Lineup Announced for Fifth Annual Black Trans Women at the Center: A New Play Festival
Friday October 11 2024
Led by six theater companies across the U.S., the virtual festival cultivates the creation and production of new works by five Black trans women artists.
New Haven, CT (October 11, 2024) — Co-producers Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT, The Theater Offensive in Boston, MA; Breaking the Binary Theatre in New York City; alongside partner theatres About Face Theatre in Chicago, IL; National Queer Theater in Brooklyn, NY; and Portland Center Stage in Portland, OR today announced the five selected playwrights for Black Trans Women at the Center: a New Play Festival. The digital festival, now in its fifth year and the first with cross-theater partnerships, is led by Long Wharf Theatre Artistic Ensemble member Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi and Long Wharf Theatre Project Manager Joey Reyes.
This new work festival supports the development of short plays by five Black trans artists and places their voices at the forefront of the theatrical landscape. The festival, which features a staged streaming of Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi’s new work Shape Shifter, will premiere on November 18 and be available to stream for free for three days.
“This year’s cohort includes multi-hyphenate artists who are just as dedicated to their creative craft as they are to centering and celebrating community,” said Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, Artistic Ensemble Member at Long Wharf Theatre. “It’s a privilege and a joy to support their process, honor these powerful stories both new and revisited and share in their vision of a more equitable, affirming and transformative future.”
“I’m constantly inspired by the work of these artists and the opportunities for connection and creativity that Black Trans Women at the Center offers,” said Joey Reyes, Project Manager at Black Trans Women at the Center. “It’s an honor to present these works alongside partners on a national scale this year, as we emphasize the importance of centering these stories and creating a more inclusive future for American theatre.”
The selected playwrights and works include:
Enemy In The Water
By Venus Kii Thomas
About Face Theatre
Things Unknown
By Dezi Bing
National Queer Theater
Poly Pockets
By Morticia Antoinette Godiva
About Face Theatre
This Whiskey and Me
By MJ Rawls
Portland Center Stage
Content warning: Addiction, adult language
Sali At Work
By Marcela Michelle
National Queer Theater
Desperately Seeking Faith
By Elisawon Etidorhpa
Portland Center Stage
Content warning: Death
Crowned Jewelz
By Javon Q. Minter
The Theater Offensive
Content warning: Adult language
The full schedule, registration and streaming options for the festival can be found at longwharf.org/shows-events/5th-black-trans-women-at-the-center/.
About Black Trans Women at the Center
Long Wharf Theatre
In partnership with
Breaking the Binary Theatre and The Theater Offensive
Presents
Black Trans Women at the Center
Curated by Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi
Project Managed by Joey Reyes
With National Partners: About Face Theatre, National Queer Theater, and Portland Center Stage