Welcome to The Railroad Event!

Hey there! Get ready for an amazing experience at The Railroad event happening on Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 12:00 PM in BlkBoxNwk. Join us for a day filled with fun, stage performances, and good vegan food!

At The Railroad, you can expect live performances, vegan food, audience participation, and much more. It's the perfect opportunity to hang out with friends and meet new people.

Don't miss out on this exciting event! Mark your calendars and get ready to have a blast at The Railroad!

Ticket Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vegan-brunch-stage-show-tickets-848884425167?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

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JCTC’S TALK SERIES ‘BLACK SPACE’ WITH ASHLEY NICOLE BAPTISTE CONTINUES WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZER AND MAJOR SUPPORTER FOR THE PEOPLE OF JERSEY CITY, TIFFANY E. MCQUEARY, ON SUNDAY, FEB. 25th  @ 3 PM EST

Tiffany E. McQueary  raised in Jersey City, NJ. It  was during college that Tiffany realized that she had a deep passion for helping others after  participating in multiple Habitat for Humanity Alternative Spring Breaks. After graduating  magna cum laude in 2008, she then began working as Program Coordinator for Suits for Success  Hudson County . While at Suits for  Success, Tiffany helped thousands of clients on their journey to self-sufficiency, ensuring that  they received the skills and resources that they needed. In 2009, while working at Suits for  Success, Tiffany went back to school to pursue her master’s degree in Public Administration  (MPA). In 2011, Tiffany decided to get more involved in her local community and joined the I  Love Greenville Community Partnership (ILGCP), led by Garden State CDC and worked along  with a group of Steering Committee Members to develop the Greenville Community Plan (GCP),  which addresses the most important issues in the Greenville community as identified by the  community residents and stakeholders. Since 2016, Tiffany has served as chair of the I Love  Greenville Community Partnership, the group that formed during that GCP planning process and  has worked collectively to secure millions of Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit (NRTC)  funding for organizations to focus on projects that address quality of life issues related to  housing, employment, education, health and wellness, and economic development. Tiffany  graduated cum laude with her MPA in 2012 and took her talents to Marist High School as the  Director of Marketing & Admissions where she worked to increase enrollment. Since November of 2022, Tiffany has been serving as the first Development Officer for the  Jersey City Free Public Library. 

Webinar Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88656175084?pwd=c3JLZVNUbUpMNkpJWXJ6bHl5c3dRUT09

Meeting ID: 886 5617 5084  | Passcode:  854513

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Jersey City Theater Center (Olga Levina, Executive Director) is proud to present a reading of Cadillac Crew by Tori Sampson, a new play that takes place on the day of a much-anticipated speech by Rosa Parks during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Four activists working in a Virginia civil rights office wonder whether the proclamation of equality amongst mankind includes women. With remarkable insight and unexpected humor, Cadillac Crew reclaims the stories of the forgotten leaders who blazed the trail for desegregation and women’s rights.

Reserve tickets at: https://wl.seetickets.us/event/Play-Reading-Cadillac-Crew-by-Tori-Sampson/578064?afflky=JerseyCityTheaterCenter

Cadillac Crew will take place at Jersey City Theater Center (165 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302 / Entrance from Barrow St., Jersey City, NJ, 07302) on Sunday, December 3rd at 7:00 PM. Reservations are available at www.JCTCenter.org. Cadillac Crew by Tori Sampson includes Ashley Nicole Baptiste* as Rachel, Angella Katherine as Abby, Monica Leigh Rosenblatt* as Sarah and Starnubia as Dee.

