The Black Landscape

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Meet San Francisco resident, Fred Pitts. His solo show “Aren’t You…?” recounts his hilarious journey to visit all 21 California Mission churches, where he discovers that being Black makes him an instant celebrity – the question is which one? 

Pitts has been performing in the Bay Area for over 20 years. He has worked with numerous regional theatres, including Shotgun Players, Altarena Playhouse, The Pear Theatre, Palo Alto Players, African-American Shakespeare Company, Custom Made Theatre Company, Contra Costa Civic Theatre, and EXIT Theatre, among others. Pitts also has numerous film and commercial credits. After being an Emergency Medicine physician for 20 years, he now works in drug safety.
Aren’t You…? is playing at The Marsh Berkeley February 10 – March 2, 2024.
Ticket Link: https://themarsh.org/shows_and_events/marshstream/fred-pitts-arent-you/
Facebook: Fred Pitts
Instagram: @frdpttsjnr

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OYSTERKNIFE—a name derived from Zora Neale Hurston’s essay “How It Feels To Be a Colored Me”—was formed in late 2017 out of a longtime creative friendship between Gabriele Christian and Chibueze Crouch. Nourishing a desire to subvert their collegiate theatrical training, which often ignored the complex Afro-Diasporic queer experiences, they found that interdisciplinary, somatic-based, experimental approaches made for fuller work, allowing them to interrogate sociohistorical norms and institutions while freeing their bodies.

Both members of OYSTERKNIFE bring a wealth of creative experiences, meshing theater, ritual masquerade, video, extemporaneous movement, song, and text. Central to every work they co-create are: an attention to archives (documenting the voices both seen and unseen), collectivism (who is here and who is missing that we need to invite), and multimedia immersion (seamlessly blending disciplines and breaking the audience/performer divide).

They have produced three full-length shows in the Bay: “mouth full of sea” dug into presumptions around complicity in the transatlantic slave trade; “mouth//full” excavated BlaQ testimony and African indigenous spiritual practices in the Christian Church; and the site-specific “Time of Change” narratively reanimated the majority Black Haight-Ashbury neighborhood that was eclipsed by the counterculture movement of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Email: [email protected]
IG: @_oysterknife_
Jan 28, 2-4:30pm – BlaQ Benedictions Workshop with brontë velez: black rapture – performance, discussion and storytelling

Feb 2-4, mouf//full  Performances

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**Trigger Warning! This interview includes topics of suicide & depression**

Toni Rochelle was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 2005, she relocated to the Bay Area and immediately started modeling, appearing in fashion shows, magazines, and several (music) videos. Soon after, she started landing roles in independent films and stage plays.

Her biggest accomplishments were a Honda commercial and the opportunity to perform at the Edinburgh Theater Festival in Scotland. Toni has established herself as a talk show host for the entertainment show Off Tha Hook TV, where she shined interviewing celebrities on the red carpet at The ASCAP awards, BET Awards press rooms, and different events in Los Angeles.

She recently launched her platform called Ascending with Toni Rochelle. She believes that the platform, Ascending, presents people and energy that prevails through the struggle and continues to rise, thrive, and prosper. Moving on past pain, and hurt and still helping to build community and overcoming all obstacles will help with healing and wellness in the community.

W: https://ascendingwithtonirochelle.com
IG: Ascendingwithtonirochelle
YouTube: Ascending with Toni Rochelle

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Unique Derique is a longtime San Francisco Bay Area favorite whose dual careers merge the performing arts and healing with the belief that the world can be a brighter place, one breath—and one laugh—at a time. Internationally acclaimed “Clown Prince'' Unique Derique’s appearances have spanned the globe from South Africa to Scotland, Taipei, London, Paris, and Tokyo— and he has shared the stage with entertainers such as Bobby McFerrin, The Temptations, Laura Nyro, Jim Nabors, Tuck and Patti, Lou Rawls, and Sammy Davis, Jr. His clowny past includes the famed Pickle Family Circus, Children’s Fairyland, Prescott Circus Theatre, and Bread and Roses Presents.

 Past television credits include PBS-KQED, Univision, and the Disney Channel. Derique’s Fool La La plays annually at The Marsh with a delightfully different twist each season. When not entertaining audiences as Unique Derique, Lance McGee
is a Trauma-Informed Wellness Consultant and Mindfulness Coach providing support to school educators, administrators, staff and students. He also leads workshops on trauma-informed care practices and mindfulness for non-profit organizations, health clinics, colleges and educational
systems.

W: https://linktr.ee/uniquederique

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NPR award-winning storyteller Don Reed (Writer/Performer/Director) was a 2018 nominee for the Theatre Bay Area (TBA) Outstanding Solo Production, as well as the 2016 TBA winner and the 2017 TBA nominee for the same award.

