ATLANTA – Now in its fourth year, First Voices Festival is coming full circle with more opportunities for Indigenous communities and Atlanta patrons. By inviting new collaborators, offering dynamic programming and more access to a variety of activities, new and returning guests are sure to enjoy these celebrations of Indigenous cultures.

The festival opens on November 14 with Art of Activism, a night of storytelling, music and traditional foods at 7 Stages with special guest William Harjo, a Muscogee (Creek) Elder who presents all over the country. A preshow reception in the lobby provided by food vendor and chef Tina Reyes (Apache) of Rez Juice brings us authentic sweet and savory Fry Bread and lemonade.

On November 15 and 16, the energy really picks up with a two day outdoor Powwow presented by Zintkala Zi PowWow, which is led by Buffalo Yellowbird, a citizen of Oglala Lakota Nation. The Powwow includes traditional drummers and dancers, traditional foods (fry bread, buffalo burgers, roasted corn, etc.), Indigenous vendors (jewelry, arts and crafts), demonstrations, and storytelling. Entry to these events is free, they are family friendly, and everyone is welcome.

On November 21, Out of Hand Theater will present Say Their Names at 7 Stages, which features  interwoven film and live performances written by Marcie Rendon, acclaimed author and citizen of the White Earth Nation. Following the presentation will be a community conversation about the lack of media representation for victims in marginalized communities, and how we can create a collective framework for continued dialogue, healing, and action.

First Voices Festival will conclude with a screening of the documentary She Cried That Day at Plaza Theatre on November 28. Director Amanda Erickson, a member of the San Carlos Apache, grew up in Peachtree City and earned her film degree at Georgia State University. Her film is about missing and murdered Indigenous women in New Mexico. This event will also feature a post-show conversation with Erickson.

These events are brought to you by 7 Stages, Turtle Island Trading, Little 5 Points Cultural District, Zintkala Zi PowWow, Plaza Theatre and Out of Hand Theater.

 

History and context:

 First Voices Festival began in 2022 when a few Atlanta organizations put their heads together to produce a multifaceted festival celebrating Indigenous cultures, something they weren’t seeing locally. At the center of these events was the Powwow, a traditional gathering with dance, music, food and socializing that originated among Native American tribes on the Great Plains.

For some, gathering in Atlanta marks a return to ancestral lands. Areas of what are now Georgia and Alabama were the territory of Muscogee (Creek) people, until many were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma in the 1800s where they were exposed to Plains Powwow traditions. Today Powwows are popular all over the United States and Canada, and many people wanted to see such an event in the heart of Atlanta.

Other events at First Voices Festival have included storytelling, talks, shared meals, concerts, and film screenings. All of these events celebrate Indigenous traditions and aim to bring awareness to the First Peoples of these lands, who are still here, and issues confronting them today.

 

About 7 Stages:

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.

7 Stages has resided on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Muscogee (Creek) people for over 46 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.

Our Mission: 7 Stages is a professional, non-profit theatre company devoted to engaging artists and audiences by focusing on the social, political, and spiritual values of contemporary culture. 7 Stages gives primary emphasis to international work and the support and development of new plays, new playwrights, and new methods of collaboration.

Our Vision: Our theatre will be a global center for the creation of vital conversations through collaborative performance.

 

Vitals: 

First Voices Festival

A celebration of Indigenous cultures.

November 14-28, 2025 in Atlanta, GA

Learn more at https://www.7stages.org/shows/first-voices-festival-2025/

Press inquiries: email devi@7stages.org

Photos and graphics available by request

Seeking professional actors, dancers, musicians of Indigenous descent.

“Say Their Names” – a live staged reading/developmental co-production between Out of Hand Theater and 7 Stages.

“Say Their Names“, written by Marcie Rendon (citizen of the White Earth Nation), is a multi-media presentation featuring interwoven film and live performances of the script, along with live drummers, dance and music. The goal is to raise awareness about  MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women) and inspire audiences to take action to address the issue.

