Marc Bamuthi Joseph - MAPP International Productions

photo: Graphic Design by Christine Marie
Marc
Bamuthi
Joseph
/peh-LO-tah /
Marc Bamuthi Joseph
/peh-LO-tah /
photo: Graphic Design by Christine Marie
This latest multi-disciplinary performance work by
award-winning poet-performer Marc Bamuthi Joseph
links culture and sport to the complexities of soccer
as a conduit for both global joy and global corruption.
Based on his experiences as a child of Haitian immigrants playing the game in the U.S., and the journals
of his travels to the World Cups in South Africa and
Brazil, /peh-LO-tah/ brings Joseph’s explosive hip-hop
style to bear on the political, economic, and social
significance of the spinning ball (“pelota”) we call
earth. It is, as quoted by Joseph himself, “a dance
about the economy, choreographed to the rhythm
of the beautiful game.” Joseph’s spoken word
poems and charismatic storytelling will form the base
of a theatrical experience featuring live music and
choreography inspired by South African and Brazilian
movement styles and techniques from the soccer field.
Integrating shadow animation designed by TED Fellow
Christine Marie, /peh-LO-tah/ is performed in multiple
dimensions: through the moving bodies of the poets/
musicians/dancers on stage, and through silhouette and
3-dimensional shadow, all against a vibrant background
of filmed imagery and video projection. Live music
ranges from gospel to African-American spirituals; Bossa
Nova to Brazilian carnival; and beatboxing and Hip Hop.
Beyond the show, /peh-LO-tah/ features a powerful
education and outreach component, engaging immigrant
youth in soccer “clinics” and writing workshops, and
academia with discussions around global economies,
gentrification, and sports as politics.
artist statement
The two places on earth I actually feel free
aren’t coordinates, they’re moments. The first
is inside of dance, somewhere between rising
up against gravity and a sensation that the
air beneath my body is falling in love with its
weight… carrying me so that I might never
come down. The second place is after scoring
a goal on the soccer pitch, wherein my body
floods with the chemical they bottle up in epipens to revive the dead… I am weightless…
raceless…
Over time, as my questions have deepened and
grown more emotionally charged, I’ve charted
a path of inquiry that connects macro issues of
economy to personal confrontations with my
own body as a positioned figure in both the
language of sport and art. This path has taken
photo: Marc Bunathi Joseph
me to South Africa, Brazil, soccer capitals across
Europe, local leagues across the U.S.; moving forward on a hypothesis that links local and global economic
hierarchies to behaviors, allegiances, and government investment in the infrastructure of the world’s game.
My plan is to draw concurrent narrative maps through this research leading to writing and dramaturgy of
this new work.
/peh-LO-tah/ explores the ecology of egalitarianism played out inside the world’s game. It is a story of my
body in its late summer years; the physics of a globally networked economy running in tandem with the
fragile network of a dancer’s anatomy. It is a bet that visible bodies and dramatized shadows, as conjured
by artist Christine Marie, can co-exist as complementary modes of narration; that sweat will have as much
currency as silhouette to transition both narrative point of view and visual dimension. For my company
of collaborators, it is a structural experiment: physically demanding, visually deft, viscerally reaching, and
linguistically twisted in hip hop and hope.
Ultimately, I’m intrigued by the elusive riddle of equality, and am fascinated by the curiosity that soccer is
the only thing the entire planet can agree to do together. It is the official sport of this spinning ball. My
inquiry involves the joy of the game against the complexity of the global south sites of the last two World
Cups. It acknowledges that all conversations tied to ecology are ALSO tied to democracy and economy.
The work is sprung from the bliss of a goal scorer’s run; it shares what his countrymen do after the ball beats
the goalie, the closest thing going to freedom…
— Marc Bamuthi Joseph
artist biography
Marc Bamuthi Joseph is one of America’s vital voices in performance, arts
education, and artistic curation. After appearing on Broadway as a young
actor, Joseph teamed up with long-time producer MAPP International
Productions and has written and performed in a series of poetically-based
works for the stage that have toured across the U.S., Europe, and Africa.