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🎭 Unleash Your Child's Creativity Through Theatre! 🌟 Join us for an unforgettable experience with JCTC's AAD, Ashley Nicole Baptiste (@ashleynicolebaptiste) at "Express Yourself, through Theatre," presented by 100kidsinc! 🎉

🗓️ Mark your calendars for August 12th and August 26th, 2023, from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM, as we gather at the heartwarming venue, 498 Ocean Ave JC NJ It Takes a Village, NJ. 🏞️ This event is specifically tailored for children aged 4 to 8 years old, and we can't wait to welcome your little ones with open arms! 👧🧒

 

Pre-registration is required to secure your child's spot, as we have a limited capacity for only 25 kids. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity for your child to discover their inner star! Click the Google Form link below to register now:

 https://forms.gle/FmE9CryJv8sSeyuFA

 What to Expect:

• This interactive social-emotional learning experience is specially crafted for young minds between 4 to 8 years old. Together with the talented Ashley Nicole Baptiste, we'll embark on a journey of self-expression, creativity, and connection!

• Dressing for Success: Comfort is Key! Please dress your little ones in comfortable, loose-fitting clothing to allow them to move freely and fully immerse themselves in the experience.

• "Express Yourself, through Theatre" offers a safe and nurturing environment for your child to explore themselves and others in their natural surroundings. Through drama, storytelling, and play, they will unleash their imagination, build self-confidence, and develop essential social skills.

• Safety First! Children must be accompanied by an adult or caregiver with identical ion (identification) to ensure child safety throughout the event.

Let's ignite the spark of imagination and self-discovery in your child's heart! Share this event with fellow parents and friends who would love to join the journey of self-expression and growth!

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JCTC’S TALK SERIES ‘BLACK SPACE’ WITH ASHLEY NICOLE BAPTISTE CONTINUES WITH THE AWARD-WINNING PLAYWRIGHT AND PUBLIC RADIO JOURNALIST, MICHELLE TYRENE JOHNSON.  Sunday, April. 16th  @2:30PM EST

Michelle Tyrene Johnson is a public radio journalist, author, and former attorney from the Greater Kansas City, Missouri Area who now lives in Louisville, Kentucky. As an award-winning playwright, Johnson’s plays have been staged nationally, including in California, Texas, Illinois, Nevada, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Utah. Several of her plays, such as "Wiccans in the Hood," “The Negro Whisperer,” “Trading Races: From Rodney King to Paula Deen,” “Echoes of Octavia," and “The Green Book Wine Club Train Trip" have been in New York City festivals and readings. Her play “Only One Day A Year” was chosen for the Kennedy Center’s 2020 New Vision/New Voices Festival and received an award from the National Endowment for the Arts for its World Premiere at the Coterie Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. Johnson received her MFA in Writing, with a focus on playwriting, from Spalding University in May 2022. 

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JCTC’S TALK SERIES ‘BLACK SPACE’ WITH ASHLEY NICOLE BAPTISTE CONTINUES WITH THE AWARD-WINNING PLAYWRIGHT AND PRODUCER FOR NPR- SYNDICATED SHOW OUR BODY POLITIC; NATYNA BEAN. FEB. 19th  @2:30PM EST

Baptiste, an actor and a veteran youth theatre educator with the JCTC Youth Theatre and the Stories of Greenville initiative, “I want to create a virtual space where Black artists from around the world can come together and have a human-to-human exchange about art, race, and life,” she says. “This series is about expansion, and pushing past preconceived notions of blackness.”Baptiste's next guest is natyna bean. They will be having a conversation about natyna's life as an artist and their various meaningful works and projects.

Natyna Bean is a multidisciplinary artist and educator who celebrates Blk queer folks navigating and interrogating the presence and impact of American carceral systems. Combining their/her upbringing in Philadelphia, multiethnic background, and experience as a community worker & theatre artist, natyna confronts internalized behaviors of harm through storytelling, curricula, and song, exploring the possibility of self-sovereignty and asserting hope in hardship. natyna’s work has been produced, published, and/or developed with Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, The Great Plains Theatre Conference, The Playground Experiment, The Fire This Time Festival, Moving Arts Theatre, 24 Hour Plays Nationals, Theatre L’Acadie, University of Nebraska Omaha, and more. natyna was awarded the 2020 Lorraine Hansberry Lilly Award and the KCACTF National Undergraduate Playwriting Award. A finalist for the NYSAF Founders’ Award and a creative resident of SPACE on Ryder Farm, natyna is an NYU Tisch alum and holds an MFA in Playwriting from the New School for Drama. In addition to their/her dramatic work, natyna is a lead teacher for the Octavia Project, a co-host of the podcast to whom this may affirm, and is a producer for the NPR syndicated show and podcast, Our Body Politic, a media platform that centers the impact and experience of women of color in politics and the news. 

