Submissions Open for 2nd Annual Obsidian Theatre Festival

Ghostlight Productions and Nicely Theatre Group are partnering once again, for the 2nd Annual Obsidian Theatre Festival. After a successful inaugural year in the middle of a global pandemic, Obsidian is back and will include live and virtual offerings. "By now it's cliche to mention how difficult the past two years have been, but OTF has allowed us to create a platform for Black artists. This work has the power to normalize Black cultural experiences, while simultaneously celebrating the diversity of Blackness." says John Sloan III, Co-Executive Producer of the 2nd Annual Obsidian Theatre Festival. Submissions are now open and in partnership with Blackboard Plays via blackboardplays.submittable.com. Founded in 2008, by Obsidian Creative Producer, Garlia Cornelia Jones, Blackboard is devoted to Black Playwrights through the African Diaspora. Submissions close on Martin Luther King Day, Monday, January 17, 2022 at 11:59pm EST.

The submission process will be open to all Black playwrights around the country

The Submission Panel will be announced at a later date.

Obsidian is a hybrid theatre festival with virtual and in-person performing arts events, as well as ancillary offerings. During its inaugural year, Obsidian featured emerging Black artists, actors, directors, and playwrights from Detroit. Ancillary content from last year can be found on Youtube, Facebook and ObsidianFest.org. Ancillary content for 2022 will also be found there, free of charge. Registration will be required and necessary for our COVID compliance, Health and Safety protocols.

Last year, Obsidian Theatre Festival produced 45 individual segments including panels, interviews, behind the scenes videos, original music performances, and educational opportunities for students across the country. There were over 50,000 minutes of content viewed and over 10,000 views worldwide with viewership in 48 states and 28 countries, and all with absolutely nothing spent on advertising.

Like last year, viewers will be encouraged to support one of these three charitable organizations: Black Theatre United, Detroit Public Schools Foundation and Donate at www.obsidianfest.org/donate

For several months, the Obsidian Exec Team has been working on getting the festival to this point. Alongside Co-Executive Producer and Producing Artistic Director, John Sloan III (The Lion King, GhostLight Productions) are Associate Artistic Director, Alexis Sims (The Prince of Egypt); Managing Director, Joshua Cashman (Disney Theatrical, Steppenwolf); Creative Producer, Garlia Cornelia Jones (Blackboard Plays, Harlem9, The Public, PAAL), Production Manager, Yemisi Odetoyinbo; and Arts Education Manager, Sarae Daniels.

During the Fall of 2020, Founder and Producing Artistic Director, John Sloan III and Co-Executive Producer of the festival, David Carroll put out a call for new work. The response was incredible, over two hundred writers, composers, and lyricists submitted work. In the middle of Covid, the team at Ghostlight was able to rehearse, stage, and film six productions in person without a single member of the 100+ person staff getting sick. Obsidian, produced in the city of Detroit, by Detroiters, is a celebration of Black stories that will highlight the prolific work of emerging Black voices, focusing on the vast array of diverse experiences of those within the African diaspora in America. New this year, the festival will be live across several venues in Downtown Detroit.

"Our first season was so successful with viewership from across the world. But this festival is only as strong as the team producing it. And we have some of the best theatre and film professionals in the country working to uplift Black stories."

Visit www.obsidianfest.org for continued festival announcements and schedule updates.

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