WhileWeBreathe: A NIGHT OF CREATIVE PROTEST to Feature Lynn Whitfield, Patina Miller and More

Producers Brian Moreland (Blue) and Arvind Ethan David (Jagged Little Pill) have announced casting for #WhileWeBreathe: A Night of Creative Protest in benefit of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc and The Bail Project, Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity (BOLD), BYP100 Education Fund, Forced Trajectory Project (FTP), The Justice Committee, and SONG. Donations can be made at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ldf_wwb. The evening brings together writers, directors, performers, editors, composers, sound designers, and more from both stage and screen, and will feature world premiere short works, written and produced in response to this crux moment in American history.

The casts of the new works featured in A Night of Creative Protest will include Birgundi Baker ("The Chi," "Heathers"), NAACP Theater Award winner Vanessa Bell Calloway (Coming to America, Letters from Zora), Bryan Terrell Clark (Hamilton, "When They See Us"), Neil Brown Jr. ("Insecure," "SEAL Team"), Keith Eric Chappelle ("Billions," Cyrano), Kevin R. Free (Dave, Eighth Grade), Obie Award winner Alfie Fuller (BLKS, Is God Is), Gold Derby nominee Marcus Henderson (Get Out, "Tacoma FD"), Chris Herbie Holland (What's in a Name?, The Cancer Patient), NAACP and Obie Award winner Ty Jones (The Great Society, The Blacks: A Clown Show), Tony and Outer Critic's Circle Award winner Patina Miller (Pippin, "Madam Secretary"), Lori Elizabeth Parquet (Dispatches from (A)mended America, Rizing), Esau Pritchett ("Iron Fist," "Prodigal Son"), Obie and Outer Critic's Circle Award winner Michele Shay (Seven Guitars, Meetings), Hailey Stone (Matters of Chance, Nasir), Obie Award winner and Tony nominee Will Swenson (Jerry Springer: The Opera, Hair), TL Thompson (Is This A Room, Straight White Men), and NAACP Image and Primetime Emmy Award winner and Golden Globe nominee Lynn Whitfield ("Greenleaf," The Josephine Baker Story).

"The quality of this company, and the power of their work, speaks to the depth of talent in the BIPOC creative community and to a shared understanding of the importance of this moment. We can't wait to share what we've made with the world and to raise funds and attention for the cause," said Producers Moreland and David.

#WhileWeBreathe will premiere on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at 9PM EDT/ 6PM PDT on WhileWeBreathe.com, as well as YouTube Live. Following the premiere, all of the works will be available for viewing after the event has concluded.

The premiere will be followed by a live discussion at 10PM EDT / 7pm PDT, hosted by CBS' Emmy Award Winning journalist Michelle Miller.

#WhileWeBreathe, A Night of Creative Protest will include new works written by Lee Edward Colston II (The First Deep Breath, "For Life"), Arvind Ethan David ("Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency"), Cheryl L. Davis (The Bones of Giants, "Law & Order: SVU"), Nathan Alan Davis (Nat Turner in Jerusalem, "Sorry For Your Loss"), Steve Harper ("God Friended Me," "American Crime"), Azure D. Osborne-Lee (Mirrors, Glass), Liza Jessie Peterson (The Peculiar Patriot, Bamboozled), Bianca Sams (At Rivers End, "Charmed"), Keenan Scott II (Thoughts of a Colored Man, "A Luv Tale"), Aurin Squire (Fire Season, "Good Fight"), and Khari Wyatt (Stomping Down at Sugar's Love, "Africana!"). Directors will include Steve H. Broadnax III (The Hot Wing King, The Hip Hop Project), Carl Cofield (The Bacchae, Antigone), Bianca LaVerne Jones (Armed, FEAST), Patricia McGregor (Lights Out, Nat King Cole The Public's Hamlet), Pratibha Parmar (Nina's Heavenly Delights, Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth), Charles Randolph-Wright (Motown: The Musical on Broadway, TV: OWN's "Greenleaf"), Kirya Traber (Both My Grandfathers, Permitted), and Tamara Tunie ("Law & Order: SVU," Flight).