[NEohioPAL] Auditions: ‘The MAAFA Suite...A Healing Journey” at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church

[Charles Gilpin]

>     New York’s “The MAAFA Suite...A Healing Journey” is coming to
Cleveland!

AUDITIONS for an excerpt of the Regional Premiere of
> "The MAAFA Suite…A Healing Journey" by Lakai Worrell
> Directed by Terrence Spivey
>
> When: Thursday, January 24th @ 7pm-9pm & Saturday, January 26th @ 10am-1pm
> Where: Olivet Institutional Baptist Church
>              8712 Quincy Avenue
> <https://maps.google.com/?q=8712+Quincy+Avenue+%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A+%0D%0A+Cleveland,+OH+44106&entry=gmail&source=g>
>
> <https://maps.google.com/?q=8712+Quincy+Avenue+%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A+%0D%0A+Cleveland,+OH+44106&entry=gmail&source=g>
>
> <https://maps.google.com/?q=8712+Quincy+Avenue+%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A+%0D%0A+Cleveland,+OH+44106&entry=gmail&source=g>
>  Cleveland, OH 44106
> <https://maps.google.com/?q=8712+Quincy+Avenue+%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A+%0D%0A+Cleveland,+OH+44106&entry=gmail&source=g>
>
> Performance: Sunday, February 17, 2019
> Rehearsals for ‘MAAFA” excerpt will began Wednesday, January 30th.  Artists
> selected will also be part of the 2020 Regional production.
> Stipends will be provided.
> *The Play*
> *The MAAFA Suite: A Healing Journey* is an original, epic theatrical
> commemoration,which world premiered in 1995 at St. Paul Community Baptist
> Church in New York City. The play covers a period in World History that
> African Americans refer to as the MAAFA. MAAFA is a Ki-Swahili word that
> means great tragedy, calamity, disaster, and refers to the Middle Passage
> or Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Through drama, song, rhythm, and dance, *The
> MAAFA Suite* tells a story of Africans confronted with the arrival of
> white slavers, the voyage of Africans to America, and the complex
> circumstances under which enslaved Africans were oppressed. The story
> which transports us from past to present to past, is appropriately
> described as transformative theatre or sacred psychodrama and is
> historical theatre at its best. It inspires and uplifts as it reminds us
> of the resiliency of the human spirit. The play has become a centerpiece
> for over fifty churches throughout the country commemorating this
> significant period, which has been taboo in our society. Cleveland's Olivet
>  Institutional Baptist Church under the guidance of Rev. Jawanza Karriem
> Colvin will present this epic production in February 2020.
>
> *Actors/Singers*
> *Noomo: *African-American male dancer,  20’s to 30’, An African spirit
> dancer who glides between the past and present.
> African Mothers of Royalty: African-American, 30s-40’s, must move well for
> African celebration
> Village Elders:  African-American male and female actors/singers,
> 40’s-60’s
> Initiates: African-American females, 20’s actors/singers, must move well
> for the African celebration
> Slave Catchers: White Males, 20’s – 50’s
> Slave Drivers: White Males, 20’-50’s
> Massa James: White Male, 40’s-60’s
> Willie Lynch: White Male, 40’s-60’s
>
Nia: African-American Female, 10-13 years old or older actress who looks
> young. Innocent and thirsty for knowledge of the past and the contemporary
> world she lives in.
>

ALL Actors-
> Please bring a head shot/resume. Please prepare a two minute dramatic
> monologue.
> AFRICAN-AMERICAN Actors- In addition to the monologue, be prepared to move.
> ALL Singer/Actors-  Please prepare a spiritual or gospel song.
> DANCERS- Seeking African-American male/females with experience in African
> dance.
> EVERYONE: Be prepared move. Please come in comfortable clothing. Its a
> very emotional and physical play. Please come in comfortable clothing. This
> is a very emotional and intensely physical play.
>
> *THE PLAYWRIGHT *
>
 Lakai Worrell is an East New York, Brooklyn native choreographer, dancer,
> actor and best known as Co-Founder/Co-Executive Director of Purelements: An
> Evolution in Dance, a Brooklyn-based performing arts organization. Over the
> last 10 years, Worrell, together with Purelements Co-Founder/Co-Executive
> Director has used dance to address social issues affecting Brooklyn
> communities and positively impact and empower individuals, with particular
> emphasis on East New York. With hip-hop as his foundation, the he expanded
> his dance vocabulary across various disciplines through a mix of studying
> under professional dancers, training at professional institutions and
> performing with various dance companies. Worrell has shared stages with
> several top tier performance artists including Savion Glover, Phyllicia
> Rashaad, Max Roach, Crystal Waters, Lauryn Hill, Olatunje Babatunje,
> Cassandra Wilson, Ossie Davis, Justin Emeka, Ashanti and others. Prior to
> co-launching Purelements, Lakai served as director, principal dancer and a
> dance instructor at Creative Outlet (CO) Dance Theatre of Brooklyn, NY and
> played an instrumental role in the development of CO's multifaceted
> Arts-in-Education program for New York City's Department of Education.
> Lakai also serves as Director of Dance at St. Paul's Community Baptist
> Church.
>

