For Immediate Release
August 10, 2010
Underground Black Theater Defies Chitlin Circuit
Pop culture, womanism, and Tibetan mysticism merge in debut performance of Brooklyn playwright.
NEW YORK — Crossroads Theatre Project announces a provocative new play by playwright/director Shawn C. Harris, “TULPA, OR ANNE&ME.” The dramatic two-act piece will be showcased this summer. It is the first of a three-play series that will explore how race intersects with gender, class, and sexuality.
“TULPA, OR ANNE&ME” is a semi-autobiographical play that confronts the intersections of race, gender and sexuality through pop culture, womanism and Tibetan mysticism. “TULPA, OR ANNE&ME” explores the hidden inner life of a Black woman in order to expose how marginalization traumatizes the psyche, thus taking the first steps toward healing it.
The premise of “TULPA, OR ANNE&ME” is openly surrealistic. When a tulpa in the form of Anne Hathaway crawls out of your television, what do you do? What do you talk about? What hopes, fears, desires, and resentments emerge? How would you change one other?
For Harris, writing “TULPA, OR ANNE&ME” has given her a new respect for her art. “When people read a rough draft of your work then come to you and say, 'This has helped me so much' or 'This piece changed my life,' the power of that humbles you. You feel responsible for what you put out there. Even if my next piece is funny, I can't pretend that whatever I do doesn't matter. I don't have that luxury anymore.”
The Cell Theatre held a staged reading of “TULPA, OR ANNE&ME” in May as part of the Blackboard Play Reading series. WOW Cafe Theatre, an all-women's theatre collective, hosted a staged reading for “TULPA, OR ANNE&ME” in June.
What's the next step for Harris' new play?
“Right now – rewrites! After that it's time to think about a workshop production. But if there's enough buzz I want to go straight to a full production. In the meantime I want to help the other writers involved with Crossroads Theatre Project to get their pieces off the ground.”
Crossroads Theatre Project is an ensemble of new Black playwrights whose works examine how race interlocks with other identities and challenge mainstream ideas about Black theatre.
The crossroads are rooted in African folklore, Voodoo and Delta blues as a place where strange and unexpected things happen.
“Anything can happen on the crossroads,” says Harris. “You could speak with the dead, meet the spirits of your ancestors, or even sell your soul to the Devil. The crossroads evokes a sense of possibility that's often lacking in the way Black theatre is presented to the public.”
Crossroads Theatre Project is the anti-Chitlin Circuit created to break down barriers and shut down stereotypes by showcasing intelligent, profound stories by and about African Americans today.
Contact:
Shawn C. Harris
Founder, Crossroads Theatre Project
http://rvcbard.blogspot.com/search/label/crossroads
http://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=3503
crossroadstheatreproject@gmail.com
Sweeeeet. :D
ReplyDeleteShout-out posted on Facebook as well.
ReplyDeleteRVCBard FTW! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteOnce I graduate college, find a job, and save up enough money to make it to Brooklyn, I promise to come see your play. Can I have your autograph? :-)
congrats, sounds really interesting
ReplyDeleteWahoo, RVC!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, RCVBard! :D I'd love to see it. Would a DVD ever be possible?
ReplyDelete@Holly Steel:
ReplyDeleteThat would depend on a production. I doubt taping a staged reading would be interesting, but maybe there's something for it if enough people want it.
Congrats! Big Up Bklyn! I'll have to check this out. I read your Anne & Me series and loved it so much.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing wonderful work and I can't wait to see this.
@Lenovaxe:
ReplyDeleteLOL! I can't wait to see it either!
If you're curious what the fuss is about, follow the current draft over on my LJ.
ReplyDeleteUpdate: I started an open discussion at Ars Marginal that may be of interest to everyone, and I'd love to have your input.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, there's some required reading that's not Tim Wise. I hope y'all OK with that.
RVCBard,
ReplyDeleteI just read the whole thing, now I need to sleep on it and hopefully answer some of the questions at AM tomorrow. But it was really good--I was trying to imagine it in my head as I was reading. I don't have a good mental representation of [NAME], but I definitely pictured Queen Latifah as one of the GABs.
@Jasmin:
ReplyDeleteLOL! I never imagined her in that role, but now that you mention it, it makes perfect sense. BTW, feel free to link to it. The more people talking about it and engaging with it, the better.
BTW, save the date: November 12 (if you're in New York City).
Sounds good! I will post on it this week. :-)
ReplyDeleteI will be in school, while everyone gets to see your play. :-( But one of my closest friends at school is from Crown Heights, so hopefully I can make it out to see her and your play next year.