There is Another Way – Film Screening

July 19, 2025 at 5 PM – FREE / donations encouraged!

7 Stages Mainstage

In the midst of darkness, we discover who we truly are. There is Another Way tells the story of a group of visionaries who refuse to surrender to violence and injustice, and in doing so show that another path is possible – for them, for us, and for all humanity.  As we are all faced with essential questions about who we are, will we choose collective liberation, where the needs, rights, and safety of all are prioritized – in which our humanity comes first, knowing that no one is free until everyone is free. 

Combatants for Peace, nominated for two Nobel Peace Prizes, is an extraordinary bi-national group of former enemy combatants – Israelis and Palestinians – working together during an ongoing armed conflict. Confronted with the devastation and escalating violence of October 7th and the war in Gaza, the very core of the movement faces great challenges in showing that there is another way. The first question they must answer relates to their own beliefs…is this possible?

A follow up to the award-winning documentary Disturbing the Peace (2016), which is about questioning the narrative we are born into, There is Another Way is about choosing our future. It takes courage to walk a path even when you yourself feel overwhelmed and afraid—a path where you don’t know the final answer, only that it will emerge from standing in the grief of what we, as humanity, have experienced and created and find yourself unable to turn away.

This event is a fundraiser for the organization Combatants for Peace and is FREE to attend. The event will be oversold, so please arrive early to claim your seat or make a donation when reserving. 7 Stages will also be hosting a Service Saturday event from 2-5, so come by anytime!

All unclaimed tickets will be released 15 minutes before showing. Late seating will only be allowed if seats remain available. We will accommodate as many as possible.

After the film, we will make space for conversation and can share a recorded conversation with members of Combatants for Peace and the filmmaker. The conversation can offer more insight into the work being done for this non-violent movement but we also understand sometimes we need to talk through difficult things with our community. We will offer space for both.

Service Saturday May 17, 2025 from 2-5 PM

7 Stages welcomes you to another Service Saturday with: pop-up art, health resources, a clothing drive, blood drive, complimentary food, and lots of books!  In addition to our banned book library, we will be offering FREE books–Charles Yu’s Interior Chinatown.

This year’s BIG READ selection has inspired a wide variety of artistic responses including original dance from Spelman Improv classes, visual art from Midtown High School classes, a children’s musical by Clark University students, poetry, song, film and more!  

Vital conversations on stereotype, representation and the roles we play in society have fueled us all season long, so come celebrate the culmination with an Open Mic for pop up artistic responses and readings of scenes from the text. SHOW UP to share your story, vision, and voice!

Thanks to Little Free Contentious Library, Just a Touch Ministries, Fulton County Board of Health, NEA’s Big Read and other long standing partners for their complimentary services.

Our friends at LifeSouth Community Blood drive will be joining us for the day from 11am – 5pm, please give as you are able. Signups at https://donors.lifesouth.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/865811

Our friends at Essential Theatre invite all to a Celebration of Georgia Playwrights! Meet the 2025 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award Winner, Matt Hoffman, and celebrate Essential’s – and Georgia’s – rich theatre tradition and the community in which our playwrights grow and thrive. A toast will begin as we close out the Service Saturday offerings. More info at: https://www.essentialtheatre.com/2025-celebration-of-georgia-playwrights/

Incarceration Plantation: The Musical – A Home Brew Series work in development

March 29, 2025 – 7 PM at 7 Stages – FREE

Incarceration Plantation: The Musical is a sister and brother’s creative journey, despite the walls that keep them apart. They reflect on more than 30 years of dealing with America’s prison system, its impact, and how systemic racism and the disproportionate sentencing of Black people perpetuates a form of modern slavery.

When Dorothy Victoria Bell was 14, her brother Roger Bell II committed a burglary, but was convicted for a murder that occurred after he left the scene. He was sentenced to three life terms after being convinced to take a plea deal. In 2020, he began sharing his poetry with Dorothy, and she helped him through the process of writing a book. Their continued communication and collaboration helped them get through some dark and terrifying times.

Inspired by classic musicals like The Wiz, Oklahoma and Mary Poppins, Dorothy adds a spoonful of sugar to make these stories more accessible. Dorothy explains “I am a singer, composer, musician and empath ready to sing the story out loud so that we can combat the narrative of fear and division through the power of art.” This story is about decades of incarceration, but it shines a light on the possibilities of hope and healing.

This production is part of 7 Stages’ Home Brew Series, a program that provides a platform and resources for works in development. While Home Brews offer support at any stage in the development process, this new production is in the seedling stage. This public sharing will offer audiences select new musical and movement compositions, letters between Dorothy and Roger, original poetry created behind bars and a sneak peak into the overall storyline.

