Pittsburgh Arts, Regional Theatre, New Work, Producing, Copyright, Labor Unions,
New Products, Coping Skills, J-O-Bs...
Theatre industry news, University & School of Drama Announcements, plus occasional course support for
Carnegie Mellon School of Drama Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni.
CMU School of Drama
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Actor with Chicago roots plans South Side performance space
Chicago Sun-Times: Actor Harry Lennix III, who stars in the TV show “The Blacklist,” is advancing a dream that he said will honor his roots in Chicago: Building a performing arts center for African American culture on the South Side.
2 comments:
Louise Cutter
said...
I think this is a fantastic project! It not only provides Chicago African American performers with an opportunity to perform, but also provides the Chicago Southside with a performance venue in general, something they didn't have. The theatre will also work in collaboration with Public Schools in the area. I think this is a great opportunity to take a step forward with normalizing BIPOC actors. With 60% of the money raised, and a zoning proposal meeting to discuss the conversion of their intended space to a theatre, as of right now the project looks like it is in a good spot. I wish the article was longer. I have questions about the project that remain unanswered. The main one being: how do I support this project?
What is so beautiful about artists gaining popularity and traction is the fact that actors and creatives that “escape” their hometown can come back and provide it with something new and exciting to foster more artists. I love the idea of a museum that also holds a theater because it creates a sort of “one-stop-shop” for the African American arts scene in the South Side. I’m really interested in what he could be hosting there first, as the reference to the blue man group makes me excited for some experimental pieces hosted within that theatre. As well as what will be shown in the space, I’m interested in possible enrichment programs there. I know the only part of the project that is public at the moment is a zoning plan, but the possible community events that could be held in a space like this are exciting. I think, altogether, I love when new spaces are built for purposes like empowering a community to tell their stories on their terms. Too often black and brown creators are forced to fight for their own point of view in predominantly white spaces, and that is where black and brown theatre spaces like this create a more authentic and enriching experience for those theatre artists.
2 comments:
I think this is a fantastic project! It not only provides Chicago African American performers with an opportunity to perform, but also provides the Chicago Southside with a performance venue in general, something they didn't have. The theatre will also work in collaboration with Public Schools in the area. I think this is a great opportunity to take a step forward with normalizing BIPOC actors. With 60% of the money raised, and a zoning proposal meeting to discuss the conversion of their intended space to a theatre, as of right now the project looks like it is in a good spot. I wish the article was longer. I have questions about the project that remain unanswered. The main one being: how do I support this project?
What is so beautiful about artists gaining popularity and traction is the fact that actors and creatives that “escape” their hometown can come back and provide it with something new and exciting to foster more artists. I love the idea of a museum that also holds a theater because it creates a sort of “one-stop-shop” for the African American arts scene in the South Side. I’m really interested in what he could be hosting there first, as the reference to the blue man group makes me excited for some experimental pieces hosted within that theatre. As well as what will be shown in the space, I’m interested in possible enrichment programs there. I know the only part of the project that is public at the moment is a zoning plan, but the possible community events that could be held in a space like this are exciting. I think, altogether, I love when new spaces are built for purposes like empowering a community to tell their stories on their terms. Too often black and brown creators are forced to fight for their own point of view in predominantly white spaces, and that is where black and brown theatre spaces like this create a more authentic and enriching experience for those theatre artists.
Post a Comment