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JCTC’S TALK SERIES ‘BLACK SPACE’ WITH ASHLEY NICOLE BAPTISTE CONTINUES WITH FORMER POET LAUREATE OF JERSEY CITY AND AUTHOR OF ROMEO’S WHISKEY, RASHAD WRIGHT ON SUNDAY, NOV. 13th @2:30PM EST

Baptiste, an actor and a veteran youth theatre educator with the JCTC Youth Theatre and the Stories of Greenville initiative, “I want to create virtual space where Black artists from around the world can come together and have a human-to-human exchange about art, race, and life,” she says. “This series is about expansion, and pushing past preconceived notions of blackness.”

Rashad Wright is the former poet laureate of Jersey City, New Jersey. He graduated from New Jersey CityUniversity, receiving his BA in English: Creative Writing. He is the author of Romeo’s Whiskey, published via Rebel Ink. Rashad’s poetry has been heard from both local and national stages via slam poetry. He is the only person to be titled the “Grandslam Champion of Jersey City Slam” twice. He has competed in Slams in the Tristate area, Oakland, San Diego, Spokane, and Denver, once ranking 25th in the country at the 2019 Individual World Poetry Slam. He has coached Jersey City Slam, the UACHS Poetry Club and 6th Borough Slam whom placed 10th in the world at Brave New Voices 2019. Rashad has also been awarded First Place at the Walter Glospie American Academy of Poets Prize, being inducted into the Academy of American Poets.

Outside of poetry, Rashad’s work expands into memoir, fiction, short story, performance art, music, film, and theatre with the completion of two one-man plays. His work can be found in multiple online journals and magazines. Rashad has performed alongside Amiri Baraka, Rudy Francisco, Tyehimba Jess, Emi Mahmoud, and many others. He currently is working on his sophomore book entitled, Papa’s Tango.

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JCTC’S TALK SERIES “BLACK SPACE” WITH ASHLEY NICOLE BAPTISTE CONTINUES SEASON TWO WITH MARSHALL JONES III, DIRECTOR OF MUD ROW AT PREMIERE STAGES. ASHLEY WILL HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH MARSHALL ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU'S PLAY, MUD ROW. THIS CONVERSATION IS TAKING PLACE ON TUESDAY, JULY 19 @ 5:00 PM EST. STREAMING ON FB LIVE, ZOOM WEBINAR, and YOUTUBE

MARSHALL JONES III

Marshall is excited to return to Premiere Stages once more. He last worked with this enterprising theater company in October 2020 with a live, in-person critically acclaimed show about civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer starring veteran Broadway actress Rema Webb.

On faculty in the Theater dept at his alma mater since 2002, Professor Jones is transitioning to an administrative role as the Associate Dean of Equity for the Mason Gross School of the Arts.

For 13 years (2007-2019), he was the Producing Artistic Director for the Tony® Award-winning Crossroads Theatre Company where he directed several shows including the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center’s inaugural production – Paul Robeson. Selected other directing credits include the world premiere of Walter Mosley’s Lift, which later played Off Broadway; and Nikkole Salter’s Repairing a Nation, which was recorded for TV broadcast on WNET’s Theater Close-Up Series.

In the spring of 2018, Marshall served as the Creative Consultant (replacement director) for the Off Broadway production of Little Rock, about the famed Little Rock Nine of 1957, which received NY Times Critic Pick.

Marshall enjoys serving the community and the field as he proudly serves as the president of the NJ Theatre Alliance. Marshall is a proud 2020 Inductee in the Rutgers University African-American Hall of Fame.

