Wayward Voices Breathe Life Into New Work: Creating And Holding Space For Artists Of Color 

In 2021, the Wayward Artist is taking action towards access, inclusion, diversity, and equity in theater. The Wayward Artist eagerly announces, Wayward Voices. Wayward Voices is a space to amplify, uplift, and empower BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) artists and their communities. The goal is to produce work that inspires and activates artists now and artists to come.

Led by resident artists, Reed Flores and Chris Henrriquez, Wayward Voices is an initiative created by and for artists of color. This entirely free virtual season features four mainstage productions created and devised by BIPOC artists from around the country telling stories of culture, identity, religion and love.

Opening the inaugural season of Wayward Voices is "Bismillah, or In the Name of God," written by Nakisa Aschtiani. Based in Laguna Beach, CA, "Bismillah" tells the story of long-time Iranian-American friends questioning their beliefs and fighting for change after a bar shooting changes their lives forever. Aschtiani poses the question, "is it ever too late to love unconditionally?" Director Ani Marderosian is at the helm of the production. With the goal of amplifying the story and poignant language, Marderosian and the cast of "Bismillah" reinvent this story for an audio-only experience. The immersive radio play opens on February 5, 2021.

Next in the season is "Black Mexican" by Rachel Lynett. Partnering with Lynett and taking the reins as director is New York-based director Gineiris Garcia. Inspired by the cultural appropriation scandals of Rachel Dolezal and Jessica Krug, "Black Mexican" tells the story of Ximena, a White university professor posing as a Cuban woman, while Alia, an Afro-Latine Belizean, continues fighting for her place in the spectrum of Latinidad. The play explores colorism and struggles with identity within the Latinx/e community. "Black Mexican" opens on May 7, 2021.

Opening on August 6, 2021, New York-based The Sa?'ng Collective presents a devised theater piece, "Collective Stories." The production is rooted in the process of Free Southern Theatre's storytelling circles which brings together individuals to share and create works inspired by memories, personal experiences, and connection via community. In this iteration, The Sa?'ng Collective explores the relationship between the Vietnamese and Black communities and is using theater to begin the tough and necessary conversations. "Collective Stories" addresses the anti-Blackness in the Vietnamese community in order to focus on moving the community forward and bring healing between both communities.

Closing the season is "De la Luna, Del Sol" by Daniel Andres Blanco. A passionate actor, director, and screenwriter, Blanco transforms his screenplay of the same name into a socially distant, virtual play. "De la Luna, Del Sol" follows introvert Emiliano De la Luna through his struggles coping with life after a traumatic breakup. While healing, Emiliano meets Elena Del Sol online who offers him a promising future. His thoughts continue to dwell on the past and he soon realizes the world has moved on without him. Loosely inspired by Jose Rivera's "Cloud Tectonics", "De la Luna, Del Sol" opens on November 5, 2021.

The Wayward Artist recognizes that a Wayward Voices season does not and cannot solve the systemic racism that plagues the theater community and beyond but hope that it can serve as a source of empowerment for artists and as a sign of inevitable change in the theatre community. Wayward Voices is a season of art and storytelling, but above all, Wayward Voices is a place to empower, uplift, and amplify the voices of BIPOC artists. For more information about the Wayward Voices, visit

https://www.thewaywardartist.org/wayward-voices.

To post a comment, you must register and login.