HANSBERRY HISTORY
Founded in 2004 and offically launched in 2006, The Hansberry Project at ACT is the result of a years-long collaboration between local African American Theatre professionals and ACT Theatre. Together we have created an African American theatre lab, led by African American artists and designed to provide the community with consistent access to the African American artistic voice. The Hansberry Project at ACT is wholly part of ACT, producing a main stage show, workshops, and other community related activities in our season, and wholly autonomous in its direction and focus.
The Hansberry Project is rooted in the convictions that black artists should be at the center of the artistic process, that the community deserves excellence in its art, and that theatre’s fundamental function is to put people in relationship to one another. Our goal is to create a theatre where the entire community can be enriched by the voices of professional black artists, reflecting autonomous concerns, investigations, dreams, and artistic expression.
We are very proud of our accomplishments and our growth. Here's a list of our milestones to date.
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MILESTONES
2007
• An artistic home run with the production of Aishah Rahman’s The Mojo and the Sayso. Aishah paid us the highest compliment when she expressed that this production most closely reflected her intentions.
• A presentation of newly edited poetry and short stories called Somebody to Lean On was presented in March and directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton. It was a lovely tribute to African American men
• The establishment of the Louise Jones McKinney Playwrighting Fellowship allowed us to present the world premiere of a new work written by UW alum, Shontina Vernon. Etta Phifer’s Testimonial Shoe Kismet was mounted here in the Bullitt Caberet for a one-month run. The Fellowship, named after arts supporter Louise Jones McKinney allowed us to work with Shontina to further develop and present her work. If also provided a small stipend to the writer to assist with the development phase. We will attempt to honor a new playwright in this way each year.
• A shoe drive to collect shoes for donation to Dress for Success in conjunction with the production, Etta Phifer’s Testimonial Shoe Kismet. Local and national donations helped us build the set with lots left over to donate.
• A new relationship with Tully’s Coffee resulted in our hosting a reading of Etta Phifer’s in their downtown flagship store. Combining their goal of being a true community partner with our goal of increasing access to theatre arts, this public reading was the first of collaborative efforts that we will team to create.
• A reading of Dan Owens' Mutambi & Lindstrom at Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center
• Receipt of the Mary Moore Diversity Award
• A presentation of Telling Our Stories on the topic of grief and loss.
• Our second Juneteenth Gala featuring actor, Khalil Kain, and jazz musician Ouwar.
2006
• A successful and artistically acclaimed run of The Hansberry Project inaugural production of Wine in the Wilderness by Alice Childress, directed by Valerie on ACT’s mainstage
• A special wine tasting event in conjunction with Wine in the Wilderness, featuring African American vintners
• Our first black-tie fund-raising Juneteenth Gala
• A public reading of a new work Ghetto Mansion, by local actor/playwright David Scully, presented in collaboration with the Social Justice Fund and supported by 4 Culture
• A Hansberry Project produced reading in collaboration with Town Hall Seattle for their Short Stories Live series, featuring work by Alice Childress
• A community conversation, Telling Our Stories, focused on issues of class in the African American community with Seattle Urban League CEO James Kelly and NAACP President Sheley Secrest
• Expansion of the Hansberry Project staff with the addition of a project coordinator
• Receipt of supporting gifts from individual donors, and our first gift from the Paul G. Allen Foundation to support organizational development and programs
• Establishment of the BlackStage Theatre (Appreciation) Group
• Acceptance by Mrs. Louise McKinney and Robert Jeffrey, Jr. to co-chair our Hansberry Project Advisory Board
2004 - 2005
Comprehensive and strategic planning for the Hansberry Project began in 2004 with
significant accomplishments through 2005 including:
o The naming of Valerie Curtis-Newton as Artistic Director, and Vivian Phillips as Managing Producer.
o Public reading of excerpts from Seattle author Nancy Rawles’ acclaimed novel My Jim, a moving meditation on love and loss. It tells the story of Sadie, the abandoned wife of escaped slave Jim from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
o A presentation of the first “Telling Our Stories” community conversation with
Flight playwright and actress Charlayne Woodard.
o The inaugural mainstage production – Wine in the Wilderness(link to ACT page)
by Alice Childress
o A collaboration with ACT on the mainstage production of Charlayne Woodard's Flight
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