Everyman Theatre Announces New Community Engagement Initiative

Everyman Theatre is pleased to announce the launch of a new Community Engagement Initiative as part of its 25th Anniversary Season. The Initiative aims to expand and deepen the Theatre's existing community-based work and more closely connect the Greater Baltimore community through the work on Everyman's stage. Ms. Melani N. Douglass has been hired as the Theatre's first full-time Community Engagement Manager to lead this new Initiative.

"The mark of a great story is a cathartic journey that is universal to everyone. The journey transcends age, race, profession, class, gender and more," said Everyman's Managing Director Jonathan K. Waller. "I see this as an exciting opportunity to build community while also exciting people about theatre. Our goal is simple: take the themes you see in the great stories on our stage and use them to connect seemingly unrelated people, partners and events in innovative ways you might not expect. Melani has the heart, soul and creativity to lead this new effort for Everyman and I'm thrilled welcome her on board."

Ms. Douglass steps into this role after having joined Everyman in spring 2015 as an Urban Arts Leadership Program Fellow. The UALP is a program of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance which connects emerging professionals of color to training and resources that will position them for success. Ms. Douglass has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Maryland Institute College of Art in Curatorial Practice. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Morgan State University. She recently won Baltimore Magazine's 2015 Best of Baltimore award for Best Pop-Up Exhibit for her work with the Family Arts Museum, which she also founded.

Previous to her work in Baltimore, Ms. Douglass was a middle school teacher in Washington, DC for over ten years. She was selected as a Master Teacher of Adult Education by the Washington, DC Office of State Superintendent of Education for her arts infused approach to preparing students to complete their GED.

As an artist, Ms. Douglass has curated both solo and group exhibitions. In 2015, she presented Love on the Line: Dirty Laundry at the Spin Cycle Laundromat in Baltimore. She also presented Locally Sourced at the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2014.

Everyman Theatre is supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive. An agency of the Department of Business & Economic Development, the MSAC provides financial support and technical assistance to non-profit organizations, units of government, colleges and universities for arts activities.

Funding for the Maryland State Arts Council is also provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Everyman Theatre is a proud member of the Bromo Tower Arts and Entertainment District.

Everyman Theatre is a professional Equity theatre company celebrating the actor, with a resident company of artists from the Baltimore/DC area. Founded in 1990 by Vincent Lancisi, the theatre is dedicated to engaging the audience through a shared experience between actor and audience seeking connection and emotional truth in performance. Everyman is committed to presenting high quality plays that are affordable and accessible to everyone. The theatre strives to engage, inspire, and transform artists, audiences and community through theatre of the highest artistic standards and is committed to embodying the promise of its name, Everyman Theatre.

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