Two World Premiere Staged Readings to be Presented at Broadway Advocacy Coalition's A NIGHT OF ARTIVISM

Broadway Advocacy Coalition will present “A Night of Artivism”, an evening of one act plays celebrating the work of its third annual cohort of the BAC Artivism Fellowship. This event and fundraiser will take place in the Robert W. Wilson Theater Space at MCC Theater on Monday, June 26th at 6:30pm.

 

This year’s Artivism Fellows are Camille Thomas and UGBA. Both Fellows will be presenting new plays they have been developing over the last six months alongside the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) in support of the Solutions Not Suspensions Bill. The Solutions Not Suspensions Bill aims to limit the number of suspensions for Pre-K through 3rd graders and implement restorative and transformative justice practices in the classroom as an alternative to punitive discipline.

 

Featured in “A Night of Artivism” are the world premiere staged readings of their one act plays: What We Deserve by Camille Thomas and directed by Raecine Singletary (Playwrights Horizons Directing Fellow), and MULTI: A Play to Encourage Revolt by UGBA and directed by the youngest Black Broadway director Zhailon Levingston (Broadway’s Chicken and Biscuits, Perelman Performing Arts Center’s CATS).

 

What We Deserve will feature Tessa Allen, Zakiyah Ansari (NY Director of AQE), Thomas Walter Booker (On Sugarland, FBI, Blue Bloods), Jalen Couch, Neil Dawson (Godfather of Harlem, New Amsterdam), Maleek Rae (East New York, Law & Order), and Camille Thomas.

 

MULTI: A Play to Encourage Revolt will feature Kai Almeda, Felicia Cade, Paige Gilbert (Late Night, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Rose Tattoo), Tyler Johnson, Zhailon Levingston (Chicken & Biscuits, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical), Javon Minter (What to Send Up When It Goes Down, Julio Down By the Schoolyard), Eboneé Noel (The Kings Of Napa, Harlem, FBI), Adrian Smith (Broadway Comedy Club), Jay St. Flono (Spirit in the Vine, Deep Blue Sea), and UGBA.

 

"We believe that art has the power to transform society and challenge systemic injustice”, said Co-Director of Programming Dria Brown. “Through the Artivism Fellowship, we are intentionally building a community with UGBA and Camille - incredible artivists who use their creative voices to reimagine a new world that obliterates the school to prison pipeline while advocating for lasting change. Their projects are bold, innovative, and deeply impactful, and we are honored to support them on their journey towards a more equitable education system alongside Alliance for Quality Education.

 

“Working with the artists at BAC, we have been able to introduce parent and community leaders to the power of blending art and “artivism” into traditional advocacy. Through art, we can capture our stories, communicate the injustices and also envision a better future, in such an impactful way. This fellowship has generated so much creativity as we fight for for a more just and equitable education system.” said Zakiyah Ansari Advocacy Director & New York City Director

 

Admission to A Night of Artivism is Pay What You Can with a suggested donation of $10.  To learn more or reserve your ticket, click here.

The Artivism Fellowship is a 9-month residency that enables participants to blend artistry, law, policy, and community engagement, and produce narratives with powerful impact in policy spaces where change can happen. In the process participants will work with community members to amplify the power of their stories informed by legal and policy research through collaboration with the Center of Institutional & Social Change at Columbia Law School and Artivism Fellowship Policy Advisor, Jazly Lizano. Over the course of the fellowship, the fellows will receive a $14,000 stipend, production support, mentorship, and the space to creatively develop their pieces. Additionally, the Fellows will be in residence at SPACE on Ryder Farm.

This year’s fellowship was an evolution of the past two years, providing deeper mentorship and support for two narrative-based creatives through scheduled online and in-person sessions and concluded with a live presentation of the work created during the fellowship.

Thank you to Disney Theatrical Group for being the lead sponsor of A Night of Artivism, and to our partner, MCC Theater.

For more information about BAC’s Artivism Fellowship, you can visit https://www.bwayadvocacycoalition.org/artivismfellowship.

 

ABOUT THE FELLOWS

 

CAMILLE THOMAS

(she/her) - Camille Simone Thomas is a 5th generation Detroiter on her father's side and a first-generation Jamaican-American on her mother’s side. She’s an associate artist with the Sanguine Theatre company and a recent cohort member of Moxie Arts Incubator. She’s had fellowships with The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute’s DEAR fellowship and The Theatre Producers of Color program. Her plays have been workshopped with Playwrights Horizons,Sanguine Theatre Company featured with The Obie Award-winning Harlem9 and Detroit Public Theatre Company, The National Women's Theatre Festival, Lime Arts Theatre Company, American Slavery Project, and Blackboard playwriting series. She was a New Harmony Project finalist 22-23 and a Van Lier New Voices Fellowship semi-finalist 22-23.

 

UGBA

(pronoun inclusive) - Ungrateful Black Artist (UGBA - 'oog ba') is a queer poet, rapper, playwright, actor, and activist based out of Brooklyn, NY. UGBA is the founder/host of CEREMONIES—a Brooklyn based monthly Black-Queer artist showcase held in honor of Essex Hemphill. UGBA is also the founder of "Dark-Skin Support Group," a virtual support network for dark-skin Black Americans in need of a space to discuss the realities of colorism. In 2020, UGBA was named a “Black LGBTQ+ playwright you need to know '' by Time Out NY. UGBA is the script assistant for the Pulitzer Prize winning and currently 5 time TONY nominated Broadway show Fat Ham. He is an alumnus of The Public Theater’s #BARS program. He is a current member of The Public Theater’s Emerging Writers Group 2020-2023 cohort. He is a 2023 Artivism Fellow through Broadway Advocacy Coalition, a 2022 MAP Grant recipient, a 2020-2021 BAM Resident, and current Artistic Director at NY Writers Coalition.

 

 

ABOUT THE BROADWAY ADVOCACY COALITION  

Founded in 2016 by members of the Broadway community as a direct response to the nation's pandemic of racism and police brutality, the Broadway Advocacy Coalition is a multidisciplinary organization which unites artists, legal experts and community leaders to create lasting impact on policy issues from criminal justice reform to education equity to immigration. In 2021, BAC received a Special Tony Award for providing an unparalleled platform for marginalized members of the theatre community and tools to help the theatre industry move toward a more equitable future. Via its partnership with the Center for Institutional and Social Change at Columbia Law School, BAC has collaborated with institutions across New York City, including the New York City Council, Bronx Defenders, and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office. To learn more about their work, and to get involved, visit their website at https://www.bwayadvocacycoalition.org/ or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

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