Working with identified partners in the Indigenous community, Out of Hand will create a framework to engage audiences in a discussion focused on Awareness, Amplification, and Action.

7 Stages will present this as part of the Home Brew Series New Works in Development Program during the First Voices Festival: A Celebration of Indigenous Cultures. 

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AUDITION DATE/TIME: 

Thursday, September 18, 2025

3pm – 7pm

Additional times may be available upon request. 

Auditions will take place at 7 Stages Theatre: 1105 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

Please complete this form by clicking here to schedule an AUDITION TIME.

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Actors 

Looking for female presenting actors to perform the live staged reading of the script. 

Please bring a 2 minute monologue (spoken word, poetry or storytelling is welcome).

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Musicians and Dancers

Looking for accompanying artists of any gender to perform as ensemble members. 

Please bring a sample of your work (limited to 2 minutes)

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*NOTE: All selected performers should be available for rehearsals and performance during the week of November 17-21, 2025. Times TBD. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

Please complete this form by clicking here to schedule an AUDITION TIME for the Live Staged Reading / Developmental Production of “Say Their Names” – a co-production between Out of Hand Theater and 7 Stages Theatre.

ATLANTA, GA – 7 Stages will screen the documentary film “There is Another Way” on July 19, 2025 at 5:00 PM to benefit the organization at the center of the film: Combatants for Peace.

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?

“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?

“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 screening is a fundraiser for the organization Combatants for Peace and is free to attend. The event will be oversold, so 7 Stages asks guests to arrive early to claim their seat, or to make a donation when reserving. 7 Stages will also be hosting a Service Saturday event from 2-5, so guests are welcome any time after 2 PM. All unclaimed tickets will be released 15 minutes before showing. Late seating will only be allowed if seats remain available. 7 Stages will accommodate as many guests as possible.

This film contains real violence and disturbing situations.

More information: 7stages.org/shows/thereisanotherwayscreening/
Tickets (Free/Donation): eventbrite.com/e/there-is-another-way-tickets-1434711543849

About 7 Stages:

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.

7 Stages 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.

Our Mission: 7 Stages is a professional, non-profit theatre company devoted to engaging artists and audiences by focusing on the social, political, and spiritual values of contemporary culture. 7 Stages gives primary emphasis to international work and the support and development of new plays, new playwrights, and new methods of collaboration.

Our Vision: Our theatre will be a global center for the creation of vital conversations through collaborative performance.

Vitals:
What Are You?
A roving theatre production about being multiracial in America
November 7-24, 2024 at 7 Stages
Created by Nicolette Emanuelle
With ensemble: Meredith Gordon, Monica Martell, Jacque Pritz and Arthur McDonald
Tickets at 7Stages.org/tickets
Learn more at 7stages.org/shows/what-are-you-11-7-24-2024/

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

Creator Nicolette Emanuelle with ensemble–Meredith Gordon, Monica Martell, Jacque Pritz and Arthur McDonald–confront 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.

The seven segments of this roving experience take place in different parts of the theatre. Blood Quantum, Check the Box, White by Proxy, Something Beautiful, The Soap Box, Mirrors and Popsicles take whimsical approaches to talking about very serious topics related to race. They aim to show what it’s like to navigate life as a multi-racial individual, from the pervasive sense of not belonging anywhere to the painful experiences of discrimination within their own communities.

This production underscores the importance of cultural and racial identity in shaping our sense of self and community, inviting viewers to reflect on their own perceptions and biases. We can all foster a deeper understanding and practice empathy.

Join us for this powerful journey of storytelling and community engagement as we strive to create a more inclusive and understanding society. What Are You? 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.

This 7 Stages production is being presented as part of the third annual First Voices Festival, a celebration of Indigenous cultures. Learn more about the third annual First Voices Festival and our partners at 7stages.org/shows/first-voices-festival/

About 7 Stages:

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.

7 Stages 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.

Our Mission: 7 Stages is a professional, non-profit theatre company devoted to engaging artists and audiences by focusing on the social, political, and spiritual values of contemporary culture. 7 Stages gives primary emphasis to international work and the support and development of new plays, new playwrights, and new methods of collaboration.

