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#BUILDTHEBRIDGEPHL
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A note from Co-Founder, Hannah Tsapatoris MacLeod:
Dear Theatre Community,
On Feb 2nd I posted a call on the Philly Theatre Facebook page for actors of color, which was unclear and general in nature. In haste and exuberance to get the production underway, I neglected the necessary preparation to execute such an ask from the community at large. As such, with the rapid fire questions coming to me in succession, I was ill-equipped to answer them in full. Therefore I deleted the post; that was unprofessional. The dialogue that transpired was informational, educational and eye-opening. I am appreciative of the Black and Brown voices that took the emotional labor to hold space for my actions. I acknowledge that removing the discourse continues to cause harm and vilifies the same voices that graciously took the time to assist me in progressing forward. For this, I apologize.
I first read “The Purple Flower” last year in an anthology of “Black Female Playwrights from before 1950” complied by Kathy A. Perkins. In planning our Women’s History Month events, The Bridge PHL decided to honor the playwrights in this little known anthology. I volunteered to direct this work as part of a four play line up during the month of March. The three other plays were to be directed by Black female directors in our organization.
I now understand that as white director I should be more mindful of all the choices that I make. I am grateful for the deeper revelation of how important the choices are that I make - as a white director.
The Bridge PHL is a collective of artists who believe deeply in using theatre as a vessel for change and growth. Our Mission is to Foster Healing Connections between diverse communities through powerful acts of theatre. We have ten members on our board who have been in discussion this week processing everything we’ve heard, and we are working together to alter our policies to ensure we are always on mission.
The Bridge PHL was founded in 2015 with the desire to bridge the gap between communities and work towards creating inclusion and giving space for the work of artists of color to be seen in a white dominated theatre world. It’s been a journey of growth, humility and the belief in the power of art.
The work we do as The Bridge PHL is process based - we are learning as we go; evolving and growing; desiring this conversation around race and privilege and how to level the playing field. We will continue to do the work that our mission calls for us to do.
I thank all the members of the theatre community who helped me grow, and reflect and dig deeper into myself. I appreciate everything that was offered to me - notably Ryk Lewis, Jessica Nicole, Kylil A. Wyatt and Ang Bey, whose voices spoke clearly about their perspective.
I want to make clear that I never felt ‘bullied’ by any of those lending their voices to this situation. I never felt ‘the victim’ as some have portrayed me.
I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow from this moment and welcome the lessons with an open heart.
Going forward The Bridge PHL has made alterations in our policies in order to be as clear and transparent as possible:
Please feel free to contact us at thebridgephl@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Hannah Tsapatoris MacLeod
The Bridge PHL
On Feb 2nd I posted a call on the Philly Theatre Facebook page for actors of color, which was unclear and general in nature. In haste and exuberance to get the production underway, I neglected the necessary preparation to execute such an ask from the community at large. As such, with the rapid fire questions coming to me in succession, I was ill-equipped to answer them in full. Therefore I deleted the post; that was unprofessional. The dialogue that transpired was informational, educational and eye-opening. I am appreciative of the Black and Brown voices that took the emotional labor to hold space for my actions. I acknowledge that removing the discourse continues to cause harm and vilifies the same voices that graciously took the time to assist me in progressing forward. For this, I apologize.
I first read “The Purple Flower” last year in an anthology of “Black Female Playwrights from before 1950” complied by Kathy A. Perkins. In planning our Women’s History Month events, The Bridge PHL decided to honor the playwrights in this little known anthology. I volunteered to direct this work as part of a four play line up during the month of March. The three other plays were to be directed by Black female directors in our organization.
I now understand that as white director I should be more mindful of all the choices that I make. I am grateful for the deeper revelation of how important the choices are that I make - as a white director.
The Bridge PHL is a collective of artists who believe deeply in using theatre as a vessel for change and growth. Our Mission is to Foster Healing Connections between diverse communities through powerful acts of theatre. We have ten members on our board who have been in discussion this week processing everything we’ve heard, and we are working together to alter our policies to ensure we are always on mission.
The Bridge PHL was founded in 2015 with the desire to bridge the gap between communities and work towards creating inclusion and giving space for the work of artists of color to be seen in a white dominated theatre world. It’s been a journey of growth, humility and the belief in the power of art.
The work we do as The Bridge PHL is process based - we are learning as we go; evolving and growing; desiring this conversation around race and privilege and how to level the playing field. We will continue to do the work that our mission calls for us to do.