Much love to the four ladies in my life – my Ma, my daughters and my brilliant bride.

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ALL HANDS ON DECK

**CLICK TO VIEW VIDEO**

The ALL HANDS ON DECK series is back with a new session! The festival shares new works by Female Playwrights of the African Diaspora. Featuring work by award winning playwrights Julienne Hairston, Lisa Strum, Bleu Beckford-Burrell, and up-and-comer Mahalet Tegenu, the short plays are directed by Celestine Rae and Dennis Allen II. Conceived by Antu Yacob, the series explores different perspectives of the Black experience in America. This session's theme is "Lifestyles of the Strong & Black Female". What does it mean to be strong and Black and female in 2022? By whose standards? Join us as we explore.

Opening Sunday June 26th 7pm

Black Women: a Parable
By Bleu Beckford-Burrell
directed by Dennis Allen II
Grandma's got one hell of a story, for her Grand/daughter, dismantling what it means to be a strong Black woman.

Muse
By Mahalet Tegenu
directed by Celestine Rae
A disillusioned Black ballerina is visited by the hostile ghost of George Balanchine, right before her principal debut at the New York City ballet.

Candles and Cocoons
By Julienne Hairston
directed by Dennis Allen II
Marley and her sisters struggle between choosing individual fulfilment and keeping their family commitments as their parents age.

An Actor Prepares
By Lisa Rosetta Strum
directed by Celestine Rae
An aspiring actress prepares for more than she bargains for when an audition forces her to question her own identity.

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JCTC’S TALK SERIES “BLACK SPACE” WITH ASHLEY NICOLE BAPTISTE CONTINUES SEASON TWO WITH KHALIA DAVIS (DIRECTOR), AND IDRIS GOODWIN (ADAPTED BY) ON THEIR PRODUCTION OF MAYA ANGELOU’S I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS. ASHLEY WILL HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF RECREATING MAYA ANGELOU’S LIFE AND ADAPTING IT FOR STAGE. THIS CONVERSATION IS TAKING PLACE ON THURSDAY, MAY26TH @ 2:30 PM PST/ 3:30 PM MST/5:30PM EST/ STREAMING ON FB LIVE, ZOOM WEBINAR, and YOUTUBE

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JCTC’S TALK SERIES “BLACK SPACE” WITH ASHLEY NICOLE BAPTISTE CONTINUES SEASON TWO WITH THE ACCOMPLISHED SOCIAL WORK EDUCATOR AND PRACTITIONER, DR. TAWANDA HUBBARD. ASHLEY WILL BE TALKING WITH DR. HUBBARD ABOUT EXPERIENCING FATIGUE AND NAVIGATING THE CHALLENGES OF LIVING UP TO BEING RESILIENT IN THE FACE OF NEGATIVE IMAGES AND MESSAGING ABOUT BLACK WOMEN. THIS CONVERSATION IS TAKING PLACE ON MAY15TH @ 2pm EST STREAMING ON FB LIVE, ZOOM WEBINAR, and YOUTUBE.

Baptiste, an actor and a veteran youth theatre educator with the JCTC Youth Theatre and the Stories of Greenville initiative, “I want to create a virtual space where Black artists from around the world can come together and have a human-to-human exchange about art, race and life,” she says. “This series is about expansion, and pushing past preconceived notions of blackness.”Baptiste's next guest is Dr. Tawanda Hubbard.

Dr. Hubbard is a social work educator and practitioner. She completed her BS degree in business administration with a focus on management at Bloomfield College and her MSW and DSW degrees at Rutgers University School of Social Work – New Brunswick. Dr. Hubbard is an Associate Professor of Professional Practice at Rutgers University School of Social Work (RUSSW). She was honored in 2021 with a national Teaching Leadership Award in Higher Education by JV Educational Consultants. Dr. Hubbard is a licensed clinical social worker with over 17 years of child welfare, mental and behavioral health, advocacy, case management, and clinical experience with a small private practice and consulting firm. She is a consultant trainer providing workshops, keynotes and webinars connected to her scholarship interests. Dr. Hubbard is a past president of the National Association of Social Workers, NJ Chapter and CSWE Doctoral Minority Fellowship Alumna. Dr. Hubbard is currently serving on RUSSW Alumni Advisory Council as vice president, an active member of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and National Association of Black Social Workers, NJ Chapter. She is currently pursuing her 2nd doctorate, a PhD in Family Science and Human Development at Montclair State University.

