Poetic License

The 2nd annual festival from Poetic Theater Productions features nearly 100 artists in seven days of new poetic theater in all stages of development. This year’s festival includes: OBAMATRY: A Spoken Word Remix on the 44th President of the United States written and performed by Darian Dauchan (produced in association with Bowery Arts + Science, Ltd.); FAITH, a gut-wrenching coming of age story, written and performed by Caroline Rothstein; FOREIGN BODIES, where writer Eboni Hogan delivers an unflinchingly true testament to the complexities of the fragile mind, the breakable body and the resilient heart; Mahogany L. Browne’s BLACK GIRLS DON’T SMILE MOSAIC IN FRONT OF STRANGERS (co-presented with the Hip-Hop Theater Festival), a story of transformation in the heart/cracked globe of a city where apples, lights and love seek refuge; and BREAKING OUR SILENCE, featuring LGBTQ poets sharing their experiences of coming out, finding love and crashing through the barriers of shame and silence to emerge into a new world, curated by Joanna Hoffman and Elliott D. Smith; GENERATION NOW, featuring viBe Theater Experience, Girl Be Heard (formerly Project Girl) and Urban Word NYC; and Warrior Writers NYC’s FROM TABLE TO STAGE. Play readings include BRAIDED SORROW by Marisela Treviño Orta, BLOOD QUANTUM by Tanaya Winder and THE WILL TO KNOWLEDGE by Takeo Rivera (playwright of the award-winning spoken word choreopoem, Goliath). Finally, choreographer Natalia Duong premieres a new poetic movement piece.