These include Word Becomes Flesh, Scourge, and the break/s: a mixtape
for stage, which co-premiered at the Humana Festival of New American
Plays and the Walker Arts Center in 2008, and toured to 14 U.S. cities
throughout 2010. His full-evening theater work, red, black & GREEN: a
blues (also produced by MAPP International) premiered at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in 2011 and will have its final performances in fall
2015 after engagements in 13 U.S. cities. red, black & GREEN: a blues
was nominated for a 2013 Bessie Award for “Outstanding Production of
a work stretching the boundaries of a traditional form.” Word Becomes
Flesh, originally performed as a solo, was re-mounted as an ensemble
work in December 2010 as part of the National Endowment for the Arts’
“American Masterpieces” initiative, and will have toured to 21 U.S. cities
by April 2014.
photo: John Coyne
Among Joseph’s commissions are the libretto for Home in 7 for the Atlanta Ballet in 2011; the libretto and lyrics (with
composer Daniel Bernard Romain) on a new work for Opera Philadelphia’s “Hip H’Opera Project; and the new theater
work for South Coast Repertory Theater’s “Crossroads Commissioning Project.” At Intersection for the Arts in San
Francisco, he directed Dennis Kim’s Tree City Legends in 2012, and Chinaka Hodge’s Mirrors in Every Corner in 2010.
Joseph was one of 21 artists to be named to the inaugural class of Doris Duke Artists in 2012, as well as a
recipient of the inaugural United States Artists Rockefeller Fellowship in 2007. He was the 2011 Alpert Award
winner in Theater and recipient of the 2006 Gerbode Emerging Playwright Award. In fall 2007, he appeared on the
cover of Smithsonian Magazine after being named one of “America’s Top Young Innovators in the Arts and
Sciences.” His works have been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Creative
Capital Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The Hewlett Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, The MAP Fund, The
New England Foundation for the Arts, and The Zellerbach Family Fund, among others.
Publication of Joseph’s plays includes red, black & GREEN: a blues published in “Theater, Volume 42, Number 3,”
Duke University Press on behalf of the Yale School of Drama/Yale Repertory Theatre (2012); the break/s: a mixtape
for stage published in “Humana Festival 2008: The Complete Plays,”(Playscripts, Inc, 2009); and Word Becomes
Flesh published in “Playz from the Boom Box Galaxy: An Anthology for the Hip Hop Generation,” Theatre
Communications Group (2009). His essays have been published in “Cultural Transformations: Youth and
Pedagogies of Possibility,”(Harvard Education Press, 2013); and “Total Chaos: Next Elements,” (Basic Civitas, 2007).
A gifted and nationally acclaimed educator and essayist, Joseph has lectured at more than 200 colleges and
universities, been a popular commentator on National Public Radio, and has carried adjunct professorships
at Stanford University, Lehigh University, Mills College, and the University of Wisconsin. He is Artistic Director
Emeritus of Youth Speaks, where for a decade he mentored young writers and curated the Living Word Festival
and Left Coast Leaning. He co-founded “Life is Living,” a national series of one-day festivals designed to
activate under-resourced parks and affirm peaceful urban life through hip hop arts and focused environmental action.
Joseph currently serves as Director of Performing Arts at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
collaborator biographies
Michael John Garcés (Director) is the Artistic Director of Cornerstone Theater
photo: Shae Rocco
Company (Los Angeles, CA). Directing credits include California: The Tempest, Plumas
Negras, Café Vida, Oedipus El Rey and the 10th Anniversary production of N.E. 2nd
Ave. He has directed works at Contemporary Theater, Humana Festival, New York
Theatre Workshop, INTAR, and more. He is a company member at Woolly Mammoth
Theater (Washington, DC), where projects he has helmed include Lights Rise on Grace,
The Convert, and We Are Proud to Present. Past awards include a Princess Grace Statue, an Alan Schneider Director Award, and a TCG/New Generations grant. He serves
on the Executive Board of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. As
Director of the break/s and red, black & Green: a blues, Garcés rejoins Bamuthi’s team
as the Director of the new work /peh- LO-tah/.
Christine Marie (Shadow Scenic Designer) is an integrated media artist,
director and TED Fellow who creates original lo-fi spectacles of large-scale cinematic
shadow theater. She integrates performers, objects and hand-made special effects to
elicit connections with concepts, phenomenology and history in emotional and visually
stimulating experiences. She studied Wayang Kulit traditional shadow puppetry in
Bali, is a former member of ShadowLight Theater, and has received an MFA from the
California Institute of the Arts in Integrated Media, Puppetry and Theater. She has
taught shadow theater for over a decade and often lectures, consults, and conducts
workshops for theater companies, film studios, universities and schools, including Pixar
and DreamWorks.