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Hello family and friends! You have two chances to catch me performing this weekend.

Friday April 22: INHERENT RESOLVE By Richard Wesley

A one-hour excerpt

INHERENT RESOLVE, directed by Seret Scott, tells the story of a group of veterans of the Afghanistan War, brought together for a ceremony in honor of their commanding officer, but the awful truth behind a heroic action for which they all received medals and high honors continues to haunt them nearly ten years after they have returned home.Saturday April 22 :

TUMBLEWEED by Marcus Scott

IN PERSON EVENT: TUMBLEWEED, directed by Dev Bondarin is a slice-of-life drama about an interracial family, in which the natural hair of a young girl named Willow stirs up heated controversy in the household. This timely play explores beauty standards both in and out of the Black community, ethnic relations, the mixed-race family, coming of age, interracial marriage, parenting, womanist identity and the visibility of black men in the family dynamic.

<<Click on on link for tickets>>

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JCTC’S TALK SERIES “BLACK SPACE” WITH ASHLEY NICOLE BAPTISTE CONTINUES SEASON TWO WITH THE MUSICIAN, HISTORIAN, PLATINUM PRODUCER/WRITER, AND SINGER, TL CROSS . THEY WILL HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT TL CROSS’ SHOW “ WOW TL CROSS”, HIS INFLUENCE AS A MUSIC PRODUCER, AND HIS OBSERVATIONS ON HOW MUSIC HAS CHANGED IN 2022 ON SUNDAY APRIL 3RD @ 2pm EST STREAMING ON FB LIVE, ZOOM WEBINAR, and YOUTUBE.

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SPOTLIGHT HIGH

What do our city’s young people see when they look at the world? What does the world see when it looks at them? Who decides which matters?

This original production created and performed by Hudson County youth grapples with young people’s questions in their own words

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Baptiste, an actor and a veteran youth theatre educator with the JCTC Youth Theatre and the Stories of Greenville initiative, “I want to create an intentional safe space where Black artists from around the world can come together and have a human-to-human exchange about art, race and life,” she says. “This series is about expansion, and pushing past preconceived notions of blackness.”Baptiste's next guest is Melissa Lowery.

“Having Melissa Lowery on an episode of ‘Black Space’ is a dream come true. I first watched Black Girl in Suburbia a few years back when I lived in Portland, Oregon, and that is where I met the producer and director, Melissa Lowery,” says Baptiste. “This documentary is so necessary, and it still resonates with me and my experience in high school as one of the few Black girls on campus in a predominantly white school. I am so looking forward to the conversation we will be having and how this film has affected so many people’s lives,” she adds.

Melissa Lowery is a wife and mother that lives in the Pacific Northwest. She is an Equity and Liberation Strategist, and Director/Producer of the Documentary film, Black Girl In Suburbia. She always seeks to create better and equitable environments that honor the human dignity of each person through storytelling and dialogue. Melissa currently works at Central Catholic High School in Portland as the Director of Equity and Community Engagement.

The conversation is taking place Sunday, February 27th @ 2pm/PST & 5pm EST; FB Live, Zoom webinar, and YouTube Live.

Webinar Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84743080371?pwd=bEVKSGtkcWxRdFFJTnlkczVGSm9jdz09

Meeting ID: 847 4308 0371 | Passcode: 527515

“As our city gentrifies while retaining its diversity, and indeed as the world is changing in fundamental ways, being right in the middle of these conversations is essential,” says JCTC’s artistic director, Olga Levina. “For us as a theatre company dedicated to sparking conversations that lead to deeper respect and understanding, we know we need to create a safe place to listen and learn and collaborate.”

