Arts.

For more information visit linktr.ee/affirmationtheatrecompany.