> *THE DIRECTOR*
> Terrence Spivey was recently selected to The HistoryMakers. He is the
> founding artistic director for Powerful Long Ladder where he premiered
> James Baldwin’s ‘The Amen Corner’. He is the former artistic director at
> Karamu House. He has a B.A. Degree in Theatre from Prairie View A&M
> University in Houston Texas. He moved to New York City where he continued
> to hone his craft with fame Meisner teacher William Esper. He resided there
> for 18 years. *D*uring his stay*,* he appeared in numerous plays, soaps
> and music videos such as Spike Lee’s ‘No One in the World’. Spivey served
> as entertainment director for the Gold Pen Awards and theatre workshop
> facilitator for Black Writers Conference. His directorial debut was a solo
> piece at Crossroads in New Jersey.  He later directed “for colored
> girls...” in East Harlem. In 2002, he became associate director of
> legendary playwright Je Franklin's Black Girl Ensemble in Harlem. In 2003,
> he became Karamu House first artistic director in over twenty years. He
> lined up over seventy plays during his 12 years with numerous partnerships
> and accolades such as Best Theatre Honcho, NYC AUDELCO Award for Repertory
> Company of the Year and proclamations from Cleveland Mayor, Frank Jackson,
> and state representative John Barnes for his for local, regional and
> national artistic contributions. Spivey was an adjunct for Kent State
> University’s theatre and dance department, director in residence at the
> university’s Pan African Studies and artist in residence at Cleveland
> School of the Arts. He was selected keynote speaker for the United States
> Institute for Theatre Technology’s 55th annual conference in 2015 in
> Cincinnati, OH. Since leaving Karamu in 2016, he directed Playwright
> Local's award winning/nationally acclaimed ‘Objectively/Reasonable: A
> Community Response to the Shooting of Tamir Rice’, 'Bootycandy’ and
> 'Neighbors' at convergence-continuum, 'Breath, Boom' at John Carroll
> University, ‘Peter Lawson Jones’ ‘The Bloodless Jungle’ and August Wilson’s
> ‘Radio Golf’ at Ensemble Theatre.  In 2017, He was voted Cleveland Scene
> Best Director 2017.  In 2018, he directed ‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and
> Grill’ at Akron's Weathervane Playhouse which won the Chanticleer award for
> Best Play/Best Actress. He is an Alan Schneider Director award nominee.
>
> *MUSICAL SUPERVISOR*
> Damon H. Dandridge was recently hired as Minister of Worship & Arts at
> Cleveland's Olivet Institutional Baptist Church. He was the Director of
> Choral Activities at Cheyney University. He holds the Master of Music
> degree in Choral Conducting from The Florida State University and the
> Bachelor of Music Education degree in Choral Music/Voice from South
> Carolina State University with additional studies at Boston University.
> Prof. Dandridge has had the esteemed pleasure of working with some of the
> most influential African-American composers of our time including Dr.
> Brazeal W. Dennard, Dr. Roland M. Carter, Dr. André J. Thomas, and the late
> Mr. Moses G. Hogan. As an artist, Dandridge's choral arrangements have been
> met with worldwide acclaim. From across the United States to Korea,
> Australia, and Italy, his pieces have been featured at various all-state
> festivals and international festivals. Prof. Dandridge is a past-winner of
> the National Association of Negro Musician's Brantley Choral Arranging
> competition.
>
> For further information, please contact pllecompany2.0 at gmail.com. You may
> also send head shots in advance before auditions to the email address.
> Please DO NOT CONTACT THE CHURCH.
>
>
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>
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