ONE-ACT JAMBOREE and BACK TO THE PAST
Albany, NY – May 23, 2024 – Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate NY (BTTUNY) is excited to announce its upcoming and last production of the 2023-2024 season ONE-ACT JAMBOREE and BACK TO THE PAST at the Lauren and Harold Iselin Studio at theRep – located at 251 N Pearl Street, Albany NY 12207
One-Act Jamboree:
A Collection of New Works from Upstate New York Playwrights and Beyond! An evening of short plays, ranging from 5 to 25 minutes long, addressing a variety of themes and topics connecting to Black lives and communities. The plays range from comedy to drama to choreopoem. One play will have you roaring with laughter, and the next will ask you to question your belief systems…but all plays will leave you with a greater appreciation for the diverse experiences that Black people live.
June 6 through June 16, 2024
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30PM and Sundays at 4:00PM
At theRep – Lauren and Harold Iselin Studio – 251 N Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12207
Reservations: https://www.blacktheatretroupeupstateny.org/season/one-act-jamboree
BACK TO THE PAST: Youth Production – FREE ADMISSION (no reservations)
“A people without the knowledge of their history is like a tree without roots.” – Marcus Garvey
Back to the Past is an exciting play that takes children on an unforgettable adventure to meet famous and not-so-famous great African American achievers. Bessie Smith, Marcus Garvey, and Matthew Henson are just a few who visit and teach the children about their beautiful past.
This piece is performed by both local youth and adults, and it is geared toward an elementary and middle school audience.
Saturday June 8, 2024 at 1:00PM and Sunday June 9, 2024 at 1:00PM
At theRep – Lauren and Harold Iselin Studio – 251 N Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12207
www.blacktheatretroupeupstateny.org
BTTUNY HISTORY:
The Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York (BTTUNY) was originally founded under the name Soul Rebel Performance Troupe in 2009 by veteran actor Jean-Remy Monnay. Monnay was born and raised in Haiti, later moving to NYC at the age of 18. In 1997, he moved upstate and began to get involved in the Capital Region theatre scene. He soon discovered that there were very few BIPOC artists working in the area, and very limited opportunities for those artists to find work. The creation of Soul Rebel Performance Troupe was in response to this lack of access; it provided a home for artists of color, LGBTQIA+ actors, and other overlooked and underrepresented identities. The company was granted 501(c)(3) status in 2011, as it further committed to its mission and began to grow its performance season and outreach programs into a more vibrant array of activities. Over the years, the company’s focus became more clearly about supporting BIPOC, and predominantly Black, artists and narratives, and in 2018 the company’s name was changed to The Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York in order to better align with this intention. In June 2021, BTTUNY became the Resident Community Company at Capital Repertory Theatre (theREP).
MISSION: The Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York’s goal is to foster cross- cultural understanding and to create more diversity on stage and in theatre by highlighting, producing and promoting performance and theatre arts by marginalized artists in upstate New York. We aim to expand the cultural landscape and create a place for Artists of Color to grow and thrive.