Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre Announces Launch Of THE GLORIA BOND CLUNIE PLAYWRIGHT'S FESTIVAL

Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre has announced the launch of The Gloria Bond Clunie Playwright's Festival, a new play development initiative supporting writers and offering the public an opportunity to view new plays.

This festival will take place over two weekends (May 24-26th and May 31-June 2nd) at the FJT's home, the Noyes Cultural Center in Evanston. The first weekend will be for the playwrights to connect with each other, experiment while in workshops and seminars, and spend uninterrupted time developing their play. The second weekend will offer rehearsal time with a director and actors, with public staged readings of plays by Jessica Posey, Michael Jones, and Nehanda Julot. Directors are Melissa Golden, Jamal Howard, and Aurelia Clunie. Eileen Tull is Festival Producer and Aurelia Clunie is co-Producer.

The festival honors the incredible career and legacy of Gloria Bond Clunie, founder of Fleetwood-Jourdain. She is also a founding member of the Playwriting Ensemble at Victory Gardens Theater where she premiered her plays NORTH STAR, SHOES, and LIVING GREEN. Her work as a theater and educator has been recognized by the NAACP, the Joseph Jefferson Awards, Chicago Black Theatre Alliance Awards, and Evanston Mayor's Award for the Arts, among many others.

THE GLORIA BOND CLUNIE PLAYWRIGHT'S FESTIVAL 2024

Saturday, June 1 at 4 pm & 7:30 pm, Sunday, June 2 at 3 pm
Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center
927 Noyes St., Evanston
Tickets Saturday $15.00, Sunday $10.00. Tickets are sale now at www.fjtheatre.com
Phone 847-866-5914

Public staged readings of three new plays by Chicago-based African American Playwrights: Jessica Posey, Michael Jones, and Nehanda Loiseau Julot; directed by Melissa Golden, Jamal Howard, and Aurelia Clunie.

SCHEDULE OF PLAYS

Saturday June 1

4:00pm - BORING BLACK PLAY by Jessica Posey, directed by Melissa Golden

Jade, a young Black writer, struggles to write a story that feels true to her. White voices “offer” criticism in Jade's head and cause her further stress as she feels pressured to appeal to them. As she gets caught up in appealing to others instead of following her, she grapples with the relationships in her real life, too.

7:30pm - INHERITANCE -OR- BROTHERS FROM THE DEEP by Michael Jones, directed by Jamal Howard

Two brothers go on a fishing trip at night to speak of their childhood and tumultuous relationship with their father. 
 
Sunday, June 2

3:00pm - 3 SISTERS FORCED TO FACE THE SKY by Nehanda Julot, directed by Aurelia Clunie

Three sisters are abandoned yet again. This time it's Haiti. Three years after the earthquake. From politics to org*sms, personalities clash between those who left Haiti and those decided to stay behind. In one night, these sisters discover that while the rest of the world may have forgotten, they are forced to remember.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Jessica Posey (Playwright, BORING BLACK PLAY). (she/her) is a Chicago based playwright and actress. Her plays include: THE CAMERONS, BORING BLACK PLAY, M IS FOR MEDUSA (Commissioned by Definition Theatre), and HOW TO BE BLACK IN AMERICA. She is passionate about accessible theatre and challenges the notion that theatre should only be for white, rich people. She writes plays for social change that center Black women.
Jessica Posey is a Chicago based playwright and actress. Her plays include: THE CAMERONS, BORING BLACK PLAY, M IS FOR MEDUSA, and How to Be Black in America. She is passionate about accessible theatre and challenges the notion that theatre should only be for white, rich people. She writes plays for social change that center Black women.

Michael Jones (Playwright, INHERITANCE-OR- BROTHERS FROM THE DEEP) originally from New Orleans, graduated from Roosevelt University in 2017.  He performed in Factory After Dark in December of 2017 and in 2018 he became an ensemble member. Seen on The Factory stage in previous shows, OH S#!T IT'S HAUNTED, LAST NIGHT IN KARAOKE TOWN, and WISE GUYS: THE FIRST CHRISTMAS STORY and other Chicago Productions such as PASSING STRANGE at Theo Ubique. Mike recently wrote PARTY AT THE PANTHEON: A GREEK STONER COMEDY for The Factory Theater.

