[CANCELED] Week 1: Panther Women: An Army for the Liberation
April 02, 2020 - April 04, 2020
7:00pm, Thu/Fri/Sat, James Levin Theatre.
Test Flight is a multi-week series that showcases new work on its way to full production. Test Flight provides both local and national artists with the keys to the theatre and the opportunity to co-produce original works-in-progress. The series encourages risk-taking and an entrepreneurial spirit towards creating new work while offering artists a structured support system. New Play Development.
The James Levin Theatre is fully ADA compliant featuring a patron elevator and an all gender, wheelchair accessible restroom.
Standard Price (Thursday): $12
Standard Price (Friday, Saturday): $18
Content Warning: CPT supports new play development, as well as social justice oriented-theatre. Sensitive material may be explored, and content continues to change as the art is developed (and Test Flight performances can continue to change throughout their run!). Because of the nature of new play development, we can’t provide additional content warnings for Test Flight performances.
The Test Flight 2020 series is canceled. Click here for up-to-date information about CPT programming.
PANTHER WOMEN: AN ARMY FOR THE LIBERATION
written & Directed by India Nicole Burton*
*2019/2020 NNPN Producer in Residence
Follows the stories of three prominent women who were members of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Movement to explore the lives and unique experiences of Black Women in America. Featuring an all-African American female cast.
Writing Collaborators: John Dayo-Aliya, Samantha V. Richards, Latecia Wilson
Stage Manager: Jaytionna Wells
Assistant Director: Mariah Burks
Lighting Designer: Kix
Choreographer: Lexy Lattimore
Sound Designer: Andrea Nemeth
Music Director: Asia Sharp-Berry
Costume Designer: Latecia Wilson
Performers: Chaunice Hendking, Maya Jones, Lexy Lattimore, Zyrece Montgomery, Asia Sharp-Berry, Calypso Simone
Image Design: Briana Finegan
India Nicole Burton is an actress, director, playwright, and producer. She is a native of Akron, OH and graduated from The University of Akron in 2011 with a BA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis on performance. Upon graduating, India founded Ma’Sue Productions, an African American theatre company located in Akron. She has directed, produced, and performed in several of Ma’Sue’s plays and acted as co-artistic director until 2015. India has worked with many prominent Akron, Cleveland, New York, Atlanta, and L.A. actors, directors, and playwrights. Some of India’s acting credits include Julius Caesar (Portia), Bootycandy (Actor 1), An Octoroon (Dido), and Orlando (Orlando). India’s directing credits include for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf (Heads Up Productions), The Laramie Project (Heads Up Productions), Daybreak’s Children (Ma’Sue Productions), A Happening on Imperial (Ma’Sue Productions), O Patria Mia (Ma’Sue Productions), Little Women (Hathaway Brown Theatre Institute), Fire on the Water (Cleveland Public Theatre, co-directed with Raymond Bobgan), Panther Women: An Army for the Liberation (working title) (in development at Cleveland Public Theatre), and three short plays produced at Cleveland Public Theatre’s Station Hope: What we could have been, Maya: The Poet, and We Call you George. India’s assistant directing credits include the 2014 production of The Color Purple at Karamu House, brownsville song (b-side for tray) at Dobama Theatre, and Cleveland Public Theatre’s Barbecue and Good at Heart, featured in BorderLight International Theatre + Fringe Festival. India is a board member for New World Performance Lab and is in her second year as the NNPN Producer in Residence at Cleveland Public Theatre. She is currently working on the second cycle of Panther Women: An Army for the Liberation, which will appear in Cleveland Public Theatre’s development series Test Flight and will travel to Chicago where it will be featured in Rhinoceros Theater Festival as Prop Thtr’s guest. India will also be directing Insurrection: Holding History in July of 2020 for convergence-continuum.
The goal of Test Flight is to support new work and local/national artists.
CPT provides:
– The James Levin Theatre
– Basic production staff, stage management, box office support
– Marketing and advertising support
The artists provide the rest!
The writers, directors, actors, and designers selected for Test Flight dedicate themselves to creating new and original work, or stretching their artistic powers by working in new disciplines.
