'BLANKS' - Theater Fundraiser
BLANKS | by Gethsemane Herron-Coward
If love conquers all, what happens when it conquers you?
Playwright Gethsemane Herron-Coward will present 'BLANKS' at the Signature Theatre in New York City on May 15th - 18th, 2019. With this play, written by a Black woman and unapologetically about Black women, Herron-Coward follows in the tradition of bold storytellers before her. 'BLANKS' explores love as a concept in many forms through the lens of Black women, past and present.
Serving as her graduate thesis for Columbia University, Herron-Coward also actively sought Black women to help tell this story: its director is Tyler Thomas and its producer is Cali Green. The core design team also includes Black women: scenic is by Jocelyn Girigorie, lighting by Ebony Burton, sound by Sadah Espii Proctor, and costume by Rashidah Nelson.
Our fundraising will go toward covering expenses in scenic design, costume design, lighting design, sound design, marketing, administrative fees, and overall production. These funds are essential to supplement what Columbia University has provided.
DONATIONS $25+ IN THE NYC AREA WILL HAVE PRIORITY RESERVED SEATING.
Thus far, Herron-Coward has performed three readings of the play, earning the praise and attention of festivals and the industry. As we approaches the full theater production, we seek to bring 'BLANKS' to life on the stage in the most authentic and impactful ways possible.
PLAY SYNOPSIS: Medical student Reese desperately hunts for the romance of her dreams while her “aunties” (key Black women throughout history and media) dissuade, distract, and try to save her from love’s violent abandonment--something they all experienced, but something they did not all survive. BLANKS interrogates how intimate partner violence, intersectional patriarchy, and neglect affect Black women’s pursuit of romantic and filial love. It asks: if love conquers all, what happens when it conquers you?
PLAYWRIGHT: Gethsemane Herron-Coward
DIRECTOR: Tyler Thomas
PRODUCER: Cali Green
SCENIC DESIGN: Jocelyn Girigorie
LIGHTING DESIGN: Ebony Burton
SOUND DESIGN: Sadah Espii Proctor
COSTUME DESIGN: Rashidah Nelson
STAGE MANAGEMENT: Dennis Ho
COVER ARTWORK: Jonathan Robinson
About Playwright:
Gethsemane Herron-Coward is a poet-turned-playwright from Washington, D.C. She is a 2016 Semi-Finalist for the Rising Circle INK TANK, a 2016 Finalist for the Jane Chambers Playwriting Award, a 2017 Finalist for SPACE on Ryder Farm. Gethsemane is also a 2016 Grant Recipient from the Puffin Foundation, which supported her residency with JAW Magic Time at Judson Memorial Church. Gethsemane’s short play, The Falling Man received a production in The Fire This Time Festival in 2018. Her work has been supported by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Millay Colony, where she was the 2018 Yasmin Scholarship Fellow. Her work has been seen in Atlanta Black Star, The Washington Post, the 24 Hour Plays: Nationals and Columbia University, where she is completing her MFA in Playwriting. She is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild.
