We are thrilled to present the culminating event for our inaugural New Voices Program cohort live online! The New Voices Program is a new 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 13 at 6:30pm live on Facebook.

Sunday, June 13
6:30 p.m.
Tune in to the RLT Facebook page to watch!

Be sure to check out the CBS 17 spotlight on the New Voices Program here!

The Plays & Playwrights

Enjoy 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 play and playwright below!

Bypass

Written by Aysia Slade
Directed by Patrick Torres

About Aysia:

Aysia Slade it is a rising playwright and actor born in and raised in the triangle area of North Carolina. She won the Creative Artist Award at North Carolina State University for her first play Static which explores mental illness, grief and joy from the perspective of three lifelong friends. She has also spent quite a lot of time on stage acting in several shows, including Raleigh Little Theatre’s Blood at the Root and several shows at NCSU. She is excited to continue this new stage in her theatre career.

In Perfect Order

Written by Chanté Thompson
Directed by Patrick Torres

About Chanté:

Chanté Thompson is an afro-latina writer. Originally from Jacksonville, FL, she has called Raleigh, NC home for the last decade. She holds a BA in History, an MBA from Fayetteville State University, and has completed a fellowship for BIPOC and minority academics at UNC-Chapel Hill. Chanté is largely drawn to historical works and continues to use the theater as a means of self-discovery. She is elated to join The Ink Project’s current cohort.

Purpose

Written by Davyous Melvin
Directed by Kenneth Hinton

About Davyous:

Davyous is a student at William Peace University. He is currently pursuing a B.F.A in Musical Theatre with a minor in Psychology. He has been performing in musicals since 8th grade, and has been active in many clubs and organizations throughout his student experience. He currently is the president of The Black Student Union at WPU. He also is the president o The Green Team. He is a aspiring writer and composer, and looks forward to working with the New Voices Program!

The Imperceptive Heist

Written by Germôna Sharpe
Directed by Kenneth Hinton

About Germôna:

Germôna Sharp is a vocalist, actress and writer originally from Pittsburgh, PA; currently residing in Raleigh, NC. As an actress Germôna has appeared in many different productions like Blood Done Sign My Name, Sister Act: The Musical, Caroline, or Change: The Musical and many more! She currently is a contributor for ChathamLife&Style.com, where she has written reviews on multiple theatre and film productions such as “The Scottsboro Boys” and “Black is King”. Recently she became a writer for BeingBrownLLC.com where she speaks about black mobility. She is very excited to be working with The Ink Project and hopes to tell more stories from the perspective of BIPOC!

Tox

Written by Larissa Brito
Directed by Brian Westbrook

About Larissa:

My name is Larissa Brito I live in Raleigh, NC. but I also grew up in Boston, MA so it always has a warm place in my heart! I am a massage therapist and currently attending William Peace University for my degree in strategic communication. I have always had a story up my sleeve, I think it’s because of my Caribbean culture and being raised by generations of natural story tellers. I have always wanted to see people who share my story or look like me on the stage or on screen so that is why I am so excited and grateful to take part in this endeavor to bring a more diverse group of story tellers together!

The Bi-focal of Life

Written by Larraine Lee
Directed by Brian Westbrook

About Larraine:

Born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, Larraine Lee is a graduate of North Carolina agricultural and technical state University, where she majored in broadcasting. She was introduced to scriptwriting through her classes where her love of writing grew and every assignment was fun, new adventure to tackle. Upon graduation, Lee returned to her native Raleigh where she currently works as a video editor and an occasional writer for a local, prominent news station. In her spare time, she loves to brainstorm script ideas, read (novels/plays/newspaper/magazines), takes ballet, and makes humorous social media content.

Under the Cherry Blossom

Written by Nori Rivera
Directed by Natasha Jackson

About Nori:

Nori Rivera is 20 years old and currently enrolled at Wake Tech Community College. One of their earliest memories is writing a short story in the 1st grade, ever since then Nori has had a passion for writing. Nori has written many short stories, their own one act play, as well as many short skits as a collaboration with their friends. Nori also has a passion for music and theatre, hoping one day they’ll be able to write their own musical.

Hashing It Out

Written by Joshua Mardrice
Directed by Natasha Jackson

About Joshua:

J. Mardrice is an actor, playwright, storyteller, reader of mystery books and a generally nice and goofy dude. He grew up in rural North Carolina, yet he has never let his small town beginnings impede upon his BIG dreams! After graduating from UNC at Greensboro with a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and a minor in English, J. Mardrice relocated to Durham, NC and has remained active in the local theatre and film scene. As a writer, J. Mardrice has been influenced by greats such as Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Zora Neale Hurston who have both helped and matured his writing over the years. The trajectory of his writing is an ever-evolving kaleidoscope of what he’s experienced, what he’s learned, and the knowledge he continues to seek. A self-proclaimed “forever student”, J. Mardrice finds great pleasure in opportunities such as the New Voices Program to further grow his creative acumen.

Sponsors

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