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Bill Davis was raised in Plainfield, NJ. He is a diasporic educator and servant leader author, trainer and public speaker with over 40 years of experience in education, corporate and community settings; and the President & CEO of Babas Legacy LLC,. In the education arena Bill has worked at Rutgers University and NYU among other institutions and his work has been manifested by assisting schools build inclusive environments for students and staff that are committed to equity. He has partnered with various organizations for diversity and inclusion training and community uplift efforts including clients such as Nike, GlaxoSmithKline, county and state government offices. Bill has been an adjunct faculty at Rutgers since 2009 and an active member of several local and national organizations. In addition he has traveled and participated in mission trips to South Africa, Haiti, Cuba and other African and Caribbean countries.

Most importantly, he is a single father to four incredible children. He is profoundly grateful to his children aka ‘the crew’. They have been the wind beneath his wings.

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MARCUS SCOTT is a playwright, musical theater writer, librettist, journalist, critic and teaching artist. Full-length works include "Fidelio" (Libretto; Heartbeat Opera at Baruch Performing Arts Center, 2018; called "poignant" by NY Times, "vital" by The New Yorker and "Highbrow and brilliant” by New York Magazine's Approval Matrix), "Tumbleweed" (Finalist for the 2017 Bay Area Playwrights Festival, 2017/2018 Humanitas Play LA Workshop and the 2017 Festival of New American Plays at Austin Playhouse; semi-finalist for the 2017 New Dramatists Princess Grace Fellowship Award), "Sibling Rivalries" (Finalist for the 2021 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference and the 2021 ATHE-KCACTF Judith Royer Excellence In Playwriting Award; semi finalist for 2021 Blue Ink Playwriting Award and the 2021 New Dramatists Princess Grace Fellowship Award; long-listed for the 2020 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award), and "Cherry Bomb" (recipient of the 2017 Drama League First Stage Artist-In-Residence; 2017 Finalist for the Yale Institute for Music Theatre). His work has been developed, presented and/or produced by Joe's Pub, Feinstein's/54 Below, Abingdon Theatre Company, Astoria Performing Arts Center, Weathervane Theatre (Out of the Box Theatrics), Dixon Place, National Black Theatre (KSA series), Playwright’s Playground at Classical Theatre of Harlem, Space on Ryder Farm, Cherry Lane Theater (DUAF), Theater 80 St. Marks (DUAF), Across A Crowded Room - Lincoln Center Performing Arts Library (NYPL), Prospect Theater Company, Musical Theater Factory's 4x15 Series, New York Theatre Barn New Works Series, CoLAB Arts, Symphony Space, NYC LGBT Center, Secret Theatre, New Circle Theatre Company, MicroTheater Miami, Columbia College Chicago, among others. Residencies and retreats: Prospect Musical Theater Lab (2021), María Irene Fornés Playwriting Workshop (2021), JACK Governor's Island Artist Residency (2021), Catwalk Artist Residency (2021), The Center at West Park Virtual Performance Residency (2020-2021), Gingold Theatre Group Speaker's Corner Writer (2020- 2021), Liberation Theatre Company's Playwriting Residency Fellowship (2018), Athena Theatre Company's Athena Writes Playwriting Fellowship (2018-2019), the inaugural LIT Council at the Tank (2018-2019), Fresh Ground Pepper Artist-In-Residence BRB Retreat (2017), One Co.

Writers' Residency at Little Farm (2017) and Goodspeed Opera House Retreat (2013). He was also the 2016-17 Musical Theatre Fellow at Playwrights Horizons and the 2017-2018 co moderator of Musical Theatre Factory's POC Roundtable. Scott is a 2021 NYSAF Founders’ Award finalist, a 2021 Doric Wilson Independent Playwright Award semi-finalist, a 2019 finalist for the Bushwick Starr's Starr Reading Series, a two-time National Black Theatre I AM SOUL Playwrights Residency finalist and a four-time top finalist for the R&D Group at The Civilians. His articles appeared in Architectural Digest, Time Out New York, American Theatre Magazine, Playbill, Elle, Out, Essence, The Brooklyn Rail, among others. BFA: State University College at Buffalo, MFA: NYU Tisch.