Our Vision: Our theatre will be a global center for the creation of vital conversations through collaborative performance.

7 Stages Theatre
1105 Euclid Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
404-523-7647
www.7stages.org

All press inquiries:
Devi Wells – Marketing Coordinator
devi@7stages.org
Images available upon request.
What Are You? Media Kit

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In Fall of 2022, 7 Stages received funding from Fox Theatre Institute’s Preservation Grant and Georgia Council for the Arts’ Cultural Facilities Grant, as well as many individual donors. In addition, local hero Christopher Escobar donated gently used seats from a recent renovation at The Plaza Theatre. Renovations are underway in May and June of 2023, and will result in improved audience experience and accessibility for both performance spaces in our historic facility.

Mainstage work includes new seating, new carpet, and wider stairs with handrails greatly improving audience comfort and allowing more autonomy for patrons. The BackStage Theatre space received new seating risers that are more stable, have wider stairs, and include structural handrails. These improvements will not only make it safer for patrons, while improving access and comfort, but will also significantly reduce costs and increase artistic flexibility, making our BackStage Theatre a true black box.

In 1979, 7 Stages began producing in a small storefront around the corner from our current home. In the early 1980s, 7 Stages expanded significantly, taking over the pool hall next door and nearly doubling the interior space. Shortly thereafter, additional space was needed, and our current home became available. Local legends Don Bender and Kelly Jordan leased the current facility to founders Del Hamilton and Faye Allen. In 1996, a $1.4 Million capital campaign allowed 7 Stages to purchase the facility, build the permanent Mainstage seating, connect the BackStage space to the central interior via a new hallway, and add offices among other improvements that gave the building its current layout.

The facility was originally built in the 1940s as a movie theater, one of several Storey Theatres, and has gone through myriad improvements before and after the purchase in 1996. Improvements throughout the 2000’s included replacing the roof while adding much needed insulation increasing the R Value significantly; restoring the Marquee and changing the the power hungry 10’ long fluorescent tubes out for energy efficient LED; changing most facility lighting over to LED throughout the building; adding equipment and infrastructure to change the majority of stage lighting in the Mainstage over to LED; replacing all 4 HVAC systems to more efficient units while automating controls for further cost and energy savings; renovating public restrooms and creating non-binary gender options, plus upgrading to more energy-efficient appliances.

7 Stages intended to embark on a typical Capital Campaign to raise all the funding and undergo a great deal of the renovations all at once during an extended closure. The 2008 recession required a new plan, and the Asset Restoration Campaign was born. A constantly evolving facility needs list was created, prioritized, and grouped into sensible buckets. A phase was selected, funds were raised, and projects completed. Meanwhile the list was constantly updated, prioritized, grouped together, and funded. In this way, we are able to manage the facility, ensuring it remains a vital arts center for our community.

Many of these renovations were made possible by The Community Foundation’s Grants to Green initiative and previous contributions from The Fox Theatre Institute, The Woodruff Foundation Lettie Pate Evans, The Tull Foundation, AEC Trust, Woodward Fund, Cousins Foundation, Livingston Foundation, and many individual donors. Over $1,000,000 has been invested in the Asset Restoration Campaign resulting in more than $10,000 of annual savings in energy and water. Another phase of LED upgrades and additional building envelope work are the next major projects.

Now, thanks to the Fox Theater Institute Preservation Grant, Georgia Council for the Arts Cultural Facilities Grant, Plaza Theatre and Christopher Escobar, 7 Stages is afforded the opportunity to create a significantly more accessible and safer theatre experience for patrons and producers.

Fox Theater Institute Preservation Grant awarded 7 Stages $25,000 for 2023 renovations. The Fox Theatre Institute (FTI) is a dynamic outreach program offering historic preservation expertise, consultation, and education to performing arts venues in Georgia and the region. Created by Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, an iconic attraction widely applauded for being a catalyst for positive change in the community, FTI pays it forward, helping other cultural institutions renew, reinvigorate, and restore artistic vitality in their backyards and beyond. Keeping environmental and economic impact top of mind, FTI offers the financial assistance, restoration support and operations mentoring needed to leverage scarce resources and stimulate local economies. Not only that, but it keeps the artistic pulse of beloved communities beating for decades to come.