Stacey Printz (Choreographer) is the director of the Printz Dance Project
(PDP) and received her sociology and dance degrees from UC Irvine. She teaches
throughout the Bay Area, St. Mary’s College, Sonoma State University and conducts
master classes and workshops for Universities and studios across the United States and
internationally, including New York, Memphis, Colorado, Switzerland, Lithuania and
Netherlands, to name a few. She has collaborated with Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s
Scourge, the break/s and red, black & Green: A blues. With degrees in sociology and dance from UC Irvine, Printz has received numerous awards and grants
including Zellerbach Family Foundation, the W&F Hewlett Foundation, Fort Mason
Foundation, and is the recent recipient of the New Work Fellowship from the Marin
Arts Arts Council.
collaborator biographies
Tom Ontiveros (Lighting Designer) designs with light and projection for theatre,
dance, and live music. His design for Completeness was nominated for Best Lighting
Design (2014) by the Los Angeles Ticketholders Awards. Other recent work includes
Happy Days with Brooke Adams and Tony Shaloub (2014 Ticketholders Awards, Top
10 Revival Productions) and ¡Figaro!:(90210) for the LA Opera. Tom collaborated with
Bob Balaban on the New York Premiere of The Exonerated (2003 Lucille Lortel & Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience & the Outer Critics Circle Award:
Outstanding Off-Broadway Play). He is a three-time recipient of the Dean Goodman
Award for Lighting Design and was featured in San Francisco’s Callboard magazine.
He designed the lighting for the inaugural Tune In Festival at the Park Avenue Armory
curated by the Eighth Blackbird Ensemble and featuring Bora Yoon, Paul Haas, Paul
Fowler, Newspeak, Red Fish Blue Fish, John Luther Adams, the Argento Chamber
Ensemble and others. Other designs include Schick Machine composed by Paul
Dresher and starring Steve Schick at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. His work
has appeared at the Hungarian National Theatre Festival in Cluj, Romania, the
International Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven, The Ojai Music Festival,
Phoenix Symphony, Marin Theatre Co., Intersection for the Arts, The Magic Theatre,
San Diego Museum of Art, Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland
Playhouse, SUSHI Performing Arts, The Japan America Theatre, Mondavi Center,
South Coast Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, The Chocolate Factory in Long Island City,
The Joyce SoHo, St. Marks Church, The Ontological-Hysteric, The Culture Project
and 3LD in NYC and others. Tom is an Assistant Professor of Lighting Design at the
University of Southern California.
David Szlasa (Media and Video Designer) is a versatile media, video and
public art designer. His work revolves around ideas of remix and re-appropriation,
using popular imagery, ideas, and actions in unexpected ways to challenge structures
of authority and question social standards. He is recipient of numerous awards and
grants including a Gerbode Award, Kenneth Rainin Foundation NEW Program grant,
CCI Investing in Artists grant, Future Aesthetics Artist Award, Zellerbach Grant, Light
Artists in Dance Award, CA$H Grant, Siff Grant and commissions from the National Science Foundation / UC Berkeley, to name a few. Szlasa holds a BFA in Theater
from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and an MA in Integrations of New Media and
Performance from NYU Gallatin School of Interdisciplinary Studies. His work has
been presented worldwide in galleries, theaters, and public spaces, and he has
collaborated with the likes of Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Sara Shelton Mann, Joanna
Haigood, Dohee Lee, Yuri Zhukov, Hope Mohr, Bill Shannon, Rennie Harris, Deb
Margolin, Myra Melford, and others.
performer biographies
Yaw Agyeman has performed on both theatrical and musical stages. As an actor
photo: FEMI
Yaw has had the privilege to work with such prolific playwrights as Ntozake Shange,
Paul Carter Harrison and Robert O’Hara. In music Yaw has shared the stage with the
likes of Stevie Wonder, Roy Ayers, Floetry, Jaguar Wright, Kindred, Amel Larrieux and
has backed up Eric Roberson and Liz Fields in several concerts. He is also a member of Black Monks of Mississippi, an artistic collaboration led by Theaster Gates.
He is most recognized as the young singer who recently appeared as a feature on
VH1’s Soul Cities, a show produced by Nelson George that showcases singers in
cities all over the country. Currently he is featured on Eric Roberson’s latest album,
Mister Nice Guy. Yaw has toured in red, black and Green: a blues and Mister Chickee’s
Funny Monkey. Yaw was most recently featured on the Africa Channel’s Soundtracks at
Red Kiva.