I thank all the members of the theatre community who helped me grow, and reflect and dig deeper into myself. I appreciate everything that was offered to me - notably Ryk Lewis, Jessica Nicole, Kylil A. Wyatt and Ang Bey, whose voices spoke clearly about their perspective.
I want to make clear that I never felt ‘bullied’ by any of those lending their voices to this situation. I never felt ‘the victim’ as some have portrayed me.
I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow from this moment and welcome the lessons with an open heart.
Going forward The Bridge PHL has made alterations in our policies in order to be as clear and transparent as possible:
- We will be posting as a collective not as individuals.
- We will be using a vetting process to be sure that all our posts align with our mission.
- Our posts will be clear about - Production needs, directors / actors needed, compensation and time commitments.
Please feel free to contact us at thebridgephl@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Hannah Tsapatoris MacLeod
The Bridge PHL
THANK YOU
to everyone who participated in and supported our 5th Annual (and 1st virtual) festival!
If you missed it, you can still catch it on The Bridge PHL YouTube Channel.
to everyone who participated in and supported our 5th Annual (and 1st virtual) festival!
If you missed it, you can still catch it on The Bridge PHL YouTube Channel.
The Philadelphia Inquirer:
The Bridge PHL Theatre Festival (Performance / virtual / anti-racism) The Bridge PHL is a local organization that promotes equality and inclusion through performance-based dialogues about racial oppression and bias. The group’s all-virtual festival brings more than 20 free performances (but donations are encouraged) to YouTube, tackling important topics like white privilege, innate racism, brutality and oft-forgotten Black figures.
The Bridge PHL Theatre Festival (Performance / virtual / anti-racism) The Bridge PHL is a local organization that promotes equality and inclusion through performance-based dialogues about racial oppression and bias. The group’s all-virtual festival brings more than 20 free performances (but donations are encouraged) to YouTube, tackling important topics like white privilege, innate racism, brutality and oft-forgotten Black figures.
Poster artwork by Tiffani Dean,
featuring photos by Sharita Riggs.
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THANK YOU to everyone who joined us
on August 27th for our first-ever virtual event LIVE, LOVE, LIBERATE: A Tapestry of Life. If you missed it, you can still check it out on The Bridge PHL YouTube channel. |
"I was there, I felt the love, I bathe in the creative energy, and I will be back."
"Participating in The Bridge PHL made me feel like I had found my people and that my piece achieved more than I thought it could when I first wrote it."
"The Bridge Festival is open arms to many communities showing art can be a large embrace that heals and inspires."
"The energy of the festival was amazing.
It was beyond comforting to be in a safe/brave space."
"The Bridge PHL is an amazing platform for voices that may not have had the opportunity to share a body of work. It is a much needed festival."
"A very grounding, connective, powerful, thought-provoking space. I am thankful for everyone who made that space possible."
"Participating in The Bridge PHL made me feel like I had found my people and that my piece achieved more than I thought it could when I first wrote it."
"The Bridge Festival is open arms to many communities showing art can be a large embrace that heals and inspires."
"The energy of the festival was amazing.
It was beyond comforting to be in a safe/brave space."
"The Bridge PHL is an amazing platform for voices that may not have had the opportunity to share a body of work. It is a much needed festival."
"A very grounding, connective, powerful, thought-provoking space. I am thankful for everyone who made that space possible."
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Antiracism Page
Our Antiracism page is filled with links to helpful educators to follow, podcasts, training, films, books, and organizations, all available now on our website. Please check it out. The Bridge PHL hosts informal monthly Zoom meet-ups for those in our community who hold white privilege and are working through Layla F. Saad's "Me and White Supremacy" , as our white producers are, as part of our antiracism educational journey.
Come join the discussion. Please send us an email for more information. |
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Upcoming Events & Important Dates
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Build The Bridge Tees!
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Previously only available at our events, you can now order
BUILD THE BRIDGE PHL tee shirts right here! 25% of all our tee shirt sales is donated to local Philadelphia Black and Brown artists and initiatives. Click the photo to see our other items and to order! |
The Bridge Logo Tees
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The Bridge PHL is proudly a fiscally-sponsored project of Fractured Atlas. Your tax-deductible donation helps us to produce and present powerful, original acts of theatre which encourage long overdue dialogue and openness on racial oppression and inclusion. Any amount helps and is greatly appreciated. Click the Fractured Atlas logo to donate. Thank you!
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