Ripple Effect Artists: Guarding the Bridge

July 18, 2018 was Nelson Mandela International Day:  “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  Change your perspective.  Visit those dark spaces.  Shed some light on it and spread the love. 

Final performance  July 30th at 7pm!!! Tickets

Guarding the Bridge CoverWhat a fierce evening of theater and substance!GUARDING THE BRIDGE with authentic performances by Scott Zimmerman, Tim Dowd  deftly directed by Jonathan Libman and one-woman wonder, Spoken Word Artist, Dawn Speaks!

It is the mission of Ripple Effect Artists to address injustice and causes social impact through art — primarily by producing masterful plays – presenting them along with talk-back discussions in partnership with educators and advocacy groups.  Jessie Fahay, Founding Executive Director recollected seeing A Normal Heart and was so incredibly moved and thought “theatre moves people.  What can I do about this? Theater can cause a ripple effect”; thereby, becomes the laser focus of Wednesday evening’s performance of Guarding the Bridge by Chuck Gorden and Spoken Word Artist Dawn Speaks.

The juxtaposition of the powerful one-act play about the roots of racism and Dawn Speaks’ one-woman jam-poetry entertaining narrative candidly tackles issues of racism, fear, and bigotry.  Following this, a panel featuring Erika L. Ewing of Got To Stop Think TankDawn Speaks, Chuck Gorden and two representatives from Center for the Study of White American Culture, Inc. shared their insights and solutions to start a conversation about these issues:

“People are hungry.  And what am I gonna do about it? People are helpless. And what am I gonna do about it? Bring humanity back. Be willing to hear; be interested to hear it.  Systems [are] designed to suppress.  [We] have to be in that conversation.” ~Erika L. Ewing

“Why we hate we? The material is not new but the conversation is very old. . . I decided to educate; that’s how I intend to spark a revolution.”  ~Dawn Speaks

“You can’t say I’m not a racist – it’s inherent.  As long as you’re not aware of it it perpetuates. White people fear [being called] racist.”   ~Chuck Gorden

Catch a glimpse of their exchange:

https://www.facebook.com/jessica.l.jennings.33/videos/10156557155178887/?comment_id=10156557162083887&notif_id=1532011170859783&notif_t=comment_mention

July 18th, 2018 was Nelson Mandela International Day:  “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  Change your perspective.  Visit those dark spaces.  Shed some light on it and spread the love.

Final performance on July 30th at 7pm!!! Tickets: https://www.rippleeffectartists.com/productions #socialjustice

Leveraging Theatre for Social Good

Before it was fashionable to be an advocate or activist, my acquaintance Jessie Fahay invited me to join her very new theatre group. She had a vision to pair advocacy with theatrical productions, taking on socially relevant topics.

Jessica Jennings, Development Director of Ripple Effect Artists proudly talks about how they have stayed attuned to the most relevant issues pulling on the collective social conscience of all Americans:

That was in 2010. Seven years later, I could not be more proud of our endeavors and accomplishments at Ripple Effect Artists. Aside from the administrative feats, like becoming a 501(c)3 and earning grant funds, I mean that I am proud that we have stayed tuned to the most relevant issues pulling on the collective social conscience of all Americans. For example, we presented Tea & Sympathy, a play from the 50s about the bullying of homosexuals, and raised funds for the Trevor Project’s suicide prevention call center.

With each of our productions we both raise awareness with our audience, and make a financial donation toward an advocacy organization. We have worked with 11 different organizations on issues of heath care, suicide prevention, hospice, marriage equality, women’s rights, technology unemployment, sex trafficking, and now we will be looking at racism.

Our productions are paired with audience engagements such as talk-backs. While our dramas are wonderful for getting people curious about issues, real-world information and solutions from experts leave the audience empowered, informed, and pointed in a direction of taking action. Our audiences have reported taking these actions after our events: volunteering, signing petitions, conversing about these challenging issues in their own communities, and ending their participation in buying sex.

I am honored to have my work with Ripple Effect Artists as part of my artistic legacy. I like to say, in the spirit of Martha Graham, that there is no higher calling than to be fully used by our art.

Please get to know us better! We have a FREE event on May 11th, and a fundraiser on May 30th. Details and links are below.

Guarding the Bridge

May 11th @7pm

250 Park Ave., People’s United Bank.

FREE reading of Chuck Gorden’s GUARDING THE BRIDGE

Click here to RSVP

The Edge of Everyday

May 30th @ 8pm

Elektra Theatre, 300 W. 43rd St.

$45-$60 Tickets 

Rippleeffect.Jennings@gmail.com