The Play Fest!
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Our Fade To Black 10-Minute Play Festival is groundbreaking!
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Started with the desire to create something “wonderful”, a team of local directors, actors, and volunteers used their talents to open doors of opportunity for emerging Black playwrights. Suddenly our humble play festival was on its feet and forging onward! From that moment on, we have never looked back!
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Since 2012, we have produced the new plays of over 300 African-American playwrights nationwide!
Fade To Black Reading Series
The Fade To Black Reading Series is energetic, urban, colorful, and edgy!
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We bring a whole new way of seeing theatre readings!
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"Welcome Home" by David Crawford (San Antonio, TX)
"The Girl in the Purple Dress" by Damian Hawkins (Deerfield Beach, FL)
"The Blind Thief" by Kwik Jones (Portland, OR)
"Gravity" by Steve Langley (Washington, DC)
"Use as Directed" by DeLane McDuffie (Los Angeles, CA)
"Revolution" by Shauna Proctor (Houston, TX/San Marcos, TX)
"McNally’s Alley" by Ivy Staten-Minor (Philadelphia, PA)
"Choice" by Allison Whittenberg (Philadelphia, PA)
2024
"Pocketbook" by Cris Eli Blak (Houston, TX)
"Wash and Go" by Nana Konadu Cann (Princeton, NJ)
"Rosemary and Timon" by Gregory S. Carr (St. Louis, MO)
"Match Point" by Krystle Dellihue (Detroit, MI)
"The (W)Hole Inside" by Velvia Keithley (Huntsville, TX)
"I’m Here to Pick Up Monica" by Carlton Molette (Atlanta, GA)
"Double Standard" by Kimberly Ridgeway (Hayward, CA)
"Voting While Negro" by Toma Lynn Smith (Chicago, IL)​
2023
"WHAT B#%CH?", by Simone Black (St. Albans, NY)
"Measure of a Man", by India Nicole Burton (Chicago, IL)
"OBG: Only Black Guy", by Reginald C. Jackson (Chicago, IL)
"Darth and Luke", by Christian St. Croix (San Diego, CA)
"How Do You Plead?", by Tiffany Parks (Atlanta, GA)
"Ivory", by Sarah-Faith Osman (New York, NY)
"Rite of Passage", by Devin Porter (El Paso, TX)
"Rogues", by Brandy Victoria Durham (Silver Spring, MD)
"You Leaving Again, Ain't You?", by Sharon Lovell (Pittsburgh, PA)
"Aim & Profile", by Aladrian Wetzel (Bel Air, MD)
2020
"A Patriot's Place", by Brittani Samuel (Baldwin, NY)
"All of Me", by Joe Lewis (Silver Spring, MA)
"Bad", by Prince Duren (Byram, MS)
"Don't Touch My Hair", Sean Johnson (Houston, TX)
"It Makes a Difference", by Robert Fields (Richmond, CA)
"Loyal Side Chick", by Fred Roberts (New Orleans, LA)
"Makin' Bond", by Lou Johnson (Nashville, TN)
"They Say", by Jonathan Johnson (Westland, MI)
"United Separatism", by Ada Alozie (Chicago, IL)
2019
"To Be Black in America, Woof, Woof", by Reginald Baril (Miami, FL)
"Salt"', by Tramaine Brathwaite, (Atlanta, GA)
"Never Roger", by Trevor Davis, (Huntington, NY)
"The Absolved Exoneration", by Kelvin Douglas (Houston, TX)
"Amazin' Jason", by Brittany S. Harris (Norfolk, VA)
"Uncle Tom's Hangar, by Russell Nichols (Vallejo, CA)
"Eternal Flame", by Melanie Payne (Ft. Meyers, FL)
"Truth Hurts", by Cory Shields (Houston, TX)
"Sell Out", by Breana C. Venable (Charlotte, NC)
2017
"Cops Lives Matter", Ishmon Brown, (New York, NY)
"Garage Invasion", Rex McGregor, (Auckland, New Zealand)
"Carry Yourself With The Confidence", Philana Omorotionmwan (Athens, OH)
"Baby Names", Alex Pendleton, (Huntington, NY)
"What Goes On In Counseling", Fred Roberts, (New Orleans, LA)
"Thorns", Clinnesha B. Sibley, (North Charleston, SC)
"Perceptions", Barbara Starkes, (Houston, TX)