Georgia Council for the Arts Cultural Facilities Grant awarded 7 Stages $36,000 for 2022-2023 improvements. Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) is a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development whose mission is to cultivate the growth of vibrant, thriving Georgia communities through the arts. GCA provides grant funding, programs, and services statewide that support the vital arts industry, preserve the state’s cultural heritage, increase tourism, and nurture strong communities. Funding for Georgia Council for the Arts is provided by appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Plaza Theatre donated over 170 seats to 7 Stages thanks to Christopher Escobar, the owner of the Plaza, who recently purchased the Tara Theatre and saved it from destruction. Opened in 1939, the Plaza Theatre is Atlanta’s oldest operating cinema, its only independent cinema, and now Atlanta’s only minority-owned cinema!

7 Stages is a professional, non-profit theatre company devoted to engaging artists and audiences by focusing on the social, political, and spiritual values of contemporary culture. 7 Stages gives primary emphasis to international work and the support and development of new plays, new playwrights, and new methods of collaboration.

7 Stages is a hub for artistic innovation. Our work serves as a force for social change as we aspire to eradicate the white supremacist narrative and binary systems of power on which the American theatre was founded. In this effort, we are thrilled to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Dinkova, Ashley James and Marium Khalid as new Associate Artistic Directors. These dynamic women will share responsibilities with newly appointed Director of Education, Destiny Renee, and Artistic Director Heidi S. Howard. This decision marks 7 Stages’ commitment to collaborative leadership: to run as an inclusive, non-hierarchical collective in order to weave a vision of radical transformation.

Ashley James (Associate Artistic Director) is a producer, director, and creator, originally from Mobile, Alabama. In 2015, she received the Princess Grace Theatre Honorarium Award to continue her work as an emerging director with Double Edge Theatre in Massachusetts. She graduated from Florida State University with a BA in Theatre and returned in 2018, earning her MFA in Film Production. Her latest short film FO[U]R has recently screened at the Toronto Black Film Festival and Through Women’s Eyes International Film Festival.

Marium Khalid (Associate Artistic Director) is a Pakistani-Kashmiri American writer, director and creator leading her companies SAiAH Arts and Sky Creature Productions to receive over 25 major awards. Her previous work includes TERMINUS, an award winning immersive multi-layered story, and an experiential retelling of Moby Dick, winning her Best Director and Best Show. She received the CREATIVITY AND ARTS IMPACT AWARD from Emory College Center for Creativity & Arts. Most recently her short film MAZLOOM, was awarded Best Director, Best Film, and Best Actress from major film festivals as well as receiving official selections from others including the Atlanta Women’s Film Festival and the Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival.

Elizabeth Dinkova (Associate Artistic Director) is an itinerant collaborative creator who explores alternative realities at the intersection of theater, film, and music in pursuit of social justice. She was born in Bulgaria and recently graduated from the MFA Directing program at the Yale School of Drama. She was the 2017-18 Directing Fellow at the Alliance Theatre. Her most recent work with 7 Stages, the visual album “TIT,” has been selected for the NYC Indie Theater Film Festival.

Destiny Renee (Director of Education) is an actress, teaching artist and poet based in Atlanta. She has trained in performance in London and studied ensemble theatre with Double Edge Theatre in Massachusetts. Since settling in Atlanta in 2015, Destiny joined Shakespeare on Draught as an actress and company member, been a founding member of the local Tipsy Tales show and continued her work with young artists with companies like 7 Stages, Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse and the Boy & Girls Club. She aims to foster dialogue about issues that deeply affect society through mediums like devised theatre, film and poetry. She holds a B.A. in theatre from Florida State University.

