We are thrilled to present the culminating event for our New Voices Program cohort live online! The New Voices Program is a playwriting program for local Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, facilitated by our friends at The Ink Project.

Help us celebrate the work that these talented writers have put together over the last several months on June 12 at 7:00pm live on RLT’s Facebook page.

Wednesday, June 12, 2024
7:00 – 8:30pm
Tune in to the RLT Facebook page to watch!

The Plays & Playwrights

Enjoy 10-minute excerpts from each our of participant’s plays that were developed over the course of the program during the culminating event. Learn more about each of our playwrights and their featured plays below.

Content Warning: Some of the plays contain adult themes and language. Viewer discretion is advised.

Last Impression by Adonicca MeChelle
Directed by Verlene Oates

Adonicca MeChelle is a proud native of Raleigh, North Carolina. She discovered her love of reading and writing by the age of 8-years-old, and has been creating stories and poetry since that time. Adonicca also studied music and participated in the performing arts from her formative years through high school, singing and performing with her schools’ choirs. While identifying as quietly creative, Adonicca also has degrees in Criminology and Sociology with a focus on Women’s Studies, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a certificate in Non-Profit Management.

A Kitchen Full of Stars by Alana Williamson
Directed by Cristina Duchesne-Rivera

Alana Williamson (she/her) is a Sophomore Musical Theatre Major at Catawba College. She’s so grateful to work with the New Voices Program! Alana wrote her first ten-minute play, A Kitchen Full of Stars, in a playwrighting course last fall. Some of her recent performance credits include Henrietta Leavitt in Silent Sky, Kish in The Sunnyview Elementary School Art Show, Marie Laveau in Mythos, Serena in Legally Blonde, Ensemble in Jekyll and Hyde, and Greta Brandenburg in Spring Awakening. She would like to thank all of the fantabulous humans for their love and support!

I Am Not Ok by Valerie Mann
Directed by Stacie Alston

Valerie is a New York native whose diverse background has provided her with a unique lens into the journey of storytelling. As a Human Services major at Bronx Community College, her passion for helping others is noted as a former New York City Bus Operator and Chaplain. This eventually led her to North Carolina where she currently volunteers at Raleigh Little Theatre while embracing the power of acting and voiceover. Through the New Voices Program, Valerie is excited to see where this path leads as she hones her craft to give voice to the stories that resonate within her.

Untitled by Teal Lepley
Directed by Mikki Marvel

Teal Lepley (she/they) is a Raleigh-based writer and actor. While an undergrad creative writing student at NC State, she participated in its University Theatre program as an actor, later winning their 2015-2016 Creative Artist Award in Theatre for her original play Of Ghosts and Strangers, which was produced in 2017 by the university. It explored the connections of memory, identity, and relationships. She also writes long-form fiction (usually speculative fiction) in addition to plays. Nowadays, she participates in theatre as a performer, writer, and accessibility coordinator.

Greetings by Brittany Dingle
Directed by Melanie Payne

Britany sincerely enjoyed taking part in the New Voices Program and participated as a diverse, collaborative voice. By this adventure, she got back to her playwriting and fiction writing roots. This really has been exciting and rewarding yet challenging because it really grounded her in the work and story. The chance to get working with a diverse group of writers at RLT, very insightful, well-established panel of playwrights, and encouraging coordinators.

Sponsors

The New Voices Program is sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.