There are many exciting things about #BMPFest! One of them is are national partner theatres!
The Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival is a national digital tour of new work by Black parent playwrights. Following our Submission period last fall, our review committee selected 4 finalists and 2 semi-finalists. We hope that in the future we will have more Black father and Black Trans parent submissions as well and want to continue to uplift all who are a parent and caregiver.
*PAAL is a transgender and non-binary affirming space. “Mother” and “Motherhood” and their derivatives are used as inclusive terms for anyone who identifies with them.
During the winter as we began dreaming up this festival, we began thinking about partnering with Mothers leaders and parents around the country and timing it around Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in May and June of 2021. We reached out to 4 partner theaters. To be honest, there are so many more… BUT… this is only the FIRST YEAR…. so … we cannot wait to connect with you in the future.
Month by month and week by week, we reached out and introduced the project to a partner theatre, telling them about our new idea. It is now our pleasure to introduce you to our 4 partners….
Finally, stay tuned on the PAAL and Blackboard Social Media Channels to be introduced to more parent leaders throughout the festival. It is our goal to highlight how many Black parents are creating and just how many are Artistic Leaders. Our stories are vital #blackparentstoriesmattertoo We are so proud of this partnership with PAAL, who’s founder, Rachel Spencer Hewitt is a fierce mama and advocate for more things than we could list here!
~Garlia Cornelia Jones
Founder – Blackboard Plays
Producing Director – PAAL
ABOUT OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Led by Artistic Director Nataki Garrett and Executive Director David Schmitz, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) was founded in 1935 and has grown from a three-day festival of two plays to a nationally renowned theatre arts organization that presents a rotating repertory season of up to 11 plays and musicals, including both classics and premieres. OSF productions have been presented on Broadway, internationally, and at regional, community, and high school theaters across the country. The Festival presents more than 800 performances annually and draws an audience of more than 400,000 to its home in Ashland, OR. In 2020, OSF launched O!, a new digital platform featuring performances, groundbreaking art, and mind-expanding discussions that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. O! attracts more than 10,000 views per month from audience members in over 50 countries. OSF invites and welcomes everyone, driven by a belief that the inclusion of diverse people, ideas, cultures, and traditions enriches not only the creation and experience of the work the organization presents onstage, but also our relationships with each other. OSF’s mission statement: “Inspired by Shakespeare’s work and the cultural richness of the United States, we reveal our collective humanity through illuminating interpretations of new and classic plays, deepened by the kaleidoscope of rotating repertory.”
ABOUT THE REPERTORY THEATRE ST. LOUIS
The Rep is the St. Louis region’s most honored live professional theatre company. Founded in 1966, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is a fully professional theatrical operation belonging to the League of Resident Theatres, The League of St. Louis Theatres and is a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group, Inc., the national service organization for the not-for-profit professional theatre. Visit www.repstl.org for more, and find The Rep on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
ABOUT BISHOP ARTS THEATRE CENTER
Nestled in the heart of Dallas’ Oak Cliff community, the Bishop Arts Theatre Center is an award-winning, multidisciplinary arts organization. Founded in 1993, the mission of the organization is to cultivate a diverse and vibrant arts community while creating opportunities for local and emerging artists through performances and education. BATC is the recipient of Theater Communications Group 2019 Peter Zeisler Memorial Award, several Irma P. Hall Theater Awards and most recently Dallas Business Journal Leaders In Diversity Award. The company offers a full season of theatre performances, jazz concerts, a speaker series, and year-round arts education programs impacting over 35,000 people nationwide.
ABOUT DETROIT PUBLIC THEATRE
Detroit Public Theatre produces nationally recognized plays and programs with world-class writers, directors,actors, and designers in the heart of Detroit’s cultural district. We create bold, relevant, work that illuminates the thrills, joys, and challenges of our shared humanity. For more information about Detroit Public Theatre, visit www.detroitpublictheatre.org or call (313) 974-7918.
Stay tuned for tickets to our festival, streaming at bmpfest.veeps.com between May 20 – June 17, 2021. In the meantime, support the BMP Fest on-line via our online campaign!
