Kumu Kahua Theatre Announces Collaboration with Writers of Color Across the Country

Kumu Kahua Theatre, Conch Shell Productions, and Braata Productions have formed an alliance designed to spotlight playwrights of color in America, responding to current events. This alliance will produce five unique performances online, utilizing short scenes and monologues written and performed by each theatres' artists.

In early June 2020, Coalition theatres gave writers 48 hours to respond to writing prompts with 5-minute monologues and/or 10-minute scenes. The prompts were these:

· Eye of the storm

· Breath/breathing

· Being human when enduring inhumane circumstances

· Microaggressions

· Disruption of norms

· Privileges of the past becoming pain of the present

Each theatre company solicited, collected, cast, and rehearsed script entries from their local artists. Each night will feature unique, live performances of these world premiere pieces, streamed to Conch Shell Production's YouTube channel and Facebook pages; recordings will be uploaded to each theatre's YouTube channels immediately following the live performance. The 30-40-minute performances will be followed by a moderated Q&A session with the artists (attendees are invited to submit questions via YouTube and Facebook).

Conch Shell Productions and Braata Productions both from Queens, NY showcase and support theatrical works by Caribbean-American artists; Kumu Kahua Theatre (Honolulu, HI) nurtures and produces work by playwrights of Polynesia.

Founder & Artistic Director of Conch Shell Productions, Magaly Colimon-Christopher outlines the goal of the initiative as restoring society's sense of humanity. 'My hope is that by bringing our audiences together to attend our productions and participate in post-performance discussions, we will encourage dialogue and unification of diverse communities, not solve racism or end grief for those lost, but continue a productive conversation in this space, and in this moment, that will lead to meaningful change.'

A complete set of the scenes and monologues presented throughout the series will be curated by Conch Shell Productions as an e-book collection that will be made available for sale after the conclusion of the series. This anthology will be sold via Amazon.

Conch Shell Productions is supported by a diverse community of loyal individual donors, HB Studio, Milton G. Bassin Performing Arts Center at York College, Theater Communications Group (TCG), The Caribbean Film Academy, Building For the Arts, and talented volunteers.

Braata Productions is a not-for-profit, Caribbean performing arts and education organization, dedicated to showcasing Caribbean culture, history, lifestyle, traditions and customs, through folk music, arts and theatre. The organization is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers.

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