Creator/Director – Dorothy Victoria Bell

Co-creator – Roger B. Bell II

Producer/Director – Heidi S Howard

Stage Manager/Choreographer/Performer – Kai Anwuzia

Creative Doula – Stephanie S. Scott

Holder of Stories/Memories – Michelle Barnard

Musician/Arranger – Khari Cabral Simmons

Audio/Projections – Josef (Wuzii) Anwuzia

Apprentices – Alisha Simmons, Aubrey Salm

Special thanks to Cleveland Jones, Azya Maxton, Ingrid Sibley, Madgie Abson (aka Mommy), Java Lords and Théâtre du Rêve (Theater of the Dream) 

Dorothy Victoria Bell is an Atlanta-based actor, director, singer, songwriter, and teaching artist who earned a degree in English from Clark Atlanta University and an MFA in Theater from Louisville University. Passionate about empowering people through art, Dorothy has taught and performed across the U.S., the Netherlands, and South Africa. As a healing artist, her vision is to inspire people to use art as a way to discover and share their personal stories, with a particular focus on helping those who are often unheard to find, embrace, and express their own voices. Since 2000, she has focused on multicultural and interdisciplinary art, integrating these methods into education as a teaching artist with 7 Stages and around Atlanta. She is thrilled to take on responsibilities as lead performance teacher and program coordinator for the 24-25 season Big Read program in schools and for Youth Creates 2025, summer theatre program for teens. She has taught at Clark Atlanta University, Clarkston Community Center, Midtown High School, The Globe Academy and Dekalb Elementary School of the Arts. Her stage credits include 7 Stages Theatre, Horizon Theatre, Push Push Theatre, and the Grahamstown Arts Festival.

Roger Bernard Bell II was born in Northwest Detroit in 1973 to Min. Roger B. Bell Sr. and Madgie L. Bell. He became a little brother to Laverne and would go on to become a big brother to four more sisters. After a very strict Christian upbringing and a move to Charlotte, North Carolina, Roger went on to grow into a rebellious teenager. He soon would drop out of high school and begin a life of evasion from, but also frequent run-ins, with the local law.

In March of 1992, Roger had accumulated several outstanding warrants for his arrest, and made the decision to go on the run, leaving Charlotte to stay with friends in Gastonia, N.C. However, this respite was short-lived because less than two weeks after he had arrived in Gastonia, Roger initiated a break-in at a home that resulted in the occupant being brutally sexually assaulted and then killed after Roger had left the scene.

Roger was arrested three days later, and after a 3 year stay in an old decrepit county jail, he bore witness to, and began living, a horrific nightmare of a life of incarceration in the State Prison system in North Carolina. Ignorant to the machinations of the criminal justice system in America, in March of 1995, Roger began to become educated on his place in this new environment, but he also started to recognize the devious philosophy of those who have built these warehouses that have been destroying families by trapping brothers, fathers, mothers, and sisters away for centuries.

To this date, Roger has served a total of 33 years,and eleven days. He has obtained certification in Industrial Sewing, Commercial Cleaning, Dental Technology I, II ,III, gained his GED, and over 50 supplemental continuing education course certificates through the Edovo and Hope University Education Programs. He wrote “Something I Felt Led to Say”, a memoir and poetic reflection of serving time in America’s Incarceration Plantation.

Roger’s case is currently being reviewed for parole consideration for the third time. He spends most of his time daily endeavoring to work to continue positive growth while preparing for a successful and joyful re-entry to freedom after his release.

Heidi S Howard is the Artistic Director at 7 Stages, and previously served as the Education Director and Production Manager for over a decade. She loves creating devised performances, directing new and classic plays, teaching arts-based curriculum, and collaborating with international, national, and local artists. By aligning education programs with all programming, she strives to create a brave space to connect everyday life to the creative process. Directing highlights include Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, Lee Nowell’s True North, Secretaries by the Five Lesbian Brothers, FML: How Carson McCullers Saved My Life by Sarah Gubbins, Lauren Gunderson’s The Revolutionists, Suehyla El Attar’s Doctor Devil & My Dad, and Michael Molina’s Mass Transit Muse. She has toured throughout the USA as well as to The Netherlands, Serbia, Israel and China.

Kai “Melody” Anwuzia is a multifaceted performance artist with specialties in dance/theatre/voice, educator and Youth Creates & Bootcamp Alum from Atlanta, GA. Growing up she spent the majority of her time dancing and traveling with Moving in the Spirit and 7 Stages for many years. She is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago majoring in music with a concentration in vocal performance she primarily sings R&B, Neo-Soul, Hip-Hop, and Gospel. Throughout her vocal career she has been privileged enough to study under some of the best in the industry including vocalist/voice over actor/vocal producer Jeff Morrow, gospel artist Jonathan McReynolds, vocalist/musician Cassandra O’Neal, and supporting vocalists/vocal producers/vocal coaches RAII & Whitney. She has performed in venues such as The Rialto Theater in Atlanta, Fox Theater in Atlanta, Metro Chicago, House of Blues Chicago, and Lincoln Hall in Chicago; while as an official member of Maverick City Music’s Gospel Choir was apart of a several tour dates during their “Kingdom” and “Kingdom Arena” tours in collaboration with Kirk Franklin. She is honored to be working with Atlanta royalty on this groundbreaking up and coming musical.