'Make Good", Josiah Turner, (Stevens Point, WI)
"In Your Hands", LaDarrion Williams, (Hollywood, CA)
2018
"Enigma", by Tramaine Brathwaite (Atlanta, GA)
"Harlem Strides", by Domonique Champion (Houston, TX)
"Final Verdict", by Fabiola R. Decius (Hyde Park, MA)
"Captain Samaritan: The Battle of Negrophobia", by Jeremy Holloway (Cordova, TN)
"The Dean's Office", Joyce Lee (Los Angeles, CA)
"Red Letter Day", by Russell Nichols (Richmond, CA)
"Line Dry", by Royal Shiree (Lynchburg, VA)
"Color of Pain", by Erika Walton (Houston, TX)
2016
"Taken", Larissa Brewington, (Phoenix, AZ)
"Anxiety", Pat Crews, (Accokeek, MD)
"NOW", Vincent Terrell Durham, (Hollywood, CA)
"Less Than A Fairytale", Cynthia Hardeman, (Kansas City, MO)
"Jamestown", Cleo House Jr., (Atlanta, GA)
"Breaths", Amissa Miller, (Cambridge MA)
"Josephine", Fred Roberts, (New Orleans, LA)
"Engagement(s)", Alan Sharpe, (DC, Washington)
"Name Dropping", Corey Shields, (Houston, TX)
The Flow
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The Flow is a festival showcasing monologues written by African American playwrights. We bring together a diverse collection of monologues creating an exciting evening of theatre, music, and dance!
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2024​
Joshua Austin (“Shonen J”) (Houston, TX) There But Not There
Simone Black ("Simone “Sye” B") (Queens, NY), To Do or Not
Debbi Blackwell Cook (Queens, NY), Ghetto Love
Charity Clark-Anderson (Southfield, MI), Rickey Roy-ale & Gettin’ Game
Lynne Streeter Childress (Annapolis, MD), The Best Thing You Can Do For Yourself​
Monifa T. Christian (Washington, DC), Planning Stages
Bonita Elery (Louisville, KY), You Never Knew​
TaMara E. Goode ("TaMara E'Lan G") (Charlotte, NC), Eddie Was Never Content​
Norman Hoosier (Elgin, IL), The Sisters Of Pilsen Street
Louis Johnson (Nashville, TN), The Last Words of Big Tony Wilson​
Lea Jones (Houston, TX), In The Key of Love
Troy Morgan Lewis (Houston, TX) Lucky Hat
Stephanie McNeal (Houston, TX), My Kind of Love
Elizabeth Nafula ("Ivanovna") (Kitale, Rift Valley, Kenya), Life's Random Button
Renèe Nixon (Durham, NC) Oops Insurance​
Melanie Payne (Tampa, FL), Down Home Chicken​
Cindy Pierre (San Antonio, TX), The Twain Meet​
C. Georgia Preau (San Antonio, TX) The Next Time I Get Married​
Charlotte Preston (Houston, TX) Where Did They Go?
Brea Monet (Houston, TX), The Last Stand Up​
Ivy Staten-Minor (Philadelphia, PA), Mr. Plumber Man
Sister Mama Sonya (Houston, TX), Ready For The Services
Latrice P. Young ("Distinctly Unique") (Chicago, IL) Why Are You Here?
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2024 Fade To Black Playwright Winners!
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Melda Beaty (Chicago, IL) - Guess What's for Dinner
E.J. Batiste (Raeford, NC) - The Word
Alric Davis (Houston, TX) - Buffalo Woman: The Life and Times of Cathay Williams
Krystle Dellihue (Detroit, MI) - Cancel Me
Ken Green (Boston, MA) - I Can Do Evil All by Myself
Dyron Holmes (Brooklyn, NY) - Safe Words
Reginald T. Jackson (Brooklyn, NY) - Dee's Dilemma
Velvia Keithley (Huntsville, TX) - You Put Me in the Mind of…
Joe Lewis (Silver Spring, MD) - Redemption
Lesley Ukaegbu (Las Vegas, NV) - All is Fair​​
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Congratulations to our Winners!
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Past Festivals
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Fade To Black Play Festival Winners
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2023
Larissa Brewington (Phoenix, AZ) - "micro"
Charlett Bundy (Annapolis, MD) - "No, He Can't Sit Down!"
