Mad Cow Theatre in partnership with Black Theatre Girl Magic presents
Act Free
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………….................................................................Felichia Chivaughn Stage Manager…………..................................................................Caila Carter Dramaturg………………...........................................Lynne Streeter Childress Kid 1…………........................................................................... Alexis Simmons Kid 2………….............................................................................Regina Russell* Kid 3…………........................................................................Katelyn Bowman* CAILA CARTER (Stage Manager) is a gifted and sought after performing and teaching artist. She has graced several regional and international theater stages, finding her initial home as an actress/ambassador for Cultural Fusion Theater Company; an organization committed to producing works by and for African American and Latinx playwrights, actors, and actresses, under the direction of Kenneth Brown. Caila has a heart and a passion for making the arts accessible and equitable, and as such she is ecstatic to join Theatre Sparks as the Stage Manager for Act Free.
FELICHIA
FELICHIA CHIVAUGHN (Director) is an actor, author, director, and artist advocate. She recently directed Once on this Island, Lady Day at Emersons Bar and Grill, and The Color Purple; in which she also played the role of Nettie. Other stage credits include Avenue Q, Memphis, HAIR, and The Mountaintop. Felichia studied Theatre at the University of Central Florida and is passionate about creating equity in the entertainment industry for black artists and continuing to build a strong legacy through the amplification of black female voices and the curation and preservation of our rich and beautiful stories.
CAST & CREW 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 communicate 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. *Member of Actors’ Equity Association
THEATRE SPARKS
KATELYN BOWMAN (Kid 3) is elated to be apart of Theatre Sparks virtual series. Favorite credits include Regional: Squeak, The Color Purple (ArtsHHI), Frenchy, Grease (Ivoryton PH), Charlaine, Ain’t Misbehavin’ (APAC), Lorraine, All Shook Up (Flat Rock PH) National/International Tours: Pilar, Legally Blonde Off-Off Broadway: Pearl, The Dark Star From Harlem: The Spectacular Rise of Josephine Baker. I’d like to dedicate this to all the healthcare workers, especially my mother. And to my dear cousin Courtney whom I miss dearly. “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”
CAST & CREW REGINA RUSSELL (Kid 2) is a New Yorkbased actress, writer, and director. Originally hailing from the Bronx and a graduate of Cornell University (B.A. Theatre Arts) and East 15 Acting School in London (M.F.A Acting), Regina’s favorite recent roles include: Trainee: Brimstone Valley Mall, Elaine the Lady of Shallot: The Table Round and The Siege Perilous, Exeter: Occupy: Harry Henry V, Persephone: The Love and Death Trilogy, Hero: Much Ado About Nothing, and Nedriss Narr: Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple. Upcoming Appearances include:
THEATRE SPARKS
LCDR. Talise Asherah, Primordial Deep, Lysistrata. IG: reggirenee, Twitter: reginarenee594 ALEXIS OLUWAFEMI SIMMONS (Kid 1) is delighted to be making her Mad Cow Theatre debut. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Alexis now resides in Brooklyn, New York. She studied at The University of Alabama graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts. Favorite credits include Teiresias in Bakkhai and Maria in Twelfth Night.
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.