Stephanie S. Scott is the founder of The Ninakula Collective, an arts incubator created to assist artists in the development of projects that facilitate crisis-ending arts action. Over Stephanie’s 35+ year career in the arts, she has worked as a stage manager, production manager, and festival manager for numerous organizations including the Pan African Film Festival, Laurence Fishburne’s LOA Productions, Jomandi Productions, the National Black Arts Festival, 7 Stages, Theatrical Outfit, the Atlanta Jazz Festival and the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta. Stephanie also worked in film and television casting on projects including Malcolm X, HBO’s ROC, ABC’s Where I Live, What’s Love Got To Do With It, Cool Runnings, and The Inkwell. Stephanie holds a B.A. in English and drama from Spelman College, a M.Div. from the Interdenominational Theological Center, and an M.L.I.S. from Long Island University.

Michelle Barnard is a mom of a beautiful six and three year old and proud owner of Balloon Blossoms LLC! a company that creates memorable balloon art for every occasion. She is a personal trainer and yoga instructor with a focus on communal healing through movement. Dorothy’s best friend since 7th grade who, as a witness to Dorothy’s young life became the holder of her memories and a treasured support system.

In the 90’s, Atlanta was a melting pot for burgeoning soul music, house music DJ’s and an underground jazz scene. Khari Cabral Simmons stood at the point where all of these met, as an upcoming bassist and bandleader. It was in this creatively fertile environment that Khari made his start in music. He started playing bass for many of the artists in the scene, such as Bilal Sunni Ali (Sun Ra), Donnie (The Colored Section), Gaelle (Naked Music)and India.Arie. He also started to do recording sessions, playing on house music recordings, including a remix for KD Lang. After a few years of recording dance and soul music, Khari started looking to make his own vehicle for upbeat soulful music. It was then that he created Jiva. Jiva would go on to play all over the Atlanta area, performing alongside artists like Roy Ayers and Incognito.

While Khari Cabral & JIVA were making noise throughout the globe, Khari’s dear friend India Arie got signed to Motown Records. She asked Khari to become her touring bassist, and he accommodated the request. He spent years touring the world with India. Together, they performed on The Tonight Show, The Late Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Grammys, Saturday Night Live and many more. They also spent 3 months touring with Sade. After his success as a Grammy Award winning bassist, Khari was courted by NYC tastemakers, Giant Step Records. JIVA would go on to release 3 singles, an EP and a full length album,”Sun & Moon”, with Giant Step.

The era of Covid found Khari taking a break from playing live shows. That time also found Khari reflecting on the roots of his band. Watching the rise of D-Nice, the DJ that brought the nation together by playing upbeat soul music DJ-sets on Instagram, inspired Khari. After seeing so many people brought together through the music at the center of his soul, Khari began to write the next JIVA album. The result is the new Khari Cabral & JIVA album, “5”. Khari let his dear friend and leader of Incognito, Bluey, hear his first recorded songs. After hearing three songs, Bluey got Khari a recording deal with his label, Splash Blue Music. Holding down the main vocals for this album are Atlanta vocalists Cleveland Jones and Brenda Nicole Moorer. Joining them as guests singers are Lizz Wright, Artia Lockett and Lindsey Webster. Along with his all star rhythm section, Khari lays down the funk with the intent to bring us together again as one nation under a groove!

Josef “Wuzii” Anwuzia is a Nigerian-American saxophonist, music producer, and photographer with a deep passion for sound and a commitment to artistic integrity. Hailing from Chicago and having lived in Maryland, Wuzii brings a unique perspective to every creative endeavor. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago, Wuzii has spent the past nine years establishing a reputation as a skilled music producer and recording engineer in the Chicago scene. Known for a meticulous approach to crafting soundscapes, Wuzii holds both the art and the artist to the highest standard, believing in the power of authentic and meaningful creation. Beyond music, Wuzii is a dedicated photographer and has experience in videography, using these visual arts to further explore and express the world through a different lens. Whether capturing a perfect frame or composing a soulful track, Wuzii seeks to leave a lasting impression by honoring the art form in every project.

Alisha Simmons is a Caribbean-American theatremaker, arts administrator, and educator from Atlanta, Georgia. Their work prioritizes Black queer imagination as praxis and the power of community-based devised performance. Alisha received a B.A in Theater and Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies from Wesleyan University. Recent credits include 7 Stages, The Tank NYC, The Public Theater, Oddfellows Playhouse, Olin Memorial Library, and the Wesleyan University Center for the Arts.

Aubrey Salm is a Tennessee native who recently moved to Georgia to pursue the arts. Adopted by two women, the concept of identity, culture, and humanity has always affected her as an African-American woman raised in a white family. Growing up exposed to movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood and the oldies radio station, she is inspired by the classics in her works as a visual artist. She earned her B.A. in video and film production from Middle Tennessee State University and is enthusiastic to continue to delve into the Atlanta theater scene!

The Third Annual First Voices Festival

Located in Atlanta, Georgia on Muscogee (Creek) land, 7 Stages joins forces with Turtle Island Trading, Zintkala Zi PowWow, the L5P Business Association and Plaza Theatre in producing the third annual First Voices Festival, A Celebration of Indigenous Cultures. November 2024 activities will include the world premiere of What Are You? by Nicolette Emanuelle, an outdoor PowWow with Native American performers and vendors, an Art of Activism dialogue with Muscogee (Creek) elder William Harjo, and a special screening of the documentary Bad River at Plaza Theatre.

