Vanguard Theater Company and Montclair Film And Level Forward Present A Conversation With Jeremy O. Harris

Vanguard Theater Company will partner with Montclair Film to present a conversation with acclaimed playwright Jeremy O. Harris, author of the Broadway sensation SLAVE PLAY, as he discusses the art of writing, the power of representation, and the works that have made him one of the theatre's most electrifying voices.

This program is presented as part of the Level Forward >> Screen Forward initiative, a new film release network designed to build stronger, direct, and socially-purposeful relationships between independent filmmakers and diverse communities. Tickets are for sale on the Montclair Film website, montclairfilm.org

Janeece Freeman Clark, Artistic Director, VANGUARD THEATER COMPANY, will moderate the discussion.

Copies of the SLAVE PLAY script will be available for purchase and signature at this event.

Jessica Sporn (Managing Director of Vanguard Theater Company), Joaquina Kalukango (Kaneisha in "Slave Play") and Janeece Freeman Clark (Artistic Director of Vanguard Theater Company, backstage at "Slave Play."

ABOUT JEREMY O. HARRIS

JEREMY O. HARRIS is a writer and performer living in New York City. His plays include Slave Play (Broadway, NYTW), "Daddy" (Vineyard/The New Group), Xander Xyst, Dragon: 1 and WATER SPORTS; or insignificant white boys (published by 53rd State Press). His work has been presented or developed by Pieterspace, JACK, Ars Nova, The New Group, NYTW, Performance Space New York and Playwrights Horizons. In 2018, Jeremy co-wrote A24's upcoming film Zola with director Janicza Bravo. In television, he is developing a pilot with HBO and consulted on their new series "Euphoria." He is the 11th recipient of the Vineyard Theatre's Paula Vogel Playwright Award, a 2016 MacDowell Colony Fellow, an Orchard Project Greenhouse artist and under commission from Lincoln Center Theater and Playwrights Horizons. Jeremy is a graduate of the Yale MFA Playwright Program. Upcoming: A Boy's Company Presents: "Tell Me If I'm Hurting You" (Playwrights Horizons), "Daddy" (Almeida).

ABOUT JANEECE FREEMAN CLARK

Janeece Freeman Clark is a Producer, Director, and Artist Educator. She is in residence at New Jersey Performing Arts Center where she's a leader in the Musical Theater Department. There, she has produced and directed pieces with writers such as: Mary Pope and Will Osborne (Magic Treehouse), and Murray Horwitz (Ain't Misbehavin'), and music directors Seth Rudetsky, Allen Toussaint, and Ray Chew (American Idol).

As an artist in residence at NJPAC, and previously at Seton Hall University and Papermill Playhouse, it brings Janeece great joy to see graduates from many of her programs experiencing bustling careers in the industry. However, after many years of preparing a diverse body of performers for the musical theater industry, she felt there was a missing piece - SERVICE. In 2015, Janeece co-founded Vanguard Theater Company (VTC) to help assist artists on their journey of developing their talents as not only performers, but also Artist Citizens. Vanguard uses theater to break down walls and stereotypes, all the while empowering artists to use their art for activism.

In addition to directing Vanguard Theater's NY productions of Runaways, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Children's Letters to God, A Little Princess, Spring Awakening and VTC's NJ Mainstage productions of Memphis, Hairspray, Heathers, Carrie, Music Man and more, Janeece directed the National Tour of Showtime with Shakespeare produced by George Street Playhouse and NJPAC; the world premiere of the award winning Off-Broadway play Everything Is Fine Until It's Not; The regional tour of A Night In New Orleans (the story of a young Louis Armstrong), and the Off-Broadway production of A Portrait of Ray (about the legendary Ray Charles).

As an actress, Janeece appeared in Urinetown: The Musical, on Broadway, as well as many other Off Broadway, National Tour, and Regional productions. Some of Janeece's favorite professional Musical Theater credits include: The Wiz (Dorothy), Footloose (Rusty), Godspell (Joanne), Ain't Misbehavin' (Charlayne), and Smokey Joe's Cafe (Brenda.) For several years she was also seen as a series regular on a children's television series.

Janeece maintains a private vocal studio in South Orange, NJ where she resides with her family. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan and her graduate studies at Rider University/Westminster Choir College.

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