Bushwick Starr

Programs: Main stage season: our 2016-17 main stage season included: shasta geaux pop by ayesha jordan (sept. 7-11, 2016); miles for mary by the mad ones (oct. 7-nov. 12, 2016); the spanish-language adaptation of furry! /la furia! By william burke, translated by modesto flako jimenez (nov. 17-26, 2016); [porto] by kate benson (jan. 11-feb. 4, 2017); frontires sans frontires by phillip howze (mar. 1-25, 2017); and the art of luv (part 5): swipe right/rok cupid by royal osiris karaoke ensemble (may 24-june 10, 2017). Both miles for mary and [porto] were named nyt critic's picks, and all our productions received largely favorable reviews and audience response. 5179 audience members attended the 85 performances in the main stage season, which employed 30 actors, 6 directors, and 25 designers. Three 16-17 main stage productions will be remounted in 2018: miles for mary produced at playwrights horizons; shasta geaux pop as part of the public theaters under the radar festival; and [porto] produced with wp theater in association with new georges. We are active producing partners in [porto], the starrs first off-broadway co-production in manhattan, which will bring greater visibility to our theater and to the brooklyn arts scene for those who do not frequent theater in the outer boroughs. Artistic development: the starr reading series held free public performances of: this dump is a dump by zoe geltman (oct. 16, 2016); suicide forest by kristine haruna lee (oct. 18, 2016); thingnesses by normandy sherwood (oct. 23, 2016); skinfolk by jillian walker (oct. 24, 2016); some higher glimmer in our landscape of flat by cara scarmack (mar. 5, 2017); that something exists by nina segal (mar. 6, 2017); 3 farids by ramiz monsef (mar. 12, 2017); my life in art and diplomacy by alex borinsky (mar. 13, 2017). Approximately 80 theater artists participated in and 300 people attended starr reading series performances last season. In addition, we provided space in the theatre and artistic/technical support with micro-residencies for artists will arbery, len jenkins, and kyoung h. Park, as well as dedicated summer residencies for all our 2016-17 main stage artists. Community/educational programs: big green theater held after-school workshops in ecology and playwriting with elementary school students at ps 75 and ps 239. These programs culminated in the 8th annual big green theater festival offering free, family-friendly matinees for over 500 of our bushwick, brooklyn neighbors. We piloted a new extracurricular educational program in partnership with social justice nonprofit el puente that teaches workshops with local teens about the creative and practical aspects of theater making while they learn to express their perspectives on the issues that affect them through art. We also continued our collaboration with oye group (fka brooklyn gypsies) to present ghetto hors doeuvres, a free day of performances and activities in maria hernandez park that uses activist art to address the effects of issues like gentrification and immigration on our local community.