Charity Clark-Anderson (Southfield, MI) - "Mama's Breath"
Robert T. Fields (Richmond, CA) - "Keeper"
Mildred Inez Lewis (Los Angeles, CA) - "Louisiana Shoal"
Marita A. McKee (Pensacola, FL) - "In Passing"
Lorna Taylor (Houston, TX) - "Just Like Family"
Harold JAY Trotter (Houston, TX) - "Unconditional"
Vincent Victoria (Houston, TX) - "The New Girl"
Curtis Von (Houston, TX) - "The Dilemma"
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2022
April Amara (College Park, MD) – “Dinner with a View”
Calley N. Anderson (Brooklyn, NY) – “Performative”
Leslie Dianne (New York City, NY) – “Forget Me Not”
Krystle Dellihue (Wayne, MI) – “Hattie (A Set at the Table)”
Eric C. Jones (Houston, TX) – “Going Up!”
Nattalie Gordon (Fayetteville, GA) – “Hey, Best Friend!”
Joe A. Lewis (Silver Spring, MD) – “Forbidden Places”
DeLane McDuffie (Los Angeles, CA) – “Monomachia”
Corey Shields (Houston, TX) – “Busted”
Christian Wilburn (San Francisco, CA) – “White Card”
2021
Shaneisha Dodson (CA) - "Final Goodbye"
Bonita Elery (Atlanta, GA) - "Hot Potato"
Mildred Inez Lewis (Los Angeles, CA) - "Jab, Cross, Hook"
Russell Nichols (Vallejo, CA) - "Why Husbands Hold Their Tongue"
Joe A. Lewis (Silver Spring, MD) - "Choices"
Paula Celeste Neeley (Minnetonka, MN) - "​Dear Fannie"
Patrina Randolph (Houston, TX) - "One Way or Another"
Kimberly Ridgeway (Hayward, CA) - "The Contract"
James Anthony Tyler (Los Angeles, CA) - "Those Wishing"
Daysha Veronica (Los Angeles, CA) - "Olivia's Last Night in Venice"
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2020
Toccara Castleman (Brooklyn, NY) - "Escaping Inward"
Marcus Colon (Fort Myers, FL) - "Home Life"
Jeremy Holloway (​Cordova, TN) - "BlackHeaven"
DeLane McDuffie (Los Angeles, CA) - "Cop and Fiske"
Russell Nichols (Vallejo, CA) - "Invisibility"
Patrina Randolph (Houston, TX) - "Controlled Substance"
Crystal Rae (Houston, TX) - "Raising Solomon"
Angela Y. Rice (Houston, TX) - "Jesus, The Good Time Charlie"
Clinnesha D. Sibley (McComb, MS) - "The Cleaning Ladies"
Rukiya Varner (Virginia Beach, VA) - "Yellow Lilies"
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2019
​​Simone Black (St. Albans, NY) - "From This Moment On"
Sharai Bohannon (Chicago, IL) - "Well That Just Happened"
Zachariah Ezer (Brooklyn, NY) - "Time To A Phantom"
Ken Green (Boston, MA) - "The Line"
Reginald C. Jackson (Chicago, IL) - "Convictions"
Darien Mitchell (Washington, DC) - "Aggression"
Lewis Morrow (Kansas City, KS) - "Ain't Dirt on Your Hands"
Renée Nixon (Durham, NC) - "Dazed and Stunned"
Alan Sharpe (Washington, DC) - "Bedtime Story"
Corey Shields (Houston, TX) - "Jody"
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2018
Calley Anderson (New York, NY) - "Trick or Treat?"
Yunina Barbour-Payne (Houston, TX) - "Tobacco Fields"
Maya Critchlow (Houston, TX) - "What About Tomorrow?"
Vincent Terrell Durham (Van Nuys, CA) - "Home For The Holidays With The Lord"
Peter Fields (Kent, OH) - "The Visit"
Ken Green (Boston, MA) - "The Campaign"
Lionell A. Hilliard (Houston, TX) - "Is Orange the New Black?"
Eric C. Jones (Houston, TX) - "War Letters"
Brandon Riley (Tempe, AZ) - "Easy As Pie"
T J Young (Pittsburgh, PA) - "Before The Fire"
2017
Markietha Ka'Von Singleton, (Chicago, IL) - "Blithe Taste"
Finalists:
Chuck Cummings, (S. Pasadena, CA) - "Rest In Peace"
Rachel Dickson, (Houston, TX) - "To Each His Own"
Timothy Eric (Houston, TX) - "Switchback"
Evonne Fields-Gould (Kent, OH) - "Life, Love, & Boobs"
Markietha Ka'Von Singleton, (Chicago, IL) - "Blithe Taste"
Joe A. Lewis, (Silver Spring, MD) - "Dream"
Asia Nichols, (Vallejo, CA) - "Incredible Darling"
Dana Stringer, (Atlanta, GA) - "Ms. Frankie Lee"
Lorna Taylor (Houston, TX) - "What Is Greater Than Fear"
A'ndrea J. Wilson, (Soperton, GA) - "On Da Rooftop"
2016
Angela Y. Rice (Houston, TX) - "And A Child Shall Lead Them"
Finalists
Tina Burnside (Minneapolis, MN) - "Just A Rope?"
Kim El (Pittsburgh, PA) - "Of Nine Tales"
Joe A. Lewis (Silver Spring, MD) - "Greater Good"
Russell Nichols (Vallejo, CA) - "There Once Was A Jack In The Box: A Mad Scientist's Lament"
Angela Y. Rice (Houston, TX) - "And A Child Shall Lead Them"
Anthony Roberts (Brooklyn, NY) - "The Kiss of Auset"
Stacey Rose (Bronx, NY) - "Summer '89: Prelude"
Dana Stringer (Atlanta, GA) - "Looter"
Caron Tate (Los Angeles, CA) - "Spellcheck"
Marlow Wyatt, (Los Angeles, CA) - "Sweetie's Confession"
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2015
Angela Y. Rice (Houston, TX), "The Vessel By Which"
Finalists
Melanie E. Burke (Houston, TX) - "In The Still of the Night"
Dana Clark-Brocks (Dallas, TX) - "Valentine's Day Murder"
Chuck Cummings (S. Pasadena, CA) - "Edmonia's Marble"
Kelvin Douglas (Houston, TX) - "Driving Miss Crazy"
Ken Green (Boston, MA) - "State"
Ron Jones, Jr. (Round Rock, TX) - "Unsolicited Material"
Thomas Meloncon (Houston, TX) - "Color Blind"
Angela Y. Rice (Houston, TX) - "The Vessel by Which"
Dana Stringer (Atlanta, GA) - "Colored In Winter"
Travis Tate (Austin, TX) - "Whipped"
2014
Melanie E. Burke (Houston, TX), "Saving Grace"
Finalists
Melanie E. Burke (Houston, TX) - "Saving Grace"
James Earl Hardy (New York, NY) - "A Kiss is Just a Kiss"
Juanita Harvey (Philadelphia, PA) - "Long Distance Love"
Lou Johnson (Nashville, TN) - "The Lepers of Orchard Park"
Michelle T Johnson (Kansas City, KS) - "Olivia's Little Patch of Snow"
Aaron McDavis (Rowlett, TX) - "A Psycho's Path"
Barbara & Carlton Molette (Atlanta, GA) - "Kin Ship"
Aurin Squire (Brooklyn, NY) - Morehouse Men"
Dana Stringer (Atlanta, GA) - "Costume Waver"
Stacey Rose (Bronx NY) - "My Pet"
2013
Angela Batravil (Los Angeles, CA) - "Venus and Mars - Date Night"
Finalists
Angela Batravil (Los Angeles, CA) - "Venus and Mars - Date Night"
Rachel DuBose (Evanston, IL) - "Lonely Hearts"
Peter Anthony Fields" (Kent, OH) - "Burden"
Kevin R. Free (New York, NY) - "Portal, or Metaphorical Tricycle"
Michelle T. Johnson (Kansas City, KS) - "A Rebecca By Any Other Name Is Still A Becky"
Eric C. Jones (Houston, TX) - "American Rifle"
Nate Jones & Tynesha Clark (Houston, TX) - "A Sunny Day In Chicago"
Alonzo D LaMont, Jr. (Baltimore, MD.) - "Cultural Diversity Ate My Lunch"
Barbara & Carlton Molette (Atlanta, GA) - "Last Supper"
Carol Roper (Imperial Beach, CA) - "Airport Diner"
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