-What Are You?-

November 7-24, 2024

7 Stages Theatre • 1105 Euclid Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307

What Are You? is an exploration of what it means to be multi-racial in America. Created and performed by Nicolette Emanuelle, who has roots in the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina, this original production delves into the complexities of racial identity through a blend of movement, music, and personal testimonies. Confronting the relentless question “what are you?” Nicolette and the ensemble weave together striking and moving commonalities found in interviews with other multi-racial individuals, highlighting their unique struggles and the beauty of their identities. Click here to learn more about What Are You?

-Art of Activism-

November 15, 2024 at 5:30 PM

7 Stages Theatre • 1105 Euclid Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307

Join together at 7 Stages for an evening of conversation and a shared meal, kicking off a full weekend of festivities with special guest Muscogee (Creek) elder William Harjo and loaded Fry Bread dishes from Three Sisters Soulfood!

William is a storyteller and flute maker who has been a part of Powwows all over the country, including First Voices Festival for the last two years.

This is a great opportunity to talk with someone with lots of knowledge about Powwows, traditional arts, and history.

-Powwow-

November 16 & 17, 2024

10 AM – 5 PM

1136 Austin Ave, NE • Atlanta, GA. 30307

Tatankala “Buffalo” Yellowbird of Zintkala Zi PowWow returns to Little Five points with his third annual First Voices Festival PowWow, featuring intertribal celebrations of culture, dance, song, crafts, food, and pageantry. A member of the Lakota Sioux Nation, Buffalo is well respected in Indigenous communities offering expertise, love, and joy on the mic as the master of ceremonies. At noon both days, the Grand Entry fills the circle with a company of dancers in full regalia taking audiences and participants on a journey of storytelling and cultural sharing through a variety of traditional dances like the Jingle Dress and Fancy dances. The dancers are surrounded by Indigenous jewelry, arts, and crafts, traditional demonstrations, and food including Fry Bread from our friends at Three Sisters Soulfood! This year, look out for hands-on crafting tents for the young ones. Entry is complimentary, family-friendly, and everyone is welcome!

Host Northern Drum – Rattlesnake Mountain, Host Southern Drum – Southside
Emcee – Buffalo Yellowbird, Co-Emcee – Priscilla Bean
Headman – Randy Solomon, Head lady – Nikki Crisp
Head Veteran – Paul Wilson, Dance performances by Malia’s Hula Halau

POWWOW SCHEDULE – November 16 & 17, 2024

10:00 – 10:45 — Gates Open
10:45 – 11:15 — Kyle Coatney (Flutes)
11:15 – 11:45 — Mahlia’s Hula Halau
11:45 – 12:00 — William Harjo
12:00 – 12:20 — Grand Entry
12:20 – 2:30 — Intertribal and Category Dancing
2:30 – 3:15 — Mahlia’s Hula Halau
3:15 – 3:30 — Kyle Coatney (Flutes)
3:30 – 5:00 — Intertribal and Category Dancing
5:00 — Closing

(Times are subject to change)

-BAD RIVER Film Screening and Q&A-

November 29, 2024 at 7:30 PM

Plaza Theatre • 1049 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306

Bad River is a new documentary film which chronicles the Wisconsin-based Bad River Band and its ongoing fight for sovereignty, a story which unfolds in a groundbreaking way through a series of shocking revelations, devastating losses, and a powerful legacy of defiance and resilience which includes a David vs. Goliath battle to save Lake Superior, the largest freshwater resource in America. As Eldred Corbine, a Bad River Tribal Elder declares: “We gotta protect it… die for it, if we have to.”

This special presentation will feature an introduction and a post-show Q&A with special guest Esie Leoso Corbine, a Bad River Tribal Member who has worked for tribal and county organizations for 35+ years.

In 2022, 7 Stages teamed up with Turtle Island Trading, Zintkala Zi PowWow, and The Little 5 Points Business Association to bring a multifaceted festival to the city of Atlanta that celebrates Indigenous cultures, people, and practices. Many groups of performers, vendors, and various tribes were invited to a PowWow in Little Five Points, which is the home of 7 Stages and many cultural institutions. The PowWow was accompanied by an Art of Activism dialogue with Muscogee/Creek elder and fine flute maker William Harjo, and complimentary meals provided by Three Sisters Soulfood. We also welcomed singer/songwriter and Native American flute player Shelley Morningsong (Northern Cheyenne and Scandinavian) and Fabian Fontenelle (Zuni/Omaha) for an evening of performances at 7 Stages.

Following the success of the first year, we extended the Powwow to a two day event in 2023, invited William Harjo back for storytelling and flute performances, and partnered with Plaza Theatre for a special screening of RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked The World.

7 Stages brings local, national, and international emerging artwork of social, political, and spiritual importance to Atlanta audiences. Since 1979, artists of all kinds have found 7 Stages to be a haven for the development of new work. Our theatre has resided on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Muscogee (Creek) people for over 43 years. While we produce content that spans nationally and internationally, it is essential for us to keep such inequities at the forefront of all that we do. We aim to honor these communities past, present and future through conversations, practices and programming that imagines and initiates what reparations look like for all. For every ticket sold, we include an Indigenous land use fee. The proceeds are donated to our Indigenous partners annually.

