Dark Vanilla Jungle & Junebug at Flamboyan Theater at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center

The Brave Artist Collective is proud to present their 2017 Inaugural season. They will present two plays in repertory, Dark Vanilla Jungle by Philip Ridley, and Junebug by Hamza Zaman. Both productions will be performed as limited engagements at the Flamboyan Theater at the Clemente Cultural Center March 14-26.  

Lexie Braverman will reprise the role in Dark Vanilla Jungle. Straight from her 4-star turn as Andrea at the Fringe Festival in London. This newly mounted production will be produced by the Brave Artist Collective and directed by Sybille Bruun (Artistic Director- The Shakespeare Forum). 

Hamza Zaman, stars in “Junebug”, the lead from his critically acclaimed FringeNYC show "Fresh Meat". Directed by Veronica Caicedo (Teatro Circulo, The Clemente).

Dark Vanilla Jungle is written by one of England’s most prolific playwrights and introduces us to Andrea, a young girl just trying to stay alive amidst an act of violence that alters her existence and everyone she touches. Andreas yearning for love and a family takes her to the darkest of places and she just wants to tell you the truth, will you listen?

Junebug is written and performed by Hamza Zaman and navigates the life of a long term inmate, “Junebug” Gonzalez. In a world where second chances are hard to find it challenges us to examine the nations criminal justice system.

About the Director- Sybille Bruunis the Executive Director and Co-Founder of The Shakespeare Forum.Sybille teaches Shakespeare for Actors, as well as Voice and Speech, and Shakespearean Verse/Text courses. She has worked with educational arts outreach programs such as Project Shine and the Brachiate Outreach Division, and developed The Shakespeare Forum's Educational Curriculum, all programming committed to bringing arts and arts education to under-served communities and children with special needs. She received a Masters of Sciences in Education from Pace University. Sybille has directed numerous productions both in New York and regionally. Highlights include:The Taming of the Shrew(Live Theatre Workshop),The Insatiate Countess(American Shakespeare Center Staged Reading Series),Macbeth(Brachiate Theatre Company), as well asHamlet(Theatre for the New City),Love's Labour's Lost, andThe Merchant of Venice(both at The Gym at Judson) with The Shakespeare Forum.

About the Performer- Lexie Braverman is the co-founder of the Brave Artist Collective. She hails from Philadelphia and has been an actor since she was 11. This is her NYC debut. Regional highlights include Women Beware Women, The Sea Voyage, and Love for Love (all at the American Shakespeare Center). Her most recent performance as Andrea in Dark Vanilla Jungle at the Camden Fringe Festival garnered brilliant reviews from LONDON CITY NIGHTS, EVERYTHING THEATRE, and VIEWS FROM THE GODS. Braverman was a profound member of the NC Shakespeare Festival Educational Outreach program. Braverman received a BA in Communications from Ithaca College and an MA in Acting from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol, UK.

About the Director - Ms. Caicedo is an innovative, director, producer and writer who has overseen more than 25 successful theatrical productions. Drawing upon her urban cultural experiences and extensive creativity, Ms. Caicedo has used her unique vision to produce and/or direct such projects and plays as Black Latina the play, They Call Me LA LUPE (Starring Lauren Velez of Dexter), SUNSHINE by Lawrence Dukore, Patrick Marbers Closer, The ONE Festival, International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival and Faded by Robert Dominguez, among others. Ms. Caicedo has served as Theater Director for Project Reach Youth, Teatro El Puente and The Loisaida Players at Loisaida Inc., where she was a safe-sex educator. For over a decade, she was Managing Theater Director for Teatro LATEA at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center. Caicedo Productions will continue its growth and development incorporating professional theater/film productions and festivals in local communities such as the annual The ONE Festival in April and the IPRHFF in November.

About the Performer - Hamza Zaman is the co-founder of the Brave Artist Collective. An award winning filmmaker and critically acclaimed playwright and actor. His play "Fresh Meat" received rave reviews and a sold out premiere at the 20th Anniversary FringeNYC Festival. His film "Vemana" was an official selection to the New York Film Week and won the Lovecraft Arts Film Festival. A true believer in the collaborative nature of art, he founded the production company "Headless Films" with a non-hierarchical philosophy and also is the co-founder of the New York Actors Gym.

Lighting design is by Jason Fok and sound design by Elia Chauaqui. Jam Shakwi stage manages. Dark Vanilla Jungle poster photography by Tiphaine Betscher. Junebug poster photography by Pete MacNamara.

Dark Vanilla Jungle plays March 14, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 at 8PM

Junebug plays March 16 at 8PM and 19 at 5PM

Double Header with Junebug and Dark Vanilla Jungle, Sun March 26th at 5PM

Tickets are available below:

Dark Vanilla Jungle: http://braveartistcollective.bpt.me

Junebug: http://junebug.bpt.me

Double Header of both Junebug and Dark Vanilla Jungle: http://dvjj.bpt.me

Press and other Inquiries to: info@braveartistcollective.com