December 6, 2019

Rutgers-NJIT Theatre Arts Program presents "Newark Artists’ Stories"

During the semester, Newark artists and students from the From Page to Stage course offered through Rutgers - NJIT Arts Program met at Index Art Center to build relationships through theatre exercises. Students and artists met again later in the semester to engage in deeper conversations for one-on-one interviews. These interviews were later transcribed from students' handwritten notes into monologues with artists’ feedback during the revision process. The narratives received final approval from participating artists to share their personal narratives as a performed piece.

Students spent the semester learning play analysis and elements of community-based practices to develop narratives with NJIT adjunct professor and Newark native, Lillian Ribeiro. Rutgers - NJIT students who conducted interviews included: Kofi Acquaisie, Joseph Atta, Ivana Baez Ortiz, Ashley Bourne, Nicholas Cheney, Justin Flores, Ernesto Cabrera, Harrison Davis, Joseph Fiumano, Alexius Irving, Sophie Kroezen, Nilay Kulaksiz, Keitheshia Parris, Arya Suva, Antonious Thigpen, and Imani White.

Featured Newark artists included: Jamie Bruno, Marcy DePina, Gary Campbell, Patricia Dahlman, Sunil Garg, Yolanda Hughes, Queen Mother Imakhu, Samantha Katehis, Ole Lie Vandal, Jo-EL Lopez, Stephen McKenzie, Janezta Miranda, Jessica Nelson, Layqa Nuna Yawar, Dimitri Reyes, and Malik Whitaker.

On Wednesday, December 11th at 10 AM, with the company of Newark's emerging and established artists, students will share their original community-based, inter-generational performance work based on interviews with Newark artists.

Activist and Artist, Lillian Ribeiro, sat down with Express Newark to tell us about her work as a Community Theatre Practitioner working with elderly communities here in Newark, NJ.

Students spent several weeks learning elements of community-based play development with applied theatre practitioner, Lillian Ribeiro. They met with the local residents of the Newark's Bethany Senior Center to build relationships through "story circles", a storytelling model originally developed by Junebug Productions and Free Southern Theater. Students and seniors met again later in the semester to engage in deeper conversations in their one-on-one interviews. These monologues were transcribed word-for-word from students' handwritten notes and received feedback from the elders for revisions. These narratives received final approval for our students to share these personal narratives as a performed piece.

With the company of Newark's Bethany Senior Center elders, we invite YOU to witness this original community-based intergenerational performance work.