Together this team will embark on a journey. Leading the charge to re-envision the mission, vision, and values that guide this organization, they will uplift what has made 7 Stages a beloved community, while also charting a course for a future that promotes fierce dreaming and meaningful engagement with the evolving circumstances of our landscape. Dinkova, James, Khalid, and Renee bring a collective expertise in original work, co-creation, immersive theatre, film, artistic leadership, and cross-cultural collaboration and we look forward to the brave new ideas they will bring to this ever-evolving company.

Read the full review by Kathy Janich below or follow this link. 

“After Trump.”

Those two words draw the line between 7 Stages’ two world premieres of Atlanta playwright Topher Payne’s tragicomic Angry Fags.

When it debuted in 2013, Barack Obama was in his second term as president, and the more moderate and liberal among us felt a certain optimism. “After Trump” is the setting for the revised version, running through April 14 at 7 Stages in Little Five Points. It’s decidedly darker, still hilariously funny, and you need no knowledge of the first to appreciate the second.

Angry Fags is a revenge story and a cautionary tale of good gay guys gone bad. We’re speaking primarily of steady-until-he’s-not Bennett (Gregory Hernandez), who works in politics, and his best friend, Cooper (Cody Russell), who works at being witty and fashionable. When one avenges a friend’s gay bashing, it sets in motion a string of events that cannot be undone.

Change doesn’t come from reason,” one tells the other. “It comes from fear.”

Five other characters orbit these two men — Brandon Partrick and Kelly Criss as Bennett’s coworkers; Gina Rickicki as Allison Haines, the Georgia state senator who employs them; Parris Sarter as Peggy Musgrove, a conservative Republican opposing Haines in an election; and Carolyn Cook as TV newswoman Deirdre Preston.

Each character has an agenda, each of which clicks against the others like bullets in the chamber of a gun. In this make-believe game of Russian roulette, we wonder when — and at whom — the weapon will fire. Have no doubt, carnage will be committed. These agendas will be flayed open and examined as they, like their owners, collide, cozy up, ally and split apart.

Payne’s script — 30 minutes trimmer than in 2013 — is still too long, clocking in at 2.5 mostly edge-of-your-seat hours. He softens the blows with his wickedly fine talent for one-liners, yet there’s a heaviness in the room. His laugh lines are balloons weighted to earth like sandbags; that’s the yin and yang, the push and pull of Angry Fags. 

The cast, employed by director Kate Donadio MacQueen and codirector Ibi Owolabi, brushes up against brilliance. Partrick, as a politico with higher aspirations, and Criss, as a woman who spends more time at work than at home, do some of their best work to date. Cook makes the most of a smallish role, using an arched eyebrow or feigned smile to punctuate her points. Prerecorded video of the TV newswoman and political opponents is less effective, proving too dim against the walls of the set.

Sarter is particularly fine as the GOP poster child. Her Peggy Musgrove is a smooth talker with a knack for sincerity. She’s churchgoing and God-fearing, yes, but not above turning tragedy to her political advantage. Keep an eye on Sarter. Her notable work in the past few years includes the recent An Octoroon (Actor’s Express), that company’s 2018 staging of Angels in America and Danai Gurira’s magical Eclipsed at Synchronicity Theatre in 2017.

What to say about Hernandez’s Bennett and Russell’s Cooper? Be careful when picking your friends?

Hernandez makes Bennett likable and capable, a guy who’s sensitive, sensible and goodhearted. We can trust him, right? Right? In other hands, Bennett could be boring. Hernandez is anything but.

Russell’s Cooper, well, wow. He could seem stereotypical if his passions didn’t run so deep and his blood didn’t run so cold. Coop comes off as a shrill lightweight at first, but as the story unfolds, he’s the one tightening the screws. Payne’s morality tale wouldn’t work if Russell couldn’t deliver the tragedy as well as the levity.

“The beauty of this show,” MacQueen writes in her program notes, “is the creation of thoughtful, compassionate, funny and friendly characters who, through a sense of helplessness and fear, become the very thing they are fighting against.”

The 2019 version of Angry Fags is very much a play of, by and for our time. And the ending will kick you in the teeth.