Tommy Shepherd aka Emcee Soulati, is an actor, playwright, composer,
educator, b-boy, rapper, drummer, and beatboxer. Tommy is co-founder of the live
hip hop collective, Felonious: onelovehiphop, a resident company at Intersection for
the Arts. Shepherd created the original music and performed in their recent project
Angry Black White Boy. Shepherd is a Hybrid Resident Artist at Intersection, a longtime member of performance group Campo Santo, educational hip hop group,
Alphabet Rocker and a performer with Erika Chong Shuch’s ESP project. He acted in
and created the score for Nobody Move and Hamlet: Blood in the Brain by Naomi
Iizuka; and created the sound design and score with Howard Wiley for A Place To
Stand. He also acted, beatboxed, and composed a live score with Scheherazade Stone
for Domino by Campo Santo. In 2007 he created and performed his first one act solo,
The MF in ME. Shepherd was a commissioned artist, co-creator and performer of Raw
Dios for headrush crew, which toured Berkeley, Denver and to the famed El Teatro
Campesino in San Juan Bautista. Shepherd has performed and toured internationally
with Marc Bamuthi Joseph, collaborating on Scourge, the break/s and red, black and
Green: a blues.
performer biographies
Amara Tabor-Smith is an educator, dancer and choreographer who has
photo: Alwin Poina
performed in works by Ed Mock, Anne Bluenthenthal, Priscilla Regalado, Pearl
Ubungen, and Joanna Haigood. Her theater background includes work with
Anna Deveare Smith, Herbert Siquenze, the SF Mime Troupe and Make-ACircus. Amara is the former Associate Artistic Director and dancer with the
Urban Bush Women Dance Company (New York City), and has facilitated community
engagement projects with the Dance Company in Chicago, Flint and Tallahassee.
In 2001-2002, Amara collaborated with Lauren Elder and Theater director Ellen
Sebastian Chang on The Invisible Lines project, a street theater community engagement
project that addressed issues of affordable housing and gentrification in a North
Oakland neighborhood. Her choreographed works have been performed in
the SF Street Theater Festival, Shotwell Studios and in Making Whiteness Visible
(documentary film by Shakti Butler). Amara has taught dance, Capoeira and entering
community workshops at Naropa University (Boulder, CO), University of Omaha,
Columbia College (Chicago), and more. In 2006, Amara formed the Deep Waters
Dance Theater (DWDT). Amara is a 2007 recipient of the CHIME mentorship exchange
grant, and awards from the Zellerbach Family Fund, and CounterPULSE.
Traci Tolmaire is an actor, dancer, and singer from Chicago. Her training in theatre
arts and dance include a BA in Theatre from Spelman College, theatrical studies at
New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and dance training at Sammy Dyer
School of Theatre (Chicago), Joel Hall Dance Center, Lou Conte/Hubbard Street
Dance Company, and classes with master teachers Katherine Dunham and Savion
Glover. The Circle Unbroken is a Hard Bop (651 Arts/MAPP International Productions);
red, black, & GREEN: a blues (MAPP International Productions/Living Word Project);
Plenty of Time nominated for an AUDELCO Award for Best Ensemble (New Federal Theatre); IPH... a translation of Iphigeneia at Aulis by Euripides (Brava Theater/
African-American Shakespeare Company); Mirrors In Every Corner (directed by
Marc Bamuthi Joseph for Intersection for the Arts/Campo Santo); Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Fulton Opera House); The Darker Face of the
Earth (Take Wing and Soar Productions); Trouble in Mind (Actor’s Express); and
Breath, Boom (Synchronicity Theatre Group). Tolmaire also worked as choreographer
for Hartford Stage Company’s production of Gee’s Bend, Connecticut Critics Circle
award winner for best ensemble, and Rejoice! a holiday musical at Lorraine Hansberry
Theatre, and the World Premiere of Dancing On Eggshells at The Billie Holiday
Theatre in Brooklyn where she also works as an Artistic Associate
residency activities
Attacking the discourse of economic inequality within the face of shifting definitions of American citizenship, /peh-LO-tah/ aligns
art and sport in the framing of both American reality, and global interconnectedness.
The broader conversation around /peh-LO-tah/ is about who we are as Americans, and what our paths to citizenship are. How can
we all live together in democratic space? The show uses soccer, a sport enjoyed on a global scale, to evoke ideas of where we
want to be, and how we want to live together.