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Dr. S. Renee Mitchell is an educator, poet, playwright, multimedia artist and author and community healer and visionary. During Dr. Mitchell’s 25 years as an award-winning former newspaper journalist, she was nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize and was named the No. 1 columnist in five Western states. She also is a dedicated heARTivist and a trained Community Health Worker, which has resulted in multiple community awards for her dedicated empowerment of her community with her skills as a project manager, grant writer, performer, and researcher. In late 2018, Dr. Mitchell became the visionary founder of a nationally award-winning, youth-development program called I Am MORE (Making Ourselves Resilient Everyday),which started an intergenerational Spreading The Black Joy Virus campaign (www.SpreadingBlackJoy.com). Dr. Mitchell holds a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Oregon, and developed a strong research agenda around helping Black youth heal from trauma - racial and otherwise, which is often a focus of her consulting, facilitating and professional development trainings.

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"I will be a featured panelist for "The New Renaissance of Black Theater'' panel on December 18th at 10AM. What is the collective responsibility of the next generation of Black theatermakers as we enter into a new era of art? Centering the Kwanzaa principle of UJIMA (collective work and responsibility), this virtual panel discussion will explore the art of theater and its new Renaissance through the eyes of emerging artists and leaders.The event is a collaboration between New Jersey Theatre Alliance NJPAC. Register here: https://www.njpac.org/event/the-strength-of-black-theater/"

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JCTC’S TALK SERIES “BLACK SPACE” WITH ASHLEY NICOLE BAPTISTE CONTINUES WITH THE ENGAGING, AND INSPIRING AUTHOR OF AN APOLOGY TO MY DEMONS: THE SKELETONS IN HER CLOSET WERE NOT HER ENEMIES. THEY WERE HER ARMY, MAIYA KATHERINE, ON SUNDAY DECEMBER 12TH 4PM EST THROUGH FB LIVE AND ZOOM WEBINAR.

Baptiste, an actor and a veteran youth theatre educator with the JCTC Youth Theatre and the Stories of Greenville initiative, was born in San Francisco. “I want to create an intentional safe space where black artists from around the world can come together and have a human-to-human exchange about art, race and life,” she says. “This series is about expansion, and pushing past preconceived notions of blackness.”Baptiste's next guest is Miaya Katherine, author of An Apology to My Demons.

How do you overcome the disabling emotional wounds, trauma and heartache from the past that today are holding you back, pulling you down, creating self destructive behaviors and making you miserable?

Maiya Katherine always knew she had a calling. She was always able to discern when people around her were in emotional turmoil. It would take years of hardships, mistakes, self-love and self discovery for her to start healing her own emotional wounds and begin living life on her terms. As people around her continuously praised her wisdom and healing messages, she started thinking about sharing those gifts with the world. Her intention in life is to let the Universe use her to help others achieve emotional healing and come back to the joy and light within themselves.

In her powerful new book, An Apology to My Demons: The skeletons in her closet were not her enemies. They were herarmy. (Blue Dragonfly Life, September 16, 2021; 114 pages; Paperback ISBN: 978-1- 7344497-1-6; e-book ISBN: 978-1-7372886-3-3), author Maiya Katherine addresses millions with her harrowing and ultimately triumphant story of overcoming many issues such as abandonment, loss and betrayal, which all led to emotional and mental health issues. The book is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and betterbooksellers worldwide.

Self-destructive issues manifesting often from experiences during youth, are all too common, affecting millions of people in the United States and around the world. The Covid 19 pandemic has made this phenomenon even worse, causing significantly more people to suffer daily depression and emotional or behavioral issues. We are at a time where people are looking for a lifeline – for the inner light that they hope resides within. This book is written to give voice to the pain and provide a path to emotional healing.

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