MAKE THEM HEAR YOU Writer Showcase Announced

Make Them Hear You is pleased to announce a one night only concert performance of three new musicals created by writers of color in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop. The performance is scheduled for Monday, October 28 at 7:30pm at Park Avenue UMC located at 106 East 86th Street, New York City.

The evening will feature FORA by Jae Broderick (Book, Music & Lyrics) and Matthew AC Cohen (Music), an official selection of the 2017 New York Musical Festival and most recently developed at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. FORA is the forgotten language of the island nation of Forafu and tells the story of a family torn apart by the island's Great Migration. Told through the eyes of 17-year old Gigi, the fate of a nation rests on the choice between unraveling the mysteries of the past or succumbing to the struggles of the present.

The concert will also showcase selections from "The Pact", book and lyrics by Tia DeShazor, music by Derrick Byars and "A Little Light", book, music, and lyrics by Derrick Byars.

The Pact

When a group of best friends finally keep their promise to meet up in New York City for a raucous reunion weekend - friendships are rekindled, loyalties are tested, and life-choices are questioned in this Musical Comedy that examines barriers to intimacy in interracial friendships. Shaylene (a stay-at-home mom with a PhD in Political Science) and Elise,( a Paralegal and single mother of twin girls), arrive at the Harlem home of their longtime friend Kori ( A well-known photographer, historian, author, influencer and professor at Parsons) and realize that their fourth friend, Beth (a Hedgefund manager and NYC socialite) has not been invited to the reunion. The Pact" is a funny look at how women (three black, one white), who come from the same neighborhood and same economic background grow up to relate to each other -or not- in today's America. Do geography, politics, race and economic realities affect sisterhood and do they still have enough in common to remain BFFs? These friends won't give up without a fight, but are all friendships worth fighting for?

A Little Light

We follow Jordan Harrison, a recent high school graduate, as he searches for love and acceptance in a rural, conservative town in the modern South. Jordan is struggling with his sexuality, depressive thoughts, and a verbally abusive father when he meets Michael Fleischman, a college sophomore back in to town to care for his ailing mother. They soon begin a romance, which will alter their lives in ways neither could have imagined. We watch Jordan navigate love, violence, institutional homophobia from the church, suicidality, and death. This story explores how our actions and words can deeply affect others, with a focus on the growing influence of social media. LGBTQ teens suffer from high rates of depression and suicide due to the pressure society often places on them to be something they are not. The message of this show is to be true to yourself no matter what other people think. Let your light shine. You can always find the light in life if you search for it.

Tickets on sale now at https://www.makethemhearyou.com.