The Movement Theatre Company partners with Harlem School of the Arts' to present WHAT TO SEND UP WHEN IT GOES DOWN

The Movement Theatre Company, a Harlem-based nonprofit committed to showcasing artists of color, is partnering with INTERFEST, a free three-day arts & ideas festival hosted by the Harlem School of the Arts, to present a staged reading of WHAT TO SEND UP WHEN IT GOES DOWN written by Aleshea Harris (2016 Relentless Award Winner), directed by Mary Hodges (48Hours in Harlem). The reading will take place on Saturday, September 23, 2017 at 7:15pm at the Harlem School of the Arts Theater (645 St. Nicholas Avenue).

What To Send Up When It Goes Down is a play-pageant-ritual-homegoing celebration meant to disrupt the pervasiveness of anti-blackness and acknowledge the resilience of black people. The piece uses language, song and movement as a means of reflecting in order to honor those lost to racialized violence. Any day is a good day to send something up, but a community may deem it especially necessary in the wake of a recent loss due to racial profiling. The play will be followed by a post-performance discussion inviting the community to engage with what liberation means to us.

The cast features Toccarra Cash (Napoli, Brooklyn), Cornelius Davidson (And She Would Stand Like This), Xavier Evans (The Royale), Sheria Irving (The Model American), Kayla Jackmon (Gen and Mabel), Pamela Monroe (The Night Of ), Beethovan Oden (Master Harold and the Boys), Justin Sams (When We Rise), and Jehan O. Young (Think Before You Holla).

Tickets are FREE and seating is limited. To attend, R.S.V.P. online at hsanyc.org or at interfestnyc.org.

The Movement Theatre Company creates an artistic social movement by developing and producing new works by artists of color. Under the leadership of David Mendizábal, Deadria Harrington, Eric Lockley, and Taylor Reynolds, our work engages a multicultural audience in a rich theatrical dialogue, enlightens communities to the important issues affecting our world, and empowers artists to celebrate the many sides of their unique voice. Founded in 2007, The Movement has established itself as an artistic staple in the Harlem community by partnering with many local businesses and creating a home for uptown artists. Past production successes include their breakout NYTimes lauded production of Bintou by Koffi Kwahulé, the recent workshop production of And She Would Stand Like This by Harrison David Rivers, choreographed by Kia LaBeija, and the touring production of Hope Speaks. Past programming successes included numerous Harlem Nights events, which have featured work by playwrights Dominique Morriseau (Pipeline, Detroit '67), Christina Anderson (Good Goods), and Colman Domingo (Fear the Walking Dead, Wild With Happy), as well as actors Danielle Brooks (Orange is The New Black, The Color Purple), Xosha Roquemore (The Mindy Project), and Joel Perez (Oedipus el Rey, Fun Home). Follow The Movement on Facebook at "The Movement Theatre Company" and on Twitter and Instagram @TMTCHarlem.

Inspired by author/documentarian and social activist, Toni Cade Bambara's vision that "the artist's job is to make the revolution irresistible", INTERFEST aims to disrupt the formal festival experience. Acting in response to the current challenges facing marginalized groups and their allies within the arts community and beyond, Interfest invites attendees to engage with each other despite differences in hopes of strengthening the resolve of communities while keeping things irresistibly fun.

The INTERFEST producing team includes Kristen Adele Calhoun (Producing Manager of The Billie Holiday Theatre and RestorationART), Chris Myers (2014 OBIE Winner, An Octoroon), Zakeya Monique (Bronx-bred marketer, theatre diversifier, community engagement producer), and Stephanie Rolland (Artistic Administrator for Baltimore Center Stage). Festival partners include: Jonathan McCrory of The National Black Theatre, The Brotherhood/Sister Sol, The Movement Theater Company, VisionPledge, Chef Stikxz, Janine Simone, and Shannon Matesky. Additional partners and performers will be announced in the weeks leading up to the event. For the most current lineup, visit interfestnyc.org.

Harlem School of the Arts enriches the lives of young people and their families through world-class training in and exposure to the arts across multiple disciplines in an environment that emphasizes rigorous training, stimulates creativity, builds self-confidence, and adds a dimension of beauty to their lives.

HSA achieves its Mission on-site at The Herb Alpert Center by offering high quality, affordable, arts training in dance, music, theatre, and visual art to ethnically and socio-economically diverse young people aged 2-18; by providing financial aid and merit scholarships to those who need it most; and by developing key partnerships with other cultural institutions, colleges/ universities, and conservatories to prepare our aspiring pre-professional students at the highest possible level.