The Episcopal Actors’ Guild will present Black Voices, an evening of one-act readings featuring Black/African-American playwrights and casts.

All those who enjoyed Small Plates: An Evening of Short Plays will want to return to EAG’s Zoom on November 19 for this next collaboration curated by Omar M’Sai: Black Voices, a night of one-act readings featuring:

Miranda’s Book
written by Jo’Siah Shan
directed by Natae Bush
with Zavier Andrew and Trezure Coles

After a sudden tragedy strikes her family, Miranda returns to her ex-boyfriends home in search of an American classic: Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass.

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Little Black Bear
written and directed by Christopher Raishun Marshall
with Maurice Kessler, Ryan Sett, and Tiffany Taylor

Little Black Bear is a beautiful story about the writer’s 3rd great-grandparents; two Choctaw Indians navigating the impossible choice of saving their future or their history, and the pain that either decision will undoubtedly bring.

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52nd Floor
written and directed by Karen L. Smith
with Marcella Matthews Cooper and Anthony Cooper

What happens on the 52nd Floor may not necessarily stay on the 52nd Floor! This third play from The Suitcase Trilogy explores the challenge of not giving up ten minutes before the miracle happens.

Black Voices premieres at 7:00 P.M. (EST), November 19th. Tickets are priced at pay-what-you-can and are available now at ticketstripe.com/eag-black-voices. The link to access the live Zoom event will be emailed to all ticketholders. Only 100 tickets are available for this exclusive online event. All proceeds from this performance will go to the charitable programs of The Episcopal Actors’ Guild, which has been providing emergency financial assistance and career support to NYC’s professional performing artists of all faiths, and none, since 1923.

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THE EPISCOPAL ACTORS’ GUILD (est. 1923) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. EAG ‘s mission is to provide emergency aid and support to professional performers of all faiths, and none, who are undergoing financial crisis. The Guild is also dedicated to helping emerging artists advance their careers through scholarships, awards, and performance opportunities. Throughout the year, EAG hosts events and fundraisers including concerts, variety shows, play readings, and professional workshops. www.actorsguild.org.

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Omar M’Sai (Producer/Curator) performed improv in San Francisco, with The Committee Theatre for 3 years, graduated from the American Conservatory Theater, studied film at College of Marin, and performed in the Bay Area theaters for 30 years. Acting for the Library of Congress and AARP. Moved to NYC in 2006, and performed in Off-Broadway theaters, produced an Off-Broadway show in Midtown, Sons of Johnny Johnson, and a one-act play, The Leap, at the Episcopal Actors’ Guild.

Jo’Siah Shan (Writer, Miranda’s Book) Jo’Siah is a rising senior at Norfolk State

University where he currently studies Drama & Theatre. A native of Pittsburgh, Shan began writing at a young age when his grandmother gave him the gift of his first diary. Inside, in the most beautiful cursive you can ever imagine, she wrote a single instruction; WRITE! A humbling christening that continues to inspire his writing and remind him that every story, especially his own, is worth being told. He is so excited to be presenting with EAG at a time when the creative arts are so needed. Please enjoy Miranda’s Book.

Natae Bush (Director, Miranda’s Book) Natae Bush is a senior, Drama and Theatre major with an emphasis in Performance at Norfolk State University. She grew up within the cities of Prince Georges County, MD with her parents and three younger sisters who all supported her to pursue her true love of artistry. Natae performed in many collegiate productions including Gem of the Ocean, Once on this Island, and For Colored Girls. Miranda’s Book serves as her first time being in charge of an artistic vision. Natae plans to pursue a graduate level of studies in Acting and Directing to pursue her dream of directing self-written shows on Broadway.

Zavier Andrew (Franklin, Miranda’s Book) Hello, Family, my name is Zavier Andrew. I am a 20-year-old, Drama & Theatre Major at Norfolk State University, from Newport News, Va. My love for theater is unconditional; it’s an amazing feeling to change a life by telling someone else’s story.

