The Film: Playwright: From Page to Stage is a cinema vérité documentary that takes an intimate look at the development of two new plays, showing how creative teams are assembled and collaborate, detailing everything from the intense rehearsal process to achieving one of theater’s ultimate goals: the arrival on a Broadway stage in New York City.
The film follows two young playwrights, Rajiv Joseph and Tarell McCraney, as they burst onto the scene, bringing real-world perspective to create theater that is fresh and new. Their success ignites tremendous interest in their work, and we follow as one of the plays, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, reaches Broadway, with Robin Williams in the lead role of The Tiger.
Guest panelists (live chat)
Playwright: From Page to Stage broadcasts Monday, December 16, 2013 at 10 PM ET on the Emmy-Award winning series “Independent Lens” (check local listings) ; followed by the social screening event, Tuesday December 17 at 10 PM ET on OVEE.
DISCLOSURE: I’m producing this online OVEE event which not affiliated with this blog. But the guests are pretty awesome if you’re into theater.
What is OVEE?
OVEE is a social TV experience from the Independent Television Service (ITVS) serving public media and other partners with free streaming video from PBS Video, YouTube, and Ustream. It connects audiences anytime to watch together and interact with content. Its features include:
THE POWERBROKER: WHITNEY YOUNG’S FIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS Sunday, January 27 at 3 PM
Washington DCJCC, 1529 16th Street, NW
Reservations: Eventbrite or call 202-939-0794
Whitney Young, Jr., the civil rights champion who negotiated with top leaders of industry and government to create greater opportunities for minorities, is the subject of a new documentary, The Powerbroker: Whitney Young’s Fight for Civil Rights. Narrated by Alfre Woodard, The Powerbroker is executive produced by Young’s niece, Emmy® Award-winning journalist Bonnie Boswell and produced by Ms. Boswell, her son Taylor Hamilton, and Christine Khalafian.
GUEST SPEAKERS A. PETER BAILEY is an acclaimed journalist, Author, Lecturer, and a founding member of The Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU), organized in 1964 by Malcolm X. Bailey was editor of the OAAU newsletter, Blacklash. He was one of the last few persons to speak with Brother Malcolm X on the day of his assassination (February 21, 1965) and served as one of the pallbearers at his funeral. He has contributed to numerous books, articles, and documentaries about the celebrated leader.
Bailey, a former editor of Ebony magazine, is the author of Harlem: Precious Memories, Great Expectations, co-author of Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey with Alvin Ailey and co-author of Seventh Child: A Family Memoir of Malcolm X with Rodnell P. Collins (nephew of Malcolm X). He assisted John Henrik Clarke with the editing of Malcolm X: The Man and His Times. While Associate Director of The Black Theatre Alliance (BTA), Bailey edited the BTA Newsletter. He has also contributed articles to numerous publications including Essence, Black Enterprise, Jet Magazine, the New York Times, the Negro Digest, Black World, The Black Collegian, and the New York Daily News.
RAYMOND A. WINBUSH, Ph.D. is director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University. A clinical psychologist and director of The Warrior Institute (TWI), Dr. Winbush is engaged in research concerning adolescent development, education, health and Black men and boys. He is the author of the critically acclaimed books The Warrior Method: A Parents’ Guide to Rearing Healthy Black Boys and Should America Pay?: Slavery and the Raging Debate on Reparations. In 2007, Winbush traveled to Australia to participate in a 5-day National Conference on Racism held at Murdoch University and delivered a lecture series at Australian National University.Winbush conducts workshops based upon The Warrior Method locally, nationally and internationally. The Warrior Method has been incorporated in school systems in Baltimore, MD; Worchester, MA; Dallas, TX; Brixton, United Kingdom; and Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
SOUL FOOD JUNKIES
Sunday, February 10 at 3 PM
Washington DCJCC, 1529 16th Street, NW
Reservations: Eventbrite or call 202-939-0794
Inspired by his own family’s complex relationship with “soul food” — fried chicken, ribs, macaroni and cheese, peach cobbler, and the whole panoply of down-home foods made with grease, sugar, and love — acclaimed filmmaker Byron Hurt asks whether this diet is nurturing or destroying the African American community. With humor and heart, Hurt questions the effects of “soul food” on the health of not only African Americans, but all who guiltily consume this most comforting of American comfort foods.
