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The New Black Fest’s HANDS UP: 7 Playwrights, 7 Testaments

Collection / Anthology, Drama  /  1w, 6m

Idris Goodwin, Nambi E. Kelley, Nathan James, Nathan Yungerberg, Eric Micha Holmes, Nsangou Njikam, Dennis A. Allen II

“[A] stirring and often raw compilation." – Broad Street Review

The New Black Fest’s HANDS UP: 7 Playwrights, 7 Testaments

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w, 6m
  • Duration
    Duration
    105 Minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Not Applicable
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary

In light of the police shootings of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and John Crawford III in Beavercreek, Ohio, among others, The New Black Fest commissioned seven emerging black playwrights to write 10-15 minute monologues that explore their feelings about the well-being of black in a culture of institutional profiling. 

The collection includes:

Superiorty Fantasy by Nathan James
Holes in My Identity by Nathan Yungerberg
They Shootin! Or I Ain’t Neva Scared… by Idris Goodwin
Dead of Night… The Execution of… by Nambi E. Kelley
Abortion by Nsangou Njikam
Walking Next to Michael Brown by Eric Micha Holmes
How I Feel by Dennis A. Allen II
History

Hands Up received its world premiere at Flashpoint Theatre Company at the University of the Arts on June 13, 2015, directed by Joanna Settle.

Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups
  • Time Period Present Day, New Millennium/21st Century
  • Duration 105 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • Intense Adult Themes
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

REVIEWS 

“[A] stirring and often raw compilation. – Broad Street Review, Read More

“These short monologues chronicle each author's encounters with the daily indecencies of racial profiling, stop-and-frisk, harassment, and casual racism inflicted by police, media, and society in general…each author delivers a brutally honest telling of their own experience.” – Philly.com, Read More 

“Hands Up: 7 Playwrights; 7 Testaments makes the idea of "conversation" more than a hopeful shibboleth. With community involvement baked in, it responds directly to the world.” – Indy Week, Read More

Videos

  • Hands Up at the National Black Theatre youtube thumbnail

    Hands Up at the National Black Theatre

Licensing & Materials

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Scripts

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Authors

Idris Goodwin

Idris Goodwin
Idris Goodwin is a playwright, Hip Hop artist, spoken word performer and essayist. He is the author of the award winning and widely produced play How We Got On (Playscripts, 2013) and the pushcart nominated essay collection These Are The Breaks (Write Bloody, 2011). He’s p ...
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Nambi E. Kelley

Nambi E. Kelley

Nambi E. Kelley has penned plays for Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre and Court Theatre/American Blues Theater in Chicago, Lincoln Center in New York, and internationally with LATT Children’s Theatre/Unibooks Publishing Company (South Korea), Teatri Sbagliati (Italy) and ...

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Nathan James

Nathan James

Nathan James is a proud native of Pittsburgh, where he began his acting career with Kuntu Repertory Theater. He received a BA in Africana Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, and his MFA from Penn State University. His is one-man play, Growing Pains, has been produced ...

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Nathan Yungerberg

Nathan Yungerberg
Nathan Yungerberg is a Brooklyn-based playwright. His plays include Esai’s Table, The Son of Dawn, Pousada Azul, Evelyn Dreams of Horses, Orchids and Polka Dots and Brush Strokes. Nathan’s work has been developed or featured by The Playwrights’ Center, Crowded Fire Theater, ...
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Eric Micha Holmes

Eric Micha Holmes
Eric Micha Holmes is a playwright based out of Brooklyn, NY whose work has been seen and developed at MCC Theater (“Pornplay, Or Blessèd Are The Meek,”) Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (“World Without Names,”) New York Theatre Workshop (“Nimpsey Pink,”) The Lark Play Developm ...
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Nsangou Njikam

Nsangou Njikam
NSangou Njikam is an actor and playwright originally from Baltimore, MD. He is the author of Syncing Ink, Re:Definition, I.D., When We Left, Search For The Crystal Stairs, and one of the authors of “Hands Up: 6 Plays, 6 Testimonials.” His work has been developed by The Publ ...
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Dennis A. Allen II

Dennis A. Allen II

Dennis A. Allen II was born and raised in Hempstead, New York. He takes his mantra from Paulo Coehlo’s The Alchemist: “To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only real obligation.” After receiving his BA in Communications, Dennis tried his hand at acting, thinking it would be ...

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