“My inquiry with /peh LO tah/ involves the joy of the game against the complexity of South Africa and Brazil, the global south
sites of the last two World Cups. It acknowledges that all conversations tied to the game are ALSO tied to democracy and
economy. Why is the world’s most democratic sport juxtaposed with its most systematically underdeveloped nations? How
are the movement patterns of the game allegorically tied to the socio-political movements of the people who so passionately bear witness to it? What are the implications on definitions of citizenship in the United States, as new majority America
makes the World Cup an event watched by more people in the U.S. than either the NBA Finals or baseball’s World Series?”
- Marc Bumathi Joseph
Soccer & Writing Clinics for Young Audiences
/peh-LO-tah/ invites professional and college-level soccer
players to participate in “soccer clinics” for immigrant youth.
Kids will be coached on soccer techniques and strategies by
these adult players. This activity can happen in a nearby park,
abandoned field, or even a parking lot close to the theatre.
CultureStrike, a national network that educates the public
about immigration policy and reform, will help identify populations of immigrant communities in each city and work with
MAPP International and the presenting venue to engage
them in these activities. Participants can also include local
soccer leagues and sports organizations, such as The Boys &
Girls Clubs, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, and local community
centers. In playing and thinking about soccer, global culture
of sport will create familiar pathways to open up a dialogue
around citizenship and democracy.
Following the Soccer Clinic, kids and their families—and
even the mentor-players—can head inside the theatre to participate in a writing workshop lead by Joseph. (See below
for description.) This creative element will help explore and
identify new narratives around immigration, democracy and
equity. The game of soccer and teamwork will have already
brought new people together; soccer then becomes a metaphor for shaping dialogue around global citizenship and the
duality of American promise and ancestral accountability.
Following the writing workshop, Joseph and the cast can
share an excerpt from the show to give an exciting glimpse
of /peh LO tah/. While the writing class and performance
photo: Marc Bumathi Joseph
excerpt need not take place inside the theatre, one of the
goals is to introduce performing arts and the venue to these
participants—many of whom may not attend theatre very
often, if at all.
Post-writing workshop, the kids and their mentors go back
outside and play 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 soccer games—a mini
tournament—or possibly watch a game played by those local
professional or pre-professional players.
In /peh-LO-tah/, soccer games are essentially participatory
arts experiences in public places, opening up public spaces
where communities of different demographics and interests
come together. While immigrant youth and their families are
target populations, this should be an all-inclusive event.
NOTE: This Soccer/Writing Clinic can happen on a small
scale and be modified depending on venue feasibility and
resources. Please ask!
residency activities
WRITING & PERFORMANCE WORKSHOPS
WITH MARC BAMUTHI JOSEPH
Writing Workshops
Joseph’s workshops can last anywhere from 45 minutes to two
hours with a primary focus on spoken word poetry. Elements
of performance craft, theater games, gesture and movement can be included at any individual teacher’s discretion.
These workshops can be specifically geared to students in the
seventh grade through college seniors.
Spoken Word, Spoken True
photo: Marc Bumathi Joseph
Community Roundtable or Panel Discussion:
Gentrification & Urban Planning
/peh-LO-tah/ looks at the economics of World Cup soccer,
where communities are cleaned up, torn down and beautified, with families often uprooted to make way for the
soccer stadium. Once the game is over, however, the
stadium is empty and communities are left displaced.
Participants (urban planners, housing departments of local
cities, everyday citizens, etc.) are invited to discuss urban
planning, economic development and gentrification that
is happening on a local level. Joseph poses the question:
how can we create communities and cities where everyone
benefits? What if we could come together and reimagine or
design our own town—with realistic expectations and other
interests in mind besides our own?
The discussion can incorporate reflections of and reactions
to real situations happening in that city (i.e. the building of
the Barclays Center stadium in Brooklyn, The Rams coming
to LA, etc.). In a moderated discussion, participants will
be encouraged to think about questions such as: what
revitalization is happening in your city; how might those
efforts be impacting the lives of real people who live there;
how might those efforts have a positive vs. negative impact?
The conversation can examine correlations of gentrification
and displacement in marginalized communities due to socioeconomic decisions, and what the impact has been in
those communities—for better or worse.
