Donnetta Lavinia Grays Assumes The Role Of Artistic Director At Coyote Rep

Donnetta Lavinia Grays (Lincoln Center's In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play, Well on Broadway) has assumed the role of Artistic Director of the up-and-coming NYC-based theater company Coyote REP. The departing Artistic Director, Jeanne laSala, had this to say about Grays: "Donnetta has always shown a true passion for this company. Whether she was shooting a star-studded film or kicking her heels up on Broadway, Donnetta has stayed close, involved and committed to Coyote REP. ... Her ability to bring people together, to get them excited about the work, and to amass a creative team that would rival any off-Broadway production are just some of the excellent qualities she possesses that make her a great leader for this company." LaSala will stay involved with the company by serving as the Executive Director.

Grays has already instituted a number of changes within the company, most notably revising its mission statement, developing an educational branch and lining up the company's 2010 season.

Under Grays' leadership, Coyote REP members crafted the following mission statement that better reflects the purpose and nature of Coyote REP.

Coyote REP is a company of theater artists dedicated to the collaborative development of original work which investigates what is mystical and extraordinary in the everyday. We are dedicated to supporting our members' work through innovative mean: Recording Sound Plays, Embracing New Media and Producing plays for the stage.

The educational branch of the company is set to launch in the Spring of 2010. Coyote REP will offer performance-based classes and workshops to adults and children in acting, voice, dance, improvisation and mask. These classes and workshops will be led by qualified company members and guest artists.

And finally, Grays is proud to announce Coyote REP's upcoming season. In May of 2010, Coyote REP will present its first ever Works-in-Progress Series. This series will showcase new works by member playwrights in a collection of readings and staged productions. In October, Coyote REP will produce a fully staged production of The New Normal, which is a passionate, realistic and often humorous look at the world of young Breast Cancer Survivors.

For more information about Donnetta Lavinia Grays and Coyote REP, visit: www.CoyoteREP.org