Mad Cow Theatre in partnership with Black Theatre Girl Magic presents
Black Flag
by Idris Goodwin
Plays and Conversations for an Antiracist Tomorrow “Theatre is where we see ourselves and wrestle with our beliefs. Through the stories of others we reflect on our own. Since racism lives at the intersection of misinformation, ego and unchecked power, the arts must counteract by cultivating personal reflection, learning, conversation and compassion.” — Idris Goodwin IDRIS GOODWIN is a multidisciplinary arts leader and creative community builder. Across two decades he’s forged a multi-faceted career as an award-winning script writer for stage and screen, Break Beat poet, director, educator, and organizer. He is the new director of The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College. The author of Free Plays: open source scripts for an antiracist tomorrow, Goodwin is committed to using the arts to spark meaningful conversation. MAD COW THEATRE, in partnership with BLACK THEATRE GIRL MAGIC, presents digital readings of five short plays by award-winning playwright, poet and changemaker Idris Goodwin to spark conversation about race in America for multi-generational audiences. With the support of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA/USA), Goodwin has offered these plays to serve as a catalyst for action. Each of these short works, written to be read across the multi-generational spectrum, offer different insights about disconnects in racial conversation and the Black experience in America. Scripts and more can be found here: shttp://www.tyausa.org/freeplay/
CAST & CREW
THEATRE SPARKS
Director…………......................................................................MaRah Williams Stage Manager…………................................................................ Shayla Pruitt Dramaturg………………...........................................Lynne Streeter Childress Deja………….............................................................................Amber Coleman Harry…………..................................................................... .Joshua Houvouras Sydney…….......................................................................................Claire Mack AMBER COLEMAN (Deja) currently lives in Maryland and graduated from University Of North Carolina at Charlotte with a BA in Theatre: Concentration in Performance. Amber is excited to be in her first virtual production at Mad Cow Theatre. She received an Irene Ryan nomination for her recent role as “Death” in Branden J. Jenkins play Everybody and made it out as a finalist at the Kennedy Center Arts College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) competition. In the summer, she works at Theatre Lab as an assistant director in Washington DC. Amber would like to thank her friends and family for their support.
LYNNE STREETER CHILDRESS (Dramaturg) is a playwright, actor, teaching artist, singer, director, and the founder and artistic director of Building Better People Productions, a professional theater company based in Annapolis, MD, that does shows for young audiences all based in themes of kindness, respect and the things that make us all better people. This is her 26th year in professional theater, with much of that experience in theater for young audiences. This includes performing at the Kennedy Center, Arena Stage and Adventure Theater, and teaching for institutions like the Folger Shakespeare Library. Through all those experiences, Lynne has seen firsthand how theater can commu-
CAST & CREW nicate the most important things in the clearest and most interesting ways, especially to young people. Lynne lives in Annapolis, MD with her husband and son. JOSHUA HOUVOURAS (Harry) is a current junior at the University of Central Florida pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre with a minor in Sociology. Some of his favorite productions thus far with Theatre UCF include Water by the Spoonful(u/s Fountainhead) and Titanic (Bandsman Taylor, u/s Thomas Andrews). Someother favorite roles include Hello, Dolly! (Cornelius Hackl), Noises Off (GarryLejeune), and A Year With Frog & Toad (Toad).
THEATRE SPARKS
CLAIRE MACK (Sydney) is a sophomore at Fordham University double majoring in Theatre Performance and Humanitarian Studies. She would like to thank The Theatre Sparks Casting Team, Black Theatre Girl Magic, Mad Cow Theatre, and everyone else involved for this opportunity to be a part of and learn from the Theatre Sparks Virtual Series. SHAYLA PRUITT (Stage Manager) is a senior English major at Norfolk State University. She is extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with Black Theatre Girl Magic and Mad Cow Theatre. We hope you enjoy the show!
CAST & CREW MARAH WILLIAMS (Director) graduated Spring of 2020 with her MFA in theatre from the University of Florida. She has directed Deloris (UF MFA) and Eclipsed (Norfolk State University) and is pleased to continue her directing experience. MaRah currently serves as the
THEATRE SPARKS
Director of Education and Outreach with Black Theatre Girl Magic and is the co-host of a podcast Ghostlight: Illuminating Black Artist where she analyzes plays written by Black playwrights. Thank you to Rex, Keri, and her friends and Family for their unlimited support.
ABOUT THE COMPANIES MAD COW THEATRE is a 501(c)(3) arts organization funded by the State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs; the Downtown Development Board; the Florida Theatrical Association; Orange County government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs program, and members of the Central Florida community like you. Mad Cow’s mission is to produce highly entertaining works of theatre to an ever-widening audience – promoting, enhancing, and celebrating the human condition through art. We celebrate the word and the actor through a combination of passionate, skillful acting and compelling, insightful writing, all nurtured by an attentive and ever-changing process. www.madcowtheatre.com BLACK THEATRE GIRL MAGIC is a community of Brown and Black identifying women with a mission to create a racially just, equitable, and accessible entertainment industry for Black and Brown women. They work to drive a cultural shift in theatre institutions to create safer spaces for the BIPOC community through public discourse and national legislation. BTGM aims to eliminate racist and ableist barriers of entry into all sectors of the entertainment industry. In addition, they elevate the valuable anti-racism work of other Black Woman-run organizations by sharing their resources and platform. BTGM is in the process of becoming a recognized non-profit organization and can be found at www.blacktheatregirlmagic.org.
We wish to express our gratitude to the Performers’ Unions: ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS AMERICAN GUILD OF VARIETY ARTISTS SAG-AFTRA
through Theatre Authority, Inc. for their cooperation in permitting the Artists to appear on this program.
COMING SOON Saturday, Oct. 17, 1:00 p.m.(EST) — Act Free