GUEST SPEAKER: Michael W. Twitty, a writer, culinary historian , and historical interpreter personally charged with preparing, preserving and promoting African American foodways and its parent traditions in Africa and her Diaspora and its legacy in the food culture of the American South. Michael is a Judaic studies teacher from the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area and his interests include food culture, food history, Jewish cultural issues, African American history and cultural politics. His blog, Afroculinaria, highlights and addresses food’s critical role in the development and definition of African American civilization and the politics of consumption and cultural ownership that surround it.
ITVS Community Cinema presents documentaries from the PBS series “Independent Lens” to introduce audiences to people who are active with the issues and stories presented in the film, encourage dialogue, and connect people in a way that inspires them to “get involved.” Community Cinema is a national public engagement initiative presented by the Independent Television Service (ITVS) in partnershp with public television stations, national and local organizations and institutions.
Also, check out STRONG!, a film by Julie Wyman about the Olympian weighlifting Bronze medalist Cheryl Haworth. Today at brunch, Cheryl referred to her “bigness” — I call it her “awsomeness.” [And I’ve never used that word before in public.] That Cheryl is and so is fellow Olympian Cara Heads who also appears in the film. WHEN/WHERE etc. Saturday, June 30 at Busboys and Poets (2021 14th Street, NW), 5 PM. Cheryl Heads will be a guest speaker. It’s the final ITVS Community Cinema [DC] event for the season and it’s FREE. More information and reservations available at www.communitycinema-dc.org.
STRONG! is wrapping up SilverDocs in a sold out screening tonight at the AFI Silver theater in Silver Spring, MD.
I want to give a SHOUT OUT to all the Electric Vehicle Associations across the country. Last month I attended a meeting for the EVA/DC. These were not just people showing off shiny new cars. They were showing us the future. Where was this group when I was looking for silicon cells for my solar energy science project? When I asked the question, someone held up a silicon cell chip. Just goes to show, it’s important to get “plugged in” to people in the know. EVA members are also on top of alternative energy and of course the electric vehicles. Some of them have converted their gas vehicles to electric. And yet skepticism still reigns as gas prices hit $4 + dollars a gallon.
REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR, a new documentary by Chris Paine (who brought you “Who Killed the Electric Car”) will get you pumped up about electric cars again. ITVS Community Cinema is hosting free preview screenings around the country before the film’s broadcast on the PBS series “Independent Lens.” Here in the nation’s capital, we have two Community Cinema screenings — March 11 at Busboys and Poets; and March 18 at the Washington DCJCC. Both screenings will have electric cars displayed outside courtesy of EVA/DC. The Environmental Film Festival is also showing REC March 14 (tickets are for sale for that one).
I’m re-posting the Community Cinema-DC post, “How Sweet is Revenge” about the recent news that GM was putting the pause on production of the Chevy Volt.
Recently, the Detroit Free Press reported that GM suspended production of the Chevy Volt for 5 weeks. Apparently, Volts were selling well, better than the Nissan Leaf, but not well enough. Then a few days ago, the Volt made news again. It won the European Car of the Year. What a break! However, it’s still iffy on whether GM will revive the Volt with it’s $30,000+ price tag. Lots of questions and speculation continue to circulate about electric vehicles making the electric car an object of mystery and myth.
You can see the Chevy Volt and judge for yourself this Sunday, March 11 at Busboys and Poets. A member of the Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington will display a 2011 Chevy Volt at 4 PM outside the venue as a preview for the 5 PM free Community Cinema screening of REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR. Busboys and Poets is located at 2021 14th Street, NW at the corner of V. A Nissan Leaf will be parked outside the Q Street entrance of the Washington DCJCC March 18 for the 3 PM Community Cinema Cafe screening of REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR. The Washington DCJCC is located at 1529 16th Street, NW at the corner of Q. The film will be followed by a Q&A with members and electric car owners of the EVA/DC. Be prepared for myth busters and tons of information about energy and the benefits of having an electric car.
Read a review of REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR by Alexander Blosser (that also promotes the Busboys and Poets screening) in the Washington Examiner.
