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All donations are welcome and are tax-deductible through Shunpike, Inc.
All donations are welcome and are tax-deductible through Shunpike, Inc.
We are pleased to be working with
A CONTEMPORARY THEATRE on their 47th World Premiere!
A CONTEMPORARY THEATRE on their 47th World Premiere!
The Hansberry Project has returned to ACT to support this worthy and important project. Reginald A. Jackson’s sprawling epic project - The History of Theatre: About, By, For and Near - is a multiyear project dedicated to filling in more of the blanks in American Theatre's history. It introduces us to historical figures and movements to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude - the Black Heroes and She-roes of theatre's past. Reggie has crafted a beautiful tribute to our theatrical forebears. We have gathered an amazing team starting with our cast:
Our creative team is equally impressive:
Jennifer Zeyl - Scenic Design
Robert Aguilar - Llighting Design
Larry Fowler - Sound Design
Cathy Hunt - Comstume Design
Juniper Shuey - Projection Design
Donald Byrd - Movement/Choreography
Click here for TICKETS AND INFORMATION
Special Discounts available for Hansberry Supporters!
20% for our 2nd preview 1/29 : HISTORY
10% throughout the run : HANSBERRY
Jennifer Zeyl - Scenic Design
Robert Aguilar - Llighting Design
Larry Fowler - Sound Design
Cathy Hunt - Comstume Design
Juniper Shuey - Projection Design
Donald Byrd - Movement/Choreography
Click here for TICKETS AND INFORMATION
Special Discounts available for Hansberry Supporters!
20% for our 2nd preview 1/29 : HISTORY
10% throughout the run : HANSBERRY
We have two especial events during the run:
1/29 at 6:00 - Hansberry Night at History of Theatre is a pre-show reception in the ACT Theatre's Bullitt Cabaret before the 7:00 performance.
2/7 at 6:00 - a special pre-show toast with Reginald Jackson and guest Vivian Phillips. Vivian will be moderating a post-show conversation with Reggie and Val.
Not something you want to miss!
Special Discounts available for Hansberry Supporters!
20% for our 2nd preview 1/29 : HISTORY
10% throughout the run : HANSBERRY
Other events this year will include:
- Bringing a sculpture of Lorraine Hansberry to Arte Noire in APRIL
- Hosting another Black Women Wisdom Summit in JULY
- Joint productions with Taproot and Intiman theatres later in the year.
- MORE GOOD STUFF TO COME!
Our new partnership with True Colors Theatre Company of Atlanta continues...
In 2020, the Hansberry Project and True Colors Theatre Company announced the pilot year of The Drinking Gourd: Black Writers at Work, a new play program that will create a network of Black theatres linked in the shared goal to co-commission, co-develop, and co-premiere the work of Black artists across the country. Jamil Jude, Artistic Director at True Colors, conceived of the idea in response to the dearth of Black work being produced on the American Theatre stage. Hansberry Project Director Valerie Curtis Newton, who provided the name for this program, describes it a way to “create a space where the entire community can be enriched by the voices of professional Black artists, reflecting autonomous concerns, investigations, dreams, and artistic expression.” Jude concurs, “True Colors’ mission challenges us to connect our audience with leading and emerging voices in American theatre today who are illuminating the experiences of Black people and telling bold stories that grow from the African diaspora. The Drinking Gourd allows True Colors to search out and support Black voices through a national network that will uplift more Black voices and nurture their stories within Black theatres.”
The Drinking Gourd: Black Writers at Work is a multi-year project that ultimately seeks to create a coalition of five Black theatres. Hansberry Project and True Colors piloted the program in 2021, with each presenting readings of four plays. The vision over time is for all five members theatres to produce staged workshops and readings, creating a pipeline of new works for eventual full productions. This project has the potential to add new Black plays to the theatre ecology through a rolling process of commissions, readings and workshops, and productions. The Black artists engaged in The Drinking Gourd will have an unprecedented opportunity to work with a number of producing theatres serving different communities of color across the country.