This workshop is for spoken word artists and dancers looking
to find the right intersection of the poetic and movement
forms. Poets who wish to extend their work beyond the
parameters of the three-minute slam format and look towards
developing longer performed narratives in verse will find this
particularly illuminating. Joseph challenges writers to explore
myth and contemporary iconography, using text, gesture and
movement to create short pieces with definite shape and
dramatic arc.
Activities for Students
Joseph often describes being an educator as his primary
passion, even before being a performer. He is a long-time
teacher and engaging with youth around his work is very
important to him. He prefers not to perform Student shows
and instead proposes more intimate activities to engage them
in meaningful interaction:
•
Open Rehearsal and Dialogue with Cast
•
A walk-through visit of the set, with an on-stage
discussion with cast members
•
Master Classes with Joseph geared toward students
and school curriculum (A high school teacher himself, Joseph prefers to connect with teachers in advance.)
Marc Bamuthi Joseph
press highlights, past and current projects
“With works like red, black & GREEN: a blues
and the breaks/s to his credit, you might
describe Joseph’s art practice as equal parts
performance poetry, dance theater, and
social activism.”
– Paulette Beete, NEA Arts Magazine
“Rarely do word and movement mesh so
seamlessly and elegantly that the audience
is left with the thought that drives them.
But such is the case with Marc Bamuthi
Joseph whose stories put sound and gesture
on a single continuum of expression…”
– The Washington Post
photo: Bethanie Hines
“Marc Bamuthi Joseph belongs to the rare breed of artists who can kindle political and cultural
awareness while delivering a highly entertaining performance.“
– The Philadelphia Inquirer
“While the show, staged fluidly by Michael John Garcés, has political overtones, it’s neither
sober nor dogmatic. Its heart is in the joyous, ingratiating performances and the music of its
language,which alternates between mundane prose and staccato poetry.” – The New York Times
“Joseph speaks of the great socially conscious poetry and music of Gil Scott Heron and there is
no stretch to see that this troupe is inspired by Heron’s singular artistic integrity. Dramatically,
musically and poetically red, black & GREEN: a blues unlocks a gushing narrative and visual
stream that must be experienced.” – Edge New York
“Joseph’s words can take an audience’s breath away, then coax out sighs, exclamations of
approval, and finally drawing them to their feet.” – The SF Bay Guardian
“red, black & GREEN: a blues had Boston audiences on their feet, immediately and in unison.
They stood for the entertainment, they stood for the craft and artistry, they stood for the
poetry. Most of all they stood for the inspiration. Bamuthi is a masterful story teller. The
integration of his text, Theaster Gates’ remarkable set, music, and dance made for a powerful
and unforgettable evening.” – David Henry, Director of Programs, ICA
support / credits
/peh-LO-tah/ is produced by MAPP International Productions
/peh-LO-tah/ has been commissioned by the Kennedy Center for the Arts. It is made possible through grants from
The MAP Fund (a program of Creative Capital, supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Andrew
W. Mellon Foundation), the National Endowment for the Arts and the Panta Rhea Foundation.
Marc Bamuthi Joseph is a participant in the Global Connections-ON the ROAD program, funded by The Andrew
W. Mellon Foundation and administered by Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the
professional not-for-profit American Theatre.
MAPP International Productions is a nonprofit producer of major performing arts
projects that raise critical consciousness and spark social change. We support all
phases of an artist’s creative process, from concept and production to premiere and
touring, while also engaging audiences in the issues behind the art. Through this
heightened focus, we support an evolving and elite cadre of creators whose work
ignites communities worldwide. Come With Us.
MAPP Board of Directors
Staff
Lisa Yancey, Chair
Senior Arts Consultant, Yancey Arts Consulting
Brian Tate, Executive Director
David Gibson, Co-Chair
Principal, TWO TWELVE
Cathy Zimmerman, Executive Producer
Julia Gutiérrez-Rivera, Associate Producer
Candace Jackson, Secretary
Principal, CJAM Consulting
Michelle Coe, Director of Booking
Paul Cillo, Treasurer
President and Executive Director,
Public Assets Institute
Rasu Jilani, Director of Community Programs
Olivia Georgia
Executive Director,
Mary Miss/City as Living Laboratory
Jonathan Kitt, Development Assistant
Kristen Bernier, Administrative Manager
Martin Bournhonesque
Owner, Martin’s Farm
140 Second Ave, Suite 502
New York, NY 10003
646.602.9390
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photo: Graphic Design by Christine Marie
MARC BAMUTHI JOSEPH / peh-LO-tah /