Digitally Interrupted With Mriamdigital

We sit down with Actor/Activist/Producer Behzad Dabu. Most know him for his roles in shows such as "How To Get Away With Murder", and "The Chi". Behzad is also an activist on a mission to shed light on everyday battles within inner city communities. 

Behzad Dabu is an actor, producer, and activist based out of both Los Angeles and Chicago.  He grew up in Syracuse, NY and got his BFA in Acting from Columbia College Chicago, where he also worked after college as the Senior International Admissions Officer; traveling all over the world working with students and their families on creating careers in the arts.   

He has worked extensively on stage at some of the best theaters in the country, especially in Chicago, and is a proud company member at TimeLine Theatre Company which presents stories inspired by history that connect with today’s social and political issues.

With a passion for working with playwrights and new play development, he originated the role of 'Amit' in "Samsara" at Victory Gardens Theatre, for which he was nominated for a Jeff Award - Best Actor. He also originated the role of 'Abe' in the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony-nominated play, "Disgraced" which he performed at American Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Berkeley Repertory, Seattle Repertory, and the Mark Taper Forum at Center Theatre Group.

On screen, you can see him as 'Simon Drake' on Seasons 3 and 4 of How To Get Away With Murder on ABC,  as 'Amir' on the Showtime series The Chi, and on Disney’s The Lion Guard.  He also appeared in episodes of The Good Place, Chicago P.D., Drive Share, You're So Talented, Dealbreakers; and in the films Hoop, King Rat, Mondo Hollywoodland, Imperfections,  Older Children; as well as various national commercials. 

Behzad strives to be a strong advocate for social justice and equality, particularly in regards to representation in the arts and media; and is a founding member of The Chicago Inclusion Project, which seeks to level the playing field and provide resources in the arts for people of color, women, LGBTQ, and people with disabilities.  He is a skilled audience engagement facilitator and experienced post-show discussion leader.  

Poet Sarahca is a rising artist out of Florida. She has faced many obstacles in life and has found the way to put them in words, and inspire others. She is a Mom and she expresses how that can be a challenge juggling responsibilities. She released a poetry album "The Other Side Of Poetry" in December 2019. 

NIKKI LYNETTE (she/her) is a social impact artist whose individual style is equal parts hip hop, alternative, and pop. A Chicago native, Nikki fuses mental health activism into her performances & visual art. A proud independent artist, her self-produced tunes are currently featured in popular shows on Netflix, Hulu, Showtime and more. Lynette’s success in music licensing has earned its own accolades, including a prominent feature in Billboard Magazine and being invited to speak on a panel at South By Southwest. After a hiatus from releasing new music, Nikki Lynette returned to the public eye with a confession: she’d secretly been battling mental health issues. She began writing articles about depression and suicide for prominent sites like BlackDoctor, Afropunk and AllHipHop. Her next music release, a vinyl only LP entitled Band-Aids for Broken Hearts, is available for pre-order now. Nikki’s mental health documentary Happy Songs About Unhappy Things is also currently in production. A proud ambassador for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Nikki has opened for artists ranging from Lion Babe to Leikeli47, and most recently in Chicago, headlined her own sold-out show in the Foundation Room at the House of Blues. She is represented by Stewart Talent.

This afrogoth musical is equal parts raucous, tender, intelligent and triumphant. Recounting her personal journey marked by abuse, grief, sexual assault and suicide, Lynette raises mental health awareness through the lens of a hip-hop concert. Using storytelling, song, dance, visual media and a live DJ, Lynette’s offbeat approach to sharing her personal mental health journey shows that even when life leads us to a bad place, we can always make it out alive.

After a sold-out run in Steppenwolf Theatre Company's LookOut Series, GOA was in conversation with multiple theaters to produce an extended run of the play. However, COVID-19 put those plans on hold... As a result, Get Out Alive has been reimagined for the internet.

“When I went into the psych ward after a suicide attempt, I met all of these people with the same issues as me, and they felt alone, too. I told them when I got out, I would use my platform to tell our stories—and I'm keeping my word.” – Nikki Lynette

The first songs from Get Out Alive were performed in 2018, when Lynette opened for Russian feminist protest punk rock group Pussy Riot. The full piece was later workshopped in a developmental reading produced by the American Music Theatre Project (AMTP) at Northwestern University in May 2019. Lynette was the first black woman to have her work developed and produced by AMTP.

A creative powerhouse, Lynette is an artist whose style is equal parts hip hop, alternative and pop. Her music has been featured in popular shows on Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, Fox and MTV. Since her return to the public eye, she has written articles about mental health, depression and suicide for prominent black publications.

I give my insight on the Verzuz of Ashanti Vs Keyshia Cole that is going down 12/12/2020 at 8PM! 

In this episode I will give my perspective on why Men should be confident in having a woman who is capable of handling her own. We know a female who is not afraid to take of herself can be scary to some Men. 

We have created a segment where we are letting creatives discuss their roads to where they are now in their professions.

So many procedures. She has beaten cancer TWICE. The word "Fight" is second nature to her. She has overcome alot of things most would fold at. Amanda is a warrior and she has shown that in the past 10 years. She is now a advocate for those who are going through this vicious sickness called "Cancer". 

Video: 
https://youtu.be/4aUOcdddGFw

We have created a segment where we are letting creatives discuss their roads to where they are now in their professions.From moving from Norfolk, VA to NYC, Venus has put her fingerprint on the industry as one of the top stylist. From working for The Source Magazine creating a segment that would launch her brand "Haus Of Creators". Venus has a real inspiring story listen in closely as she drops game on how to become someone in this industry.

We have created a segment where we are letting creatives discuss their roads to where they are now in their professions.From doing Makeup and Hair in the staircases of her High school. Brianna has professionally moved into the ranks with some of the best makeup artists. She started at MAC cosmetics to now she has her own company and team.

We have created a segment where we are letting creatives discuss their roads to where they are now in their professions.We will discuss what has brought Jasmine to where she is today. Covering all aspects of her life and brand. We will talk about her story of pain and how she turned that into the brand that she hascreated today.

This show will be a crossover of both platforms Digitally Interrupted and Pain Into PowerGuest: Amber LeWe will discuss what has brought Amber to where she is today. Covering all aspects of her life and brand. We will talk about her story of pain and how she turned that into the brand that she has created today.