As we look to 2024, we are working toward the extension of the Drinking Gourd network!
Drinking Gourd: Black Writers at Work is made possible in part by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and Hansberry's generous donors.
In 2020, the Hansberry Project and True Colors Theatre Company announced the pilot year of The Drinking Gourd: Black Writers at Work, a new play program that will create a network of Black theatres linked in the shared goal to co-commission, co-develop, and co-premiere the work of Black artists across the country. Jamil Jude, Artistic Director at True Colors, conceived of the idea in response to the dearth of Black work being produced on the American Theatre stage. Hansberry Project Director Valerie Curtis Newton, who provided the name for this program, describes it a way to “create a space where the entire community can be enriched by the voices of professional Black artists, reflecting autonomous concerns, investigations, dreams, and artistic expression.” Jude concurs, “True Colors’ mission challenges us to connect our audience with leading and emerging voices in American theatre today who are illuminating the experiences of Black people and telling bold stories that grow from the African diaspora. The Drinking Gourd allows True Colors to search out and support Black voices through a national network that will uplift more Black voices and nurture their stories within Black theatres.”
The Drinking Gourd: Black Writers at Work is a multi-year project that ultimately seeks to create a coalition of five Black theatres. Hansberry Project and True Colors piloted the program in 2021, with each presenting readings of four plays. The vision over time is for all five members theatres to produce staged workshops and readings, creating a pipeline of new works for eventual full productions. This project has the potential to add new Black plays to the theatre ecology through a rolling process of commissions, readings and workshops, and productions. The Black artists engaged in The Drinking Gourd will have an unprecedented opportunity to work with a number of producing theatres serving different communities of color across the country.
As we look to 2024, we are working toward the extension of the Drinking Gourd network!
Drinking Gourd: Black Writers at Work is made possible in part by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and Hansberry's generous donors.
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CELEBRATING THE POWER OF STORIES!
We began with complete belief in the transformational power of stories. The stories of our community are at the center of our work. Ours is a community rich in creativity, reaching across a diverse sea of ethnic influences and voices. After 15 years, we are still telling our stories - celebrating the African American experience specifically, and the experiences of people of color in general. We're happy to be in a position to lend our support (both financial and professional) and our experience broadly across the greater community. This year, we are launching several intiatives. Beyond simply supporting productions, we push to make room for more voices to have their say. THE BLACK WOMEN WISDOM SUMMIT is an example of the work we do in support of Black stories. The Hansberry Project gathered talented Black Women Playwrights from around the country. A convening of artists in various stages of their careers, they came to Seattle to share their experiences and offer a new perspective on the state of the field. Pictured front row (l-r): Dominique Morisseau, Regina Taylor, Lisa B. Thompson, Lydia Diamond, Rosalind Bell, Kathya Alexander; middle: Shontina Vernon, and Alma Davenport-Person; back row: Sharon Williams, Chisa Hutchison, Amontaine Aurore and Valerie Curtis-Newton. Thank you for your continues presence and support. We hope to see you soon! |
The Black Women Wisdom Summit
HEADS UP!
WE ARE PLANNING TO GATHER AGAIN IN SUMMER 2024. |
What we do!
Here is just one example...
Here is just one example...
THE EVERY 28 HOUR PLAYS by Various Authors
76 - One minute plays focused on the policing of black bodies
(A collaboration with Central District Forum, Langston, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute and Northwest African American Museum) The readings featured a cast of over 30 artists and activists!
76 - One minute plays focused on the policing of black bodies
(A collaboration with Central District Forum, Langston, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute and Northwest African American Museum) The readings featured a cast of over 30 artists and activists!
The Hansberry Project is fiscally sponsored by
Shunpike is the 501(c)(3) non-profit agency that provides independent arts groups in Washington State with the services, resources, and opportunities they need to forge their own paths to sustainable success.