Turtle Island Trading is an Indigenous owned small business in the heart of Atlanta’s Little 5 Points neighborhood, just a block away from 7 Stages. Co-owned by Carmen Halagahu and tribally-recognized artist Yellowbird, Turtle Island Trading aims to provide economic opportunities to our Indigenous communities, raise awareness on whose land we are on, and offer an experience of “good vibes” between our vendors and buyers.

Zintkala Zi PowWow is led by Tatankala ‘Buffalo’ Yellowbird. Director of the Powwow performances and the Master of Ceremonies, Buffalo is a talented artist and leader within his community. He carries the heart of his culture on his sleeves as he travels the nation educating on the history of his ancestors. Zintkala Zi PowWow is well-respected in Indigenous communities across the US for planning and curating many Powwows with professional dancers across the southern US to build a stronger community of Indigenous representation in this region. Buffalo is a member of the Lakota Sioux Nation, and his festival leadership is crucial to building trust in the events by Indigenous community members.

Little 5 Points (L5P) Business Association’s mission is to promote the business interests of its members by educating them, providing networking opportunities, organizing events, marketing, promoting, and shaping L5P’s future while preserving the artsy, off-beat, historic neighborhood. The L5PBA attracts new customers to L5P while keeping the established ones by promoting its uniqueness, setting new trends, advertising its diversity, educating the public about the neighborhood’s history, and creating original and positive experiences for everyone in L5P. The L5PBA has been a partner since the first First Voices Festival and is instrumental in coordinating the city and county event permits and security.

Plaza Theatre, founded in 1939, is Atlanta’s longest-running independent cinema, known for its iconic Art Deco design and a vibrant mix of classic, cult, arthouse, and independent films. From cult classics to local premieres, it delivers a distinctive and nostalgic cinematic experience that’s truly unique. Together with its sister venue, Tara Theatre, the Plaza Theatre continues to celebrate and preserve the rich tradition of film in Atlanta, uniting history, community, and the love of cinema.

What Are You? – November 7-24, 2024 at 7 Stages

What Are You? is an exploration of what it means to be multi-racial in America. Created by Nicolette Emanuelle, who has roots in the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina, this original production delves into the complexities of racial identity through a blend of movement, music, and personal testimonies.

Creator Nicolette Emanuelle, with Meredith Gordon, Monica Martell, Jacque Pritz and Arthur McDaniel, confronts the relentless question “what are you?”, weaving together striking and moving commonalities found in interviews with other multi-racial individuals, highlighting their unique struggles and the beauty of their identities.

What Are You? sheds light on the often overlooked and misunderstood nuances of multi-racial identities, encouraging viewers to see the world through a more empathetic and informed lens. This is not just a theatrical experience; it’s a call to action, a plea for empathy, and a celebration of the rich tapestry of multi-racial identities.

Nicolette Emanuelle is a multi-disciplinary performance artist based in St. Louis, MO. Their work spans circus arts, acting, producing, music performance, and music composition. Nicolette uses their diverse skill set to create meaningful, collaborative projects that explore identity, culture, and belonging. Their most recent project, What Are You?, is an exploration of racial identity, drawing from their experiences growing up as a Lumbee in the South.

Nicolette began their artistic journey as a classically trained cellist and self-taught singer/songwriter on piano. Over time, they incorporated circus arts and burlesque into their repertoire. By combining elements from their varied artistic background, Nicolette creates productions that use absurdity and humor to address social justice themes.

Nicolette started their 7 Stages journey in 2013 as a musician in The Navigator, under the direction of notable musician/composer Klimchak. Since then, Nicolette has been involved in several productions and served as a teaching artist until their departure from Atlanta in 2021.

Now back in Atlanta, Nicolette is grateful to 7 Stages Theatre for producing What Are You? and helping to elevate this important story. 

“This show is highly collaborative and would not be the show it is without the stories and interviews from the people who lived it. A sincere thank you to everyone who gave their words, thoughts and feelings to this production. One of the most meaningful ways we can fight inequity is to exist as ourselves and let others know us.”

Meredith Gordon (he/him) was raised in Cleveland, Tennessee by African-American parents in a traditional Southern Christian environment. As a child, he often faced questions about his identity, including whether he was “black enough.” 

He now performs professionally as an actor and hospital clown and works with Clowns Without Borders, USA.  He performed in the previous versions of “What Are You”, a film version in 2020 during Covid and in 2022 on the Atlanta beltline.

Meredith is a 2019 recipient of the Tanne Award, which recognizes outstanding achievements by artists. In 2023, he was selected to be an artist in  Emory’s Arts and Social Justice Fellows Program.

“Too much of my existence is based on what you thought of me.”

Website and Blog at SqueezeTheClown.com

Instagram – @meredithcgordon, Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/meredith.gordon.33

Jacquelyn (Jacque) Pritz is a dance artist and project manager. She recently launched Catching Mangoes Dance Company with the goal to share and uplift hyphenated American stories by creating meaningful artistic experiences with audiences. Her choreography is autoethnographic, often examining her personal identity and life experiences as a Filipino-American woman, embodying her research on themes surrounding culture and identity, and connecting with people through the spirit of kapwa.