Trezure Coles (Miranda, Miranda’s Book) is a senior drama theatre performance major at Norfolk State University. She is originally from and currently lives in Newport News, Virginia. This is Trezure’s first production with the Black Voices event. She is “highly excited to be a part of this event that is spreading awareness and love of her people’s voices and talents in the arts.”

Christopher Raishun Marshall (Writer/Director Little Black Bear) Christopher Raishun Marshall is an actor and writer from Hebron, Mississippi. In 2012, Christopher’s play Vodou & the Priestess won out of 2000+ submitted plays to the 76th NADSA competition. In 2018, his play Turnabout won Week 1 of the Players Theatre Sex-themed short play festival. He currently has a monologue published in the 50 Best Monologues for Women Anthology and a play being published in the 50 Best Short Plays in America Anthology. For more information on Christopher, please find him at www.christophermarshall.net.

Maurice Kessler (Mark Herron, Little Black Bear) Last seen on a physical stage as Billy in Dirk Burrows’ one-act Bobble-Head, Maurice has performed as Mel in Neil Simon’s Prisoner of Second Avenue (Brooklyn Heights Players), Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, Charlie in The Foreigner, and Mordred in Camelot. His off-off-Broadway credits include Danceny in Les Liaisons Dangereuses as well as several classical archetypes with the Westside Repertory Theater, and Wayne in Fear of Heights at the Harold Clurman Theater. Recent Zoom-read characters have included those of Shakespeare, Poe, and Serling. Maurice is also a voiceover artist, an award-winning graphic designer, and occasional professional whistler.

Ryan Sett (Elizal James, Little Black Bear) Ryan Sett is a Brooklyn-born actor/singer/writer. Graduate of MTC. Ryan has performed in HarlemPlaywrights21 festivals spearheaded by Charles White and was Off-Broadway in Black Angels Over Tuskegee by Layon Gray before the pandemic. Ryan will be in the next installment of the NY Summerfest 2021 in The Reunion by J. Marshall Evans…He sends blessings to all.

Tiffany Taylor (Manerva James, Little Black Bear) is a singer/actress New York City transplant coming from the far, faraway lands of Connecticut. She is thrilled to be taking part in Black Voices with the wonderful talents of the Episcopal Actors’ Guild. Past performance credits include Sammi in Amara Faye (Spellbound Chiller Fest), Jane in Phone Arts, Naomi in Naomi In The Living Room (CUNY One Act Play Festival), ensemble in In The Heights at Lehman College, and Kyra/Ensemble in BARE: A Pop Opera at Sponge Theatricals. Special thanks to her supportive friends/family. Enjoy the show!

Karen L. Smith (Writer/director, 52nd Floor) Karen L. Smith, playwright, poet, producer, director and acclaimed percussionist is more than excited to be returning to another series by EAG. Karen has received a number of grants for her works and has a major production opening for 2021 entitled Awoke, The Musical. A collage of music, poetry, circus antics and multi-media, describing the business of Mass Incarceration and the pipeline to the public school systems. Daily Mantra: Trusting the Process.

Marcella Matthews Cooper (Young Woman, 52nd Floor) Marcella Cooper has appeared in several theater productions. She studied voice at the City College of NY, graduating with a BFA degree. Marcella has toured internationally as a member of the 60’s singing group The Crystals and has appeared off-off-Broadway in Gee Whiz, God Is! and Mama, I Want to Sing! Although a native New Yorker, Marcella now lives in Philadelphia and is excited to be a part of the third installment of The Suitcase Trilogy with Karen Smith.

Anthony Cooper (Voice, 52nd Floor) Anthony Cooper has performed in a variety of film and theatre projects and has studied the creative process with Earle Hyman at HB Studios, Robert Hightower at StagEast Repertory and Elmo Terry Morgan of Brown University’s Rites and Reasons Theater among others. He is happy to be a part of this program and working with Omar M’Sai and with Karen Smith…AGAIN!

www.actorsguild.org