The playwright/performer/director is also a SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle nominee and NAACP triple nominee for Best Actor and Best Playwright. His past works at The Marsh include East 14th, The Kipling Hotel, Can You Dig It?, That Don Reed Show, and Going Out. Reed can be seen in the Amazon Prime series Bartlett, where Reed plays the boss in a struggling ad agency alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton creator and star). He has worked in various roles in front of and behind the camera for
Warner Bros, Disney+, Marvel, Pixar, The CW, Sony, Lionsgate, and more. Reed has also
performed, written, and directed for film, television, and theater. As a producer, Don has coproduced noted director/writer Robert Townsend's (Hollywood Shuffle, The 5 Heartbeats, Eddie Murphy's Raw, The Last OG) one-man show Living the Shuffle for The Marsh. 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/don.reed.7796
IG: https://www.instagram.com/donreedwow

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Courtney Jones (she/her) is a 3rd generation Oaklander who is passionate about diversity, inclusion, giving back, and providing resources to distressed communities. Courtney is a co-parent of two daughters and the Fine Art Museums of San Francisco’s first Associate Director of Diversity & Inclusion. Her professional career includes the previous operator of an independent consulting company and the Senior Business Strategy Consultant for Managing Diversity Together, LLC.

As an advocate for social justice and racial equity, Courtney helped found and co-chaired the Chabot Elementary Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Equity and Inclusion Committee and was the previous PTA President.  Courtney co-founded Girl Scout Troop 32099 eight years ago, and she enjoys leading her troop, which currently has over ninety girls. Courtney is a Commissioner and Communications officer for the City of Oakland's Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Community Tax Advisory Board. S

he is a 2023 Black Citizen’s Change Maker, a 2022 New Leader’s Council – Oakland cohort alumna, a 2021 Emerge California alum, the Emerge 2021 Northern California Class Vice Representative, and is running for Alameda County Board of Supervisors in District 4, in 2024.

Facebook: courtney,jones1211
Instagram: courtneyj_allday

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Born & raised in Oakland, CA.
Actor, Model, Costume Designer, Writer.
A Meisner trained actor who has the ability to transform himself into a variety of characters with strong ideologies.
Growing up in the diverse Bay Area, he was exposed to many different shades of people at a young age. That is where he found his love for people and their stories. In high school he participated in his first plays and musicals.
After college, Ryan worked as a stylist and costume designer, commercial actor. In the wake of 2020's pandemic, he decided to return to acting as his main love enrolling in the Meisner technique studio in San Francisco where he continues to study today.

Music Video: Reggie Becton "SADBOY"

IG: @Sir.thurston

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Ashley Jemison is bringing a new school vibe to smooth jazz. Covering the current styles of R&B and pop music of today while adding a unique improvisational twist leaves her audiences wanting more.

With a mother and father who were musicians it was inevitable that Ashley would follow in their footsteps. Working tirelessly to be at her own personal best she excelled quickly at playing the saxophone. In pursuit of her dream of playing music she continued her journey through studying music at California State University Los Angeles where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree. Despite studying music, her career was not fully realized until after her battle with Breast Cancer. Experiencing such a life changing diagnoses Ashley made it her mission that when she made it to the other side of the battle, she would wholeheartedly pursue her dream of playing music for the world.

Since making her career shift she has been invited back for performances spanning from the Bay Area to Los Angeles. With the back drop of smooth and soulful saxophone tone of Ashley easily takes the ambience to a new level. Provoking great emotion with every note she plays, it is guaranteed that you will not leave an Ashley Jemison performance without feeling moved to dance, smile or even to tears.  Uplifting the spirits and moving people is what truly pushes Ashley to give performances of a lifetime.

FB: www.facebook.com/ashleyjsax
IG: www.instagram.com/ashleyjsax
YouTube: www.youtube.com/ashleyjsax

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Mélia Mills is an Oakland native. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts and is and is a writer, comedian, actress, and rapper. Mélia co-hosted the podcast “TALK LIKE A GIRL” on Feral Audio and was selected by Anna Deavere Smith to take part in her Performing Personal Narratives, Global Identities workshop. She has opened for Dave Chappelle, the “Jerry Seinfeld of France,” Gad Elmaleh, and collaborated with Sacha Baron Cohen on script and character development. Mills created, wrote, produced, directed, and acted in her ensemble piece, JUNETEENTH - An Emancipation Celebration! to a sold-out crowd at UCB. She was a writer and performer on UCB’s House Team, CHARACTERS WELCOME. 

Website:  Meliamills.com
Instagram: @meliamills

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For over a decade, David Mack has managed some of California's most innovative dance, opera and theatre companies, including: The Industry, Joe Goode Performance Group and Watts Village Theater Company. Additionally, he has consulted for a variety of performing arts organizations, including: Center Theatre Group, L.A. Dance Project and Ate9 Dance Company. Currently, Mack serves on the Boards of the Western Arts Alliance and San Francisco Arts Alliance.  Mack is Founder and Strategic Executive Officer of Artist Magnet, a social network for theatre and dance artists (which includes Theatre Magnet, a consulting firm for emerging arts administrators, and Artist Magnet Justice Alliance, an advocacy, professional development and fiscal sponsorship organization for emerging arts leaders).

Website: Artistmagnet.com
IG: @artistmagnet

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