Currently, Jacque is a Sr. Program Coordinator at Emory College of Arts & Sciences and freelances as a project manager around the city. Her commitment to diversity and inclusion in the arts is underscored by her recognition as a 2022 South Arts National Leader of Color fellow. This Fall, Jacque is participating in the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Culture and Community Design Program.

Monica Martelly – Born in Haiti, Monica is a vibrant and passionate purple-haired performer. They’ve been dancing since the age of 6 and haven’t stopped since! They specialize in aerial hoop, dance trapeze, and a variety of dance styles. Combining their breadth of knowledge and expertise, Monica has created some truly unique and unprecedented aerial acts that combine their love of aerial arts with their treasured Haitian culture and heritage. Some of their other recent accomplishments include performing professionally with The Crux Collective in Atlanta, competing at VIVA Fest in Las Vegas, training at Aloft’s JOLT Summer Intensive in Chicago, and most recently participating in the 2024 Minnesota Fringe Festival! They are plant-based in Atlanta with their two cats and loving partner.

Arthur McDonald – I am a martial artist, fashion designer, and musician that loves to make art and creativity is my expression. I’m the son of a Jamaican father of African, Chinese, and Indian ancestry, and of a mother of African, Native American, and Scottish ancestry.  Our short-form answer to “what are we” has always been maintained as being black. Though when one wants details, I usually ask them to sit down first. I have some experience with acting on camera (The Gift, 2000), fight choreography, and acting for stage (Dante’s Inferno, 7 Stages, 2015).

Located in Atlanta, Georgia on Muscogee (Creek) land, 7 Stages joins forces with Turtle Island Trading, Zintkala Zi PowWow, the L5P Business Association and Plaza Theatre in producing the third annual First Voices Festival, A Celebration of Indigenous Cultures. November 2024 activities will include the world premiere of What Are You? by Nicolette Emanuelle, an outdoor PowWow with Native American performers and vendors, story sharing with Muscogee (Creek) elder William Harjo, and a special screening of the documentary Bad River at Plaza Theatre. Click here to learn more about First Voices Festival.

Dream Theory – Where dreams and nightmares collide

An original production by the Youth Creates 2024 Ensemble.

From the young minds of Youth Creates comes a world of gods, mortals, and monsters. As two sibling gods start to drift apart, their realms are placed on the verge of a devastating war. Will these realms break apart, or will this story have a happily ever after?

These performances will be in-person at 7 Stages. If possible, take public transportation or use a ride-share!

SHOWTIMES!!!!

• Friday, July 26th at 7:30 PM
• Saturday, July 27th at 2:00 PM

Tickets Are PAY-WHAT-YOU-CHOOSE.

Youth Creates is 7 Stages’ training program providing experiential learning and performance opportunities for teenagers. Through playwriting, design, and performance, students collaborate to create an original production. We will explore various techniques and skills, support your visions and ultimately celebrate by welcoming audiences to our world premiere!

Professional artists lead workshops in a wide variety of disciplines! The ensemble includes some of Atlanta’s finest professional artists, apprentices, and students. Teaching artists have included Theresa Davis, a world-renowned poet and author; Nicolette Emanuelle, a skilled aerialist, musician and movement performer; Dorothy Bell-Polk, our resident vocalist and a beloved Atlanta actress; Mama YeYe, our spiritual movement and African Dance guide; Destiny Renee, our Education Director, a film actress, producer and poet; as well as many of our international colleagues and apprentices.

Learn more about Youth Creates at 7stages.org/ourprograms/youth-creates

True North – March 15-31, 2024 – ASL Interpretation on March 22

A creative exploration of the invisible forces that connect us across the globe, despite our differences.

Atlanta playwright Lee Nowell’s True North first came to 7 Stages as part of our Home Brew @ Home Series in 2020. This scientific Ted Talk style theatrical experience asks audiences to consider the things around them that they can’t see, like electromagnetic energy and the way we interact with it, in addition to the ways it may affect us.

All compasses point to Magnetic North, but Magnetic North is currently moving erratically – averaging 34 to 40 miles per year- and humans feel it. When magnetic fields move erratically, the part of our brain that makes ethical decisions becomes impaired, and our health can be compromised.

It is hard to accept, for some of us, that a thought or feeling can cause a physical change in the world.

But that’s exactly what happens.

Characterizations of The Noosphere (played by Dorothy Bell-Polk with live music, vocalization and movement) and Magnetic North (via projection merged with live science demos) join relatable everyday Joe (Markell Williams)–whose whole world is turned upside down when he takes part in a study about the human ability to detect Magnetic North and the effects it has on our decisions–and Anne (Priscilla Umphrey), an Indigenous scientist who draws parallels between ancient wisdom and new evidence. Additionally, Isis Kleef and Cadence Nabors bring challenging concepts into plain view with interactive science experiments.

Art of Activism: Stewards of the Wild

MARCH 10TH @ 12:00PM – 7 STAGES THEATRE

Wild Cumberland is proud to partner with our new friends at 7 Stages Theatre and renowned artist Dorothy O’Connor to curate an immersive experience that brings scientists, artists, and community members together!

