At Freedom Train’s core, our political theatre work challenges audiences to view human struggle from new perspectives – black lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender characters. In only our third year, we have had a number of critical successes that speak to the strength and impact of our work:
- Autumn 06: Founder Andre Lancaster receives the prestigious NYU Wagner/OSI Foundation Social Justice Fellowship, an 18 month, full salaried fellowship bestowed to activists and artists committed to social change.
- August 07: Over 500 audience members and 50 theatre producers see the inaugural FIRE! New Play Festival 2007 in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
- Winter 07: Ensemble Studio Theatre admits Playwright Jesse Cameron Alick (2007) into its Youngblood Residency.
- Spring 08: Freedom Train receives its first Brooklyn Arts Council Award and hosts a panel at CUNY Graduate Center.
- June 08: Freedom Train packs an East Village bar for its After The Ballot political theatre performances.
- Summer 08: Freedom Train launches S/HEROES FOR THE FUTURE after receiving Union Square Arts Award’s two-year $35,000 grant support (previous recipients includes Hip Hop Theatre Festival and Asian American Writer’s Workshop).
- Summer 08: FIRE! New Play Festival 2008 puts up Sharon Bridgforth's delta dandi, Harrison David Rivers' when last we flew, and Aurin Squire's Submerged.
- Winter 08: Subjective Theater Company stages a production of Grace by Jesse Cameron Alick (2007) - a Freedom Train developed and supported play.
- Spring 09: Freedom Train welcomes in the new resident playwright cadre, Patricia Ione Lloyd, Ayanna Maia, and Derek Lee McPhatter, at its spring benefit.
- Spring 09: Sharon Bridgforth and Harrison David Rivers (2008) are named resident playwright and emerging artist fellow at New Dramatists and New York Theatre Workshop, respectively.
- April 09: Brown University's Black Lavender Conference invites Artistic & Managing Director Andre Lancaster to speak on the Production, Performance, and Product panel.
- May 09: The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York honors The Audre Lorde Project with a Local Hero Award for its resource support to Freedom Train.
- June 08: The Emerging Writer’s Program at The Public Theater stages Nick Mwaluko’s (2008) S/HE – a Freedom Train developed and supported play.
- July 09: Offstage Forums 2009 wraps up its first year of critical dialogues convening artists and local community with Post-Apocalyptic, New Freedoms, New Communities at The Brecht Forum.
- July 09: Dixon Place's HOT Festival previews FIRE! Play Festival 2009 and Dirty Little Black Girls by Patricia Ione Lloyd.
- Summer 09: NY Daily News writes up Freedom Train in a full column.
By making a contribution to Freedom Train Productions, you make it possible for us to develop stimulating work that our crazy world so desperately craves.
To make a donation, visit this link. There you will be able to make a tax-deductible contribution to Freedom Train via our fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas. Please be sure to leave us your phone number and email when you make your donation online
Thank you for your support.
