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

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

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

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

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

Overview

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

Want to perform this show?

Cautions

  • Caution Intense Adult Intense Adult Themes
  • Caution Strong Language Strong Language
  • Caution Mild Adult Mild Adult Themes

Details

  • Genre: Not Applicable
  • Time Period: Present Day, New Millennium/21st Century
  • Cast Attributes: Role(s) for Black Actor(s)
  • Target Audience: Adult

Authors

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 ...
View full profile

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 ...

View full profile

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 ...

View full profile

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, ...
View full profile

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 ...
View full profile

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 ...
View full profile

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 ...

View full profile