During this event, we’ll explore ideas and experiences related to:

• Wilderness – What is it, and what does it mean to you? 
• Stewardship – What has stewardship traditionally looked like, and what do you think is the future of good stewardship?
• Empowerment – Perceptions and experiences of being female or nonbinary in male-dominated environments

We invite you to join us for a complimentary pre-reception with coastally-inspired food and beverages (some foraged!) at 12:00 PM. Seating will begin at 12:45. COMPLIMENTARY – RESERVE HERE

Eunice in Paris –  a presentation of new work as part of 7 Stages’ Home Brew Series

January 27, 2024 at 5:30 PM after Service Saturday

January 28, 2024 at 3:00 PM followed by Art of Activism dialogue

Set in the 1980s in the Parisian nightclub Theatre Olympia, Nina Simone is confronted with her choices and relives experiences with James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, her parents and others in a piece that crescendos with an existential look into her mental health, her choices, and, of course, the motivations behind her music and songwriting.

This production, in development with Hush Harbor Lab, was performed at The Atlanta Black Theatre Festival in 2022. Now, a revised presentation will hit the 7 Stages Backstage Theatre with Parris Sarter as Nina Simone. Written by Amina S. McIntyre, and directed by Thandi DeShazor.

This presentation is part of 7 Stages’ Home Brew Series, which provides a platform and resources for works in development that exhibit promise, stimulation, and provocation. Performances will take place January 27 and 28 at 7 Stages, accompanied by Service Saturday and Art of Activism programs.

*Service Saturday – January 27 from 2-5 PM before the first Eunice in Paris performance.

Service Saturdays aim to help our community thrive by providing vital resources like food, clothing, and personal protection equipment, while bringing together local community-driven organizations under one roof. We have often collaborated with artists to make our Service Saturdays as entertaining as they are enlightening. These events are always complimentary, and they will continue to provide valuable resources to people of our community. Guests on January 27 include LifeSouth Blood Donation Centers, New Georgia Project, Fulton Co Board of Health, and Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative. Refreshments provided by Sip & Share Wines. Click here to sign up for blood donation with LifeSouth!

**Art of Activism – January 28 from 5-6 PM after the final Eunice in Paris performance.

Art of Activism brings together community experts, artists and patrons for powerful conversations. Throughout the year, community members gather to discuss social justice, othering, and the prevalence of intolerance. Conversations are often related to a specific 7 Stages production, but always cover topics of the utmost social importance and relevance. You don’t have to see the production to participate in the Art of Activism dialogue but we encourage participants to do so to fully understand how the art connects to the community conversations. The January 27 Art of Activism will follow a presentation of Eunice in Paris, relating to the themes and development of the production.

Parris Sarter (playing Nina Simone) is a working actor here in Atlanta. She is excited to be back at 7 Stages presenting her one-woman show – Eunice in Paris. Some of her credits throughout town are: Booty Candy, cullud wattah, and Angels in America (Actor’s Express); Angry Fags and The Revolutionists (7 Stages); Eclipsed (Synchronicity Theatre); The Cake (The Horizon); and Women in Jeopardy (Georgia Ensemble Theatre).

Amina S. McIntyre (Writer) is an Atlanta based playwright whose productions and readings include: Actor’s Express, Atlanta History Museum, Working Title Playwrights, Lenoir-Rhyne University, and Out of Hand Theatre. Her residencies include Blackacre Conservancy Writer’s Residency, Hambidge Center and the National Winter Playwrights Retreat.  Her play, On the Third Day, produced by Vanguard Repertory Theatre, earned a Suzi Bass Award. Amina has studied and earned degrees in Anthropology, African American and African Diaspora Studies, Playwriting, and Theological Studies at Colby College, Indiana University, Spalding University and Emory University, respectively. She was a 2014-2015 playwriting apprentice and Black Women Speak Emerging Cohort member at Horizon Theatre Company, Managing Director of Karibu Performing Arts, 2014-2016 Atlanta Region Young Ambassador for the Dramatists’ Guild, Co-Producer of WeReckon: A Southern Chronicle and the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs 2014-2015 Emerging Theatre Artist.  She currently serves as Co-Founder of the Hush Harbor Lab and is a Ph.D Candidate in Religion at Vanderbilt University.

Thandiwe Thomas DeShazor “Thandi” (Director) is an actor, writer, producer and director. He is the writer/director of “Natural Woman: Unofficial Aretha” and other plays. His recent directorial collaborations include True Colors Theatre, Theatre du Reve, Out of Hand Theater and Out Front Theater. His Atlanta theatre credits include Angels in America and The Legend of Georgia McBride. His Television credits include “Lodge 49”, Murder Calls”, “Fatal Attraction”, and Swamp Murders. He started Thandi & Company to collaborate with other creatives to bring their ideas to life.

Mia Kristin Smith (Co-director) is an actress, playwright, director, and producer whose work has previously been named one of Atlanta’s Best Bets, as well as Creative Loafing’s Top Ten Things to Do and Burnaway Magazine’s Top Five Things to Do. Smith, a native of New Orleans now living in Atlanta, is the former Artistic Director of Karibu Performing Arts.

