MEET BLACKBERRY PRODUCTIONS THEATER COMPANY
It is vital to the advancement of multiculturalism and equity that the African American voice is heard as never before. Our stories represent a historically intricate and multifaceted perspective that lies at the heart of and is indispensable to truly understanding American history and culture, and thus, advancing progressive political change. As African American artists, it is we who can most authentically reflect, protect, and extract our stories for theater and film. Assuming leadership of our cultural serves American culture.
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Left photo by Ruth Morgan | Stephanie Berry + John-Martin Green | 2005 Museum of the City of New York
WHO WE ARE
Blackberry Productions (BP) is a Documentary Theater Company based in Harlem. The company was founded in 1984 with a dual mission to provide cultural arts programming to schools and community-based organizations and to develop and produce original works that reflect the untold stories and history of African Americans.
After 35 years serving New York, and adapting to the transforming city’s landscape, today BP maintains its commitment to reflecting the voices of the Harlem community and the world beyond it as a documentary theater company.
Blackberry Productions (BP) was created to give voice to the voiceless and bring the stories of African Americans to the mainstream. Central to our evolution is BP's pioneering work in Arts-in-Education. BP has created arts-in-education programs in numerous public schools and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) that enhanced learning and social development for people of all ages. This work has inspired BP's roster of original productions and distinguishes the company's new play development process. A fixture in Harlem’s cultural community, BP remains committed to our core mission while adapting to the changing needs of the Harlem neighborhood it serves.
After 35 years serving New York, and adapting to the transforming city’s landscape, today BP maintains its commitment to reflecting the voices of the Harlem community and the world beyond it as a documentary theater company.
Blackberry Productions (BP) was created to give voice to the voiceless and bring the stories of African Americans to the mainstream. Central to our evolution is BP's pioneering work in Arts-in-Education. BP has created arts-in-education programs in numerous public schools and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) that enhanced learning and social development for people of all ages. This work has inspired BP's roster of original productions and distinguishes the company's new play development process. A fixture in Harlem’s cultural community, BP remains committed to our core mission while adapting to the changing needs of the Harlem neighborhood it serves.
Currently, BP is developing a docu-drama entitled, We Wear the Masks. This production is being crafted to address the current fear, pain, and unrest we are experiencing in West Harlem from the COVID-19 pandemic, the deaths of unarmed African Americans at the hands of police which have sparked historic protests for social justice, and the long-term tensions between the police and the community. The production will consist of original monologues from the perspectives of both law enforcement and youth from the community.
The project is a three-pronged intervention strategy designed to build trust and facilitate reconciliation as critical steps toward achieving sustainable social and criminal justice transformation in West Harlem. As police reforms are enacted, laws change and the COVID-19 virus begins to be contained, facilitated interaction between disparate groups can be instrumental in stimulating ground-breaking dialogue that will bring protestors, police and residents out of isolation and into a new context where mutual respect and cooperation become the norm.
Briefly outlined, We Wear the Masks (WWTM) will include a series of specially designed workshops for young people and police officers. The creation of educational materials for these workshops will be developed and shared with other educators in schools and CBOs. One-on-one interviews with officers and youth participants will be the foundation of an original performance piece which will be presented to the larger community via YouTube. Another vital component to expanding the project's impact will be the creation of an interactive website where residents of West Harlem can come together to exchange their own stories and engage in collaborative problem-solving similar in fashion to our (WWTM) storytelling website.
Please stay tuned for updates regarding WWTM. Your financial support is always appreciated.
The project is a three-pronged intervention strategy designed to build trust and facilitate reconciliation as critical steps toward achieving sustainable social and criminal justice transformation in West Harlem. As police reforms are enacted, laws change and the COVID-19 virus begins to be contained, facilitated interaction between disparate groups can be instrumental in stimulating ground-breaking dialogue that will bring protestors, police and residents out of isolation and into a new context where mutual respect and cooperation become the norm.
Briefly outlined, We Wear the Masks (WWTM) will include a series of specially designed workshops for young people and police officers. The creation of educational materials for these workshops will be developed and shared with other educators in schools and CBOs. One-on-one interviews with officers and youth participants will be the foundation of an original performance piece which will be presented to the larger community via YouTube. Another vital component to expanding the project's impact will be the creation of an interactive website where residents of West Harlem can come together to exchange their own stories and engage in collaborative problem-solving similar in fashion to our (WWTM) storytelling website.
Please stay tuned for updates regarding WWTM. Your financial support is always appreciated.
VISIONARY BEGINNINGS
BP began with a conversation among a group of African American artists who envisioned starting a company to create their own images and tell their own stories:
“Let’s stop complaining about the inauthentic and one-dimensional
images of Black people in the media and take responsibility for presenting
the complexities of our lives from our lens…Let’s create our own vehicle.”
images of Black people in the media and take responsibility for presenting
the complexities of our lives from our lens…Let’s create our own vehicle.”
From this impetus, Blackberry Productions, Inc. was born.
CREATING ORIGINAL THEATER
BP teaching artists and facilitators realized a unique strategy for using theater arts to teach and improve literacy and life skills. The interplay with the community through our arts education workshops and forums have helped us to spotlight the changing needs and concerns in our schools and communities.
As a documentary theater company, it is important that BP keep abreast of issues impacting our communities. We explore those issues through our arts education programs. Upon review, we then create theatrical productions that reflect those burning issues. Another important aspect of creating theater and artistic works, is the collection of narratives from diverse cross-sections of people in a given community. Here, we assemble a panorama of perspectives, permitting people to see themselves respectively and collectively, and create a vantage point from which deeper understanding and healing might ensue.
