Two Strikes Theatre Collective from left: Natalie Dent, Aladrian C. Wetzel, Dana Woodson, Christen Cromwell, Lauren Erica Jackson and Rachel Wilson.
New Baltimore theater company Two Strikes Theatre Collective announces their 2021 season with virtual devised works, staged readings of original plays, a podcast, and the second annual Brown Sugar Bake-off play festival.
“We created a season that focuses on original art created by Black women on subjects directly impacting us,” says Aladrian C. Wetzel, Executive Director of Two Strikes Theatre Collective. “It’s important that art focusing on Black women continues through these difficult and unprecedented times.”
The 2021 season includes the following virtual productions:
COVID Monologues (Release date: February 26, 2021): Covid Monologues translates public health research on health, behavior, and societal aspects of COVID-19 into monologues. Covid Monologues aims to use research-based theatre to creatively disseminate and humanize emerging peer-reviewed research to audiences outside of the scientific community, including lay audiences and policymakers on topics ranging from racial and ethnic health disparities, social media and medicine, and healthcare workers. Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund, public health researchers Saraniya Tharmarajah and Emily Hurley developed this COVID-19 research-based theater project in partnership with Single Carrot Theatre and Baltimore-based theater artists to include Two Strikes Theatre Collective. Two Strikes Theatre Collective produced the play Black Pain by Christin Eve Cato based on research surrounding Racial disparities and COVID-19. The monologues were screened on Feb 26th and are free and open for public viewing at www.covidmonologues.com
This Crown is Mine (May 22, 2021): The versatility of Black hair is fascinating. The production will feature a series of original performance art about hair types, acceptance, and the perception of curl patterns by others. How have Black women learned to love and appreciate our hair?
Playwrights Collective Showcase: A Juneteenth Celebration (June 19, 2021): In February 2021, Two Strikes Theatre Collective created the “Playwrights Collective”, a creative forum for developing and performing new works, as a safe space to nurture and support Black women writers. In collaboration with Baltimore’s Fells Point Corner Theatre, TSTC’s Playwrights Collective will showcase the developed works in a series of virtual staged readings and filmed creative content to celebrate Black women on Juneteenth.
I’m Speaking (July-August 2021): In the time of COVID-19 and reliance on the connectedness of social media, there have been countless reasons for Black women to get together and discuss the multitude of intersecting issues impacting our daily lives. This weekly podcast series will feature conversations between Black women about arts, race, and how their perspectives have been shaped by COVID-19.
Brown Sugar Bake-Off: Body Crazy, Curvy, Wavy (October 2021): Unfortunately, misogynoir, colorism, objectification, and body-shaming are a part of the Black woman’s experience. How can we learn to love and appreciate our own skin and features while also loving or appreciating others’? Our second annual virtual play festival will once again accept play submissions from around the country, this time with a focus on ingredients asking playwrights to consider what it means to take ownership after an undeniable history of policing Black and Brown bodies.
“Our mission will always be to unapologetically center Black women. In the age of holding White American Theatre accountable in an arena that is historically hostile towards and outright prejudiced against Black creatives, we are no longer asking permission,” says Christen Cromwell, Director of Play development. “We will continue to showcase original work by local and national Black women artists this season, as well as provide a safe space for them to develop their artistry.”
Additional information on production dates and ticketing can be found at twostrikescollective.com.
ABOUT TWO STRIKES
Two Strikes Theatre Collective is an independent Baltimore theatre company founded in July 2019 to celebrate, promote, and encourage the intersectional voice of Black women and how it can be used for social change through art and community engagement. Created as a direct response to a lack of diversity and representation in theater spaces and propelled forward by the #sayhername movement, our mission is to create art that is unapologetically Black femme centric, to upset the White patriarchal status quo, and to provide creative outlets for Black women in the Baltimore community to express themselves through art. We were born with Two Strikes against us: Being a woman and being Black. We choose both. We are the match to ignite the revolution of Black women.
CONTACT TWO STRIKES
High-resolution photos are available.
Email, Executive Director Aladrian C. Wetzel: tstc.baltimore@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/TSTC.Baltimore
Instagram: instagram.com/tstc_baltimore/
Website: twostrikescollective.com
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCHTM5NKBY8Ct0lLj_S4U5dw
Paypal: paypal.me/tstcbaltimore
