Mad Cow Theatre And Black Theatre Girl Magic Announce THEATRE SPARKS!

Mad Cow Theatre, in partnership with Black Theatre Girl Magic, presents digital readings of five short plays by award-winning playwright, poet and changemaker, Idris Goodwin, to spark conversation about race in America for multi-generational audiences. Events will be livestreamed on Mad Cow Theatre and Black Theatre Girl Magic's respective Facebook pages August 22nd -October 17th at 1 p.m. (see below for schedule).

With the support of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA/USA), Goodwin has offered these plays to serve as a catalyst for action. Each of these short works, written to be read across the multi-generational spectrum, offer different insights about disconnects in racial conversation and the Black experience in America. Scripts and more can be found here: http://www.tyausa.org/freeplay/

"Mad Cow Theatre is taking this time of forced closure to reflect on our 20 years of service to Orlando, to listen to our artists, expand our network, and take actionable steps towards change in our own operations and the theatre industry at large," says Mitzi Maxwell, Mad Cow Theatre Executive Director. Mad Cow Theatre and BTGM recognize that they cannot let this important issue slip into the background again. Maxwell continues, "This program is our commitment to an ongoing dialogue about race in America and about taking steps to serve the needs of our BIPOC artists."

These readings will be offered free of charge to remove the barriers of conversations about race in America.

Registration is encouraged here to guarantee access to the event and take part fully in the Q&A dialogue following.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS :

Saturday, August 22, 1pm: #Matter

Saturday, September 5, 1pm: The Water Gun Song

Saturday, September 19, 1pm: Nothing Rhymes with Juneteenth

Saturday, October 3, 1pm: Black Flag

Saturday, October, 17, 1pm: ACT FREE

"Theatre is where we see ourselves and wrestle with our beliefs. Through the stories of others we reflect on our own. Since racism lives at the intersection of misinformation, ego and unchecked power, the arts must counteract by cultivating personal reflection, learning, conversation and compassion." -Idris Goodwin (Playwright)

More info on the playwright, Idris Goodwin: social media @idrisgoodwin and website www.idrisgoodwin.com

Mad Cow Theatre is a 501(c)(3) arts organization funded by the State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs; the Downtown Development Board; the Florida Theatrical Association; Orange County government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs program, and members of the Central Florida community like you. Mad Cow's mission is to produce highly entertaining works of theatre to an ever-widening audience - promoting, enhancing, and celebrating the human condition through art. We celebrate the word and the actor through a combination of passionate, skillful acting and compelling, insightful writing, all nurtured by an attentive and ever-changing process.

Black Theatre Girl Magic is a community of Brown and Black identifying women with a mission to create a racially just, equitable, and accessible entertainment industry for Black and Brown women. They work to drive a cultural shift in theatre institutions to create safer spaces for the BIPOC community through public discourse and national legislation. BTGM aims to eliminate racist and ableist barriers of entry into all sectors of the entertainment industry. In addition, they elevate the valuable anti-racism work of other Black Woman-run organizations by sharing their resources and platform. BTGM is in the process of becoming a recognized non-profit organization and can be found at www.blacktheatregirlmagic.org.