As a documentary theater company, it is important that BP keep abreast of issues impacting our communities. We explore those issues through our arts education programs. Upon review, we then create theatrical productions that reflect those burning issues. Another important aspect of creating theater and artistic works, is the collection of narratives from diverse cross-sections of people in a given community. Here, we assemble a panorama of perspectives, permitting people to see themselves respectively and collectively, and create a vantage point from which deeper understanding and healing might ensue.
How does one craft theatrical productions relative to
arts-in-education programming? Can one relate to the other?
arts-in-education programming? Can one relate to the other?
It is this relationship between the community and BP artists that have provided the seeds for our company’s original productions.
We have captured the untold stories, the anguish and elation, the beauty of a people, creating theater that gives back to the community new and authentic works that reveal both their history and the emerging voices among them as we move forward.
We have captured the untold stories, the anguish and elation, the beauty of a people, creating theater that gives back to the community new and authentic works that reveal both their history and the emerging voices among them as we move forward.
ARTS IN EDUCATION
Since its founding, BP in 1991 Blackberry Productions was invited to establish a permanent arts-in-education program at the Young Adult Learning Academy (YALA).
YALA was established in 1984 to serve youth who had dropped out of the public school system but wished to recommit themselves to furthering their education and entering the workforce. One of BP’s artists was a language arts teacher at YALA who had begun experimenting with using the arts to make learning more interactive, focused and inspired. These pioneering approaches to learning, which included adapting theater techniques and adopting philosophies from other cultures, became an organized educational effort amongst many of the teachers at YALA making arts-in-education an integral part of the school’s curriculum.
During BP’s eight-year residency at YALA, we created multi-disciplinary arts-in-education packages tailored to meet the specific needs of the students and populations we served. With these comprehensive programs, BP offered a wide range of residencies, workshops and productions to many schools, prisons, libraries, museums, and universities. BP took residencies and workshops to populations living in temporary housing using the arts to inspire self-awareness, improve life skills and foster a love of learning.
YALA was established in 1984 to serve youth who had dropped out of the public school system but wished to recommit themselves to furthering their education and entering the workforce. One of BP’s artists was a language arts teacher at YALA who had begun experimenting with using the arts to make learning more interactive, focused and inspired. These pioneering approaches to learning, which included adapting theater techniques and adopting philosophies from other cultures, became an organized educational effort amongst many of the teachers at YALA making arts-in-education an integral part of the school’s curriculum.
During BP’s eight-year residency at YALA, we created multi-disciplinary arts-in-education packages tailored to meet the specific needs of the students and populations we served. With these comprehensive programs, BP offered a wide range of residencies, workshops and productions to many schools, prisons, libraries, museums, and universities. BP took residencies and workshops to populations living in temporary housing using the arts to inspire self-awareness, improve life skills and foster a love of learning.
ARTS AS A CATALYST
Too often democracy is for Thee but not for Me. The disparities created by structural inequality have given rise to a Them vs Us politic which discourages the mutual acceptance and respect on which democracy must be founded. We must arm our next generation with the means to reimagine and redefine themselves. It is imperative that multi-dimensional imagery be the central operating principle of this transformation whereby new tools are adopted – carpentry tools replace guns, collaboration and compromise replace intransigence and exclusion. Arts and Culture programming is a powerful instrument of healing and catalyst for change. Documentary theater is a way of cultivating creative solutions
to the problems of racial, economic, and systemic social injustice.
to the problems of racial, economic, and systemic social injustice.
A LITTLE HISTORY
BP at The World-Famous Apollo Theater
At some point, every African American artist dreams of playing the stage of the world-famous Apollo Theater. Among BP’s proudest moments was seeing our name on the marquee. For five consecutive years beginning in 1992, BP made history as the first Company to produce repertory theater, running two productions in repertory for week-long runs at the Apollo. Lines wrapped around the corner like they did for a James Brown concert. The high school students we worked with opened each stage production with an original performance piece they developed. Their visual artwork was prominently showcased in the Apollo’s historic lobby.
At some point, every African American artist dreams of playing the stage of the world-famous Apollo Theater. Among BP’s proudest moments was seeing our name on the marquee. For five consecutive years beginning in 1992, BP made history as the first Company to produce repertory theater, running two productions in repertory for week-long runs at the Apollo. Lines wrapped around the corner like they did for a James Brown concert. The high school students we worked with opened each stage production with an original performance piece they developed. Their visual artwork was prominently showcased in the Apollo’s historic lobby.
BLACKBERRY PRODUCTIONS YOUTH COMPANY
A highlight in the life of Blackberry Productions, was the formation of the BP Youth Company. In 2003, Kisha Skinner and Razena Baines founded and ran the youth company for 5 seasons. The group originated with middle school students.
With support from American Place Theatre, St. James Church, Impact Repertory Company and the George Faison Firehouse Theater, the company met regularly to develop original shows inspired by real issues confronting the lives of its young members. They held workshops and talking circles and rehearsed diligently – the result, full-fledged stage productions. The groups of youngsters toured schools, community-based organizations, and nursing homes throughout New York doing shows designed for the communities they served. Our pride and joy, they exhibited the values we want our youth to embrace: Hard Work + Creative Engagement = Opportunity & Uplift.
With support from American Place Theatre, St. James Church, Impact Repertory Company and the George Faison Firehouse Theater, the company met regularly to develop original shows inspired by real issues confronting the lives of its young members. They held workshops and talking circles and rehearsed diligently – the result, full-fledged stage productions. The groups of youngsters toured schools, community-based organizations, and nursing homes throughout New York doing shows designed for the communities they served. Our pride and joy, they exhibited the values we want our youth to embrace: Hard Work + Creative Engagement = Opportunity & Uplift.