Paris Benjamin (Stage Manager) is a French-American actress of Moroccan descent. After working on multi-award winning films, plays and radio dramas in London and Paris, she established residence in Los Angeles where she joined Tim Robbins’ theater troupe The Actors’ Gang. She continues to work in film and television, recurring in shows such as Stranger Things (Netflix) and Succession (HBO). Paris speaks fluent English, French and Arabic.

Curious Sensory Encounters – May 17-20, 2024 at 7 Stages

Choose your own encounter in the newest rendition of 7 Stages’ wildly popular Curious Encounters Series. This year we are exploring our senses, including sight-hearing-taste-smell-touch, and taking inspiration from Ilya Kaminsky’s book Deaf Republic, a poetic tale of an occupied country and the citizens’ unique way of fighting back by “going deaf”. Protest and resilience are paired with sensory explorations, including both celebration and suppression.

In Curious Sensory Encounters, artists of many disciplines respond to this book and its themes of oppression, resistance and collective power, resulting in a wide range of experiences: live performances, interactive exhibits, a film screening and much more. These “Encounters” are self-led, entry is Pay-What-You-Choose, and only requires that you check in between 7-8:30 p.m. (4-5:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 19) to experience the full range of curious offerings. An ASL Interpreter from Hands in Motion will be available during the first half of each event.

Upon entering the building, visitors will receive a map and can begin their journey in any order – whether you choose to “dunk her!” in dead sea or visit the Sheds of the 6 Senses. See The Foul strutting through the halls in mismatched laces, divine silks, astonishing pearls and dashing wigs! Explore our memories and sense of intuition in F(L)IGHT *L stands for love or loss, and what it means to really listen in a special interactive screening of The Tuba Thieves. These encounters are multifaceted and many change throughout the evening, so don’t miss the chance to interact and grow with the art!

dead sea – Julie Krzypek

Dunk Her! Dunk Her! In a world where our senses are bombarded by stimuli fighting for our attention, dead sea is a conceptual piece conveying war through the lens of “strangers” meeting for the first time. DUNK HER! DUNK HER! DO IT! IT’S FUNN!!

Sheds of the 6 Senses – Aileen Loy – Little Free Contentious Library
With Lauren Vogelbaum, Mike Katinsky, Skyeris, Nitzia Ramos and La Donna

Sheds – In the High Street of the occupied village, shops cater to the sometimes broken, sometimes joyful citizenry of any town, anywhere. Each store has been simply erected with little adornment – the design, utilitarian with no nod to decadence or whim. Each has four walls, a roof and a door – the bare minimum required for civility, common sense and efficiency. The interior is something else – lush or by turns, broken, mischievous and hopeful. The six shops offer more than a brief encounter with one of the senses. Specificity is the key. Located on the most trafficked part of High Street by the puppet theater, they remind the townsfolk of what they have gained or sacrificed and may have occasion to find, again.

Black Woman Joy – La Donna / Dramatic Impulse, Sharlene Sanders

This DreamSpace celebrates our communal experiences, exploring memory and heritage with joy and freedom. May we always come back to ourselves.

The Tuba Thieves – Georgia Public Broadcasting

What is the role of sound and what does it mean to listen? Hard of hearing filmmaker Alison O’Daniel uses a series of tuba thefts in Los Angeles high schools as a jumping-off point to explore these questions. Through several d/Deaf people telling stories in a unique game of telephone, the central mystery of The Tuba Thieves isn’t about theft of instruments; it’s about the nature of sound itself.

We Keep Us Safe – Tatiana Bell, Michael Czajkowski, and ANI (Atlanta Narrative Imagination)

Got grief? A new iteration of Tatiana Bell’s installation at South River Arts Studios, “We Keep Us Safe,” this interactive exhibit is about healing through collective care. We invite Atlanta to share the grief they’re carrying and bear witness to each others’.

Light/Shadow Sensorial Playful – Charne Fucron, Dana Lupton, Celeste Miller, Deisha Oliver

A series of playful, interactive guided movement meditations playing with light and shadow. How can embodied experiences of light be opened to multi sensorial experiences? What can we learn about the human condition, our humanity, our human connections, by allowing ourselves to be sensorially present in community with others at play with light and shadow?

F(L)IGHT. *L stands for love or loss – Shady Radical

F(L)IGHT is a meditation on intuition, memory, and forgetting. Building on WITNESS: Pearl (2021) t.r.a.p. explores what our mothers taught us to remember in our bodies that helps preserve our archives when we are threatened with survival.

Welcome to Laugh City! (An improv show) – Mark Kendall, Madeline Evans, Marietta Mendler

A fun-filled improv show where everything goes according to plan and nothing ever goes wrong!

On off days we enjoy the salad – Cori Williams

We watch from backstage; the props are stored ready for their cue. Every show slightly different from the one before. The props are telling their story.

The Exalting Dreams of the Wondrous Foul – Petar Miloshevski

They see him as little more than just filth, but The Foul is beautifully crafted and stylized – mismatched laces, divine silks, astonishing pearls, dashing wigs, telling a story of abandoned dreams, failed ambitions, yet so many hopes awaiting realization in The Exalting Dreams of the Wondrous Foul. Welcome to the theatre within the theatre within the theatre…

View the full digital program by clicking here

Major funding for this organization is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia Council for the Arts is funded in part through partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how NEA grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov