Evans says the first thing that resonated with her about the “Black Cypress Bayou” script was the dialect, because it reminded her of where she grew up. “It felt like when I read Katori Hall’s words,” Evans said. “I remember when I got “P-Valley’s script, I said, ‘It feels like home,’ and that’s what ‘Black Cypress Bayou’ feels like. It feels like home.”
She has also choreographed for the musical films “Save the Last Dance,” “Dreamgirls,” and most recently the 2023 musical-drama “The Color Purple.” Robinson was the choreographer for the televised musical special, “The Wiz Live,” too.
Noble says creativity is a very human endeavor of self-expression, and there is dignity in the art people produce, especially amongst Black creatives and performers. People of color do not want to lose their ability to create work that is beautiful, meaningful, and inspiring, she adds.
Growing up in Miami, Fl., Madison says she faced similar prejudices in her personal life. She remembers the conflict she felt growing up in church and trying to balance her faith with her own internal struggles.
“I’ve worked with primarily Black directors, men and women, who recognized that I, too, am ‘Africa’ America, to paraphrase Langston Hughes.”
Williams says the show is family friendly, and a show her own kids can watch. She also says hosting a nationally broadcast primetime TV show expands her reach to a new audience, especially in flyover states.
Kareem Grimes will serve as an ambassador for this year’s annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF), February 6-19, in Los Angeles at the Cinemark Baldwin Hills & XD and Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.
Theater, opera, and film director Kaneza Schaal says she loves making performances in every way there is to make performance. The director of the opera “Highway 1, USA,” scheduled to run at the Los Angeles Opera from Feb. 24 to March 17, believes opera is merely another type of her performative expression.
Growing up in the Bronx, NY, Henson says the city had a reputation for being tough, but he remembers it being an amazing creative environment. Henson notes that New York was the birthplace of hip hop and says growing up in this burgeoning music scene allowed him the freedom to express himself artistically.
Guy remembered, “While we were doing the show we never got props like that . We just got used to not receiving it from white Hollywood.”
Tarell Alvin McCraney is the Oscar-winning screenwriter of the groundbreaking film “Moonlight,” the creator and co-executive producer of the OWN TV series “David Makes Man,” and the new artistic director of the Geffen Playhouse.
“It was a moment while shooting, I wanted to bring three of my passions together, real estate, filmmaking, and young people,” said Yoba. “I shared that idea with a woman who is now my Chief of Staff. Two days later she gave me a deck which said, ‘I rebuild New York,’ and she had articulated my vision.”
“It shouldn’t just take the holiday to do so,” said Gill. “Of course, everybody is always off living their lives, working, and doing what they do. But thank God for the holidays. That gives a reason to have to come together.”
“That’s one thing that I think definitely was a detriment to my standup career, is I wasn’t on the road like my peers,” said Spencer. “Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and Jamie Fox — these were the guys in my class, and they were hitting the road hard, and now they’re all very wealthy comedians.”
Brown remembers a time when he did not know he could turn his love of the arts into a career. For this reason, he now believes it his obligation to help broaden the horizons of Black youth beyond their own expectations.