Nehanda Loiseau Julot (Playwright, 3 SISTERS FORCED TO FACE THE SKY) is a financial planner by day and theatre artist always. Her theatre work has taken many turns: performing, playwriting and producing. Her essays on Caribbean theatre, art and activism in border conflict and theatre education have been published in the AFRO-HISPANIC REVIEW, THE BORDER OF LIGHTS READER and BRILL (Caribbean Series). An excerpt from her first book of poetry, HAITI, HIM AND ME, had a two-week spoken word performance at Battersea Arts Centre in London. Her plays have been performed at Soho Theatre and Old Red Lion Theatre, also in London. Nehanda is founder of Wealth I Am (wealthiam.net), where she teaches financial empowerment through storytelling.

Melissa Golden (Director, BORING BLACK PLAY).  is a Chicago native who has been working in the city for the better part of a decade. Her most recent productions have been working as an Assistant Director for The Factory Theater on new works H.O.A. by Angelina Martinez, and most recently, PARTY AT THE PANTHEON, by Michael Jones. She is excited to return to directing with Fleetwood-Jourdain for the Gloria Bond Clunie New Playwrights Festival

Jamal Howard (Director, INHERITANCE-OR- BROTHERS FROM THE DEEP) is a Chicago-based director, choreographer, and producer. He is the 2023/24 Goodman Theatre Michael Maggio Directing Fellow, Co-Artistic Director of New American Folk Theatre, and an Associate Company Member with TUTA Theatre. Select credits include HIGHWAY PATROL, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, ANTONIO'S SONG, and IN MY GRANNY'S GARDEN (Goodman Theatre); THE GREAT KHAN (Redtwist Theatre); TICK, TICK… BOOM! (Boho Theatre); R.E.S.P.E.C.T. (Right Angle Entertainment/National Tour); 8-TRACK: THE SOUNDS OF THE 70S, SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre); THE APPLE TREE (Porchlight Music Theatre); A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER (Breckenridge Backstage Theater);  THINK FAST, JORDAN CHASE (Filament Theatre); THE WIZ, THE MOLE HILL STORIES (Children's Theatre Madison). Jamal served as the Associate Artistic Director of Emerald City Theatre and has worked with First Floor Theater, Hell in a Handbag Productions, After School Matters, The Den Theatre, Mudlark Theater, Artemisia Theatre, and CircEsteem.

Aurelia Clunie (Director, 3 SISTERS FORCED TO FACE THE SKY. co-producer of Festival) Aurelia Clunie's (she/her) first memory of theatre was tech of FENCES at Fleetwood-Jourdain. A graduate of Northwestern University, Aurelia has over 15 years of experience in new play development as an actor, director, and dramaturg. She served as Education Associate For Student Audiences at Hartford Stage, where she produced six cycles of the Write On Young Playwrights' Competition bringing together youth and professional playwrights to develop new work. New play and devised directing credits include I CHOOSE YOU, BABY (InVersion Theatre at The Tank), GOOD MEETING (Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater Writer's Voice 10 Minute Play Festival), ELDER PLAY PROJECT and THE AMERICAN UNICORN (Long Wharf Theatre), THE POPPY (The Theatre School at DePaul), BLACK SANTA (reading, Green Line Performing Arts Center).

Tim Rhoze (Artistic Director). Tim Rhoze has been the Producing Artistic Director of Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre since 2010. His directing credits include: THIS BITTER EARTH, THE BALDWIN  GIOVANNI EXPERIENCE, THE LIGHT, AMERICAN SON, HOME, TWILIGHT: LOS ANGELES 1992, THE MEETING, FIRES IN THE MIRROR, BLACK BALLERINA (co-writer), NUTCRACKER(ISH), CROWNS, HAVING OUR SAY, FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA, FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF, WOZA ALBERT!, GOING TO ST. IVES, SINGLE BLACK FEMALE, A SONG FOR CORETTA, YELLOWMAN, SWEET, LADY DAY AT EMERSON BAR & GRILL, BEAR COUNTRY, NOBODY, FENCES, PIANO LESSON, AIN'T MISBEHAVIN, K2, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, et. al. Tim is also the writer/director of WHY NOT ME? A SAMMY DAVIS JR. STORY, and MAYA'S LAST POEM, both produced at FJT; and BLACK BALLERINA, produced at FJT and Pittsburgh Public Theatre. He was co-writer and director of A HOME ON THE LAKE, co-produced with the Piven Theatre Workshop.

ABOUT FLEETWOOD-JOURDAIN THEATRE

Founded in 1979, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre is a professional, award-winning theatre company that has been thrilling audiences with over four decades of unique, inspirational, and invigorating African American and African Diaspora-centered storytelling. The company has been honored in the Black Theatre Alliance/Ira Aldridge Awards. From original plays to the best of Broadway, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre has remained committed to supplying the very best in theatre.

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