Amanda Grace Ewing

Getting Bad and Nasty

UPDATE: Here is the link for the archived Bad/Nasty event page: https://badandnasty.com/detroit-bad-nasty-light-box-22017/

I wanted to take a minute to share a project I have been working on. I’m a co-curator and the production manager of an evening of performance and installation this Monday, February 20th, 2017. This performance is in solidarity with BAD AND NASTY’s (aka Bad Hombres and Nasty Women) https://badandnasty.com call for art and action on President’s/Not My President’s Day. Amid an abusive climate of bigotry, sexism, xenophobia, environmental devastation and a long list of injustices, this event calls on each of us to come out of our studios to strengthen our community, engage/rage in dialogue, rupture false rhetoric, disrupt the normalizing, and be heard. Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/259197951180180/?active_tab=about

Doors open and installation based work begins at 6:00 PM
Performances begin at 7:00 PM
$5-10 donations to benefit ACLU of Michigan
with DELICIOUS meals for purchase by Mama Nezaa of Paradise Natural Foods! https://www.facebook.com/ParadiseNaturalFoods/

We’ve gotten some really awesome press – I can’t wait for you all to see it!

President’s/Not My President’s Day

Light Box is hosting an evening of performance and installation on February 20, 2017, in solidarity with BAD AND NASTY’s (aka Bad Hombres and Nasty Women) https://badandnasty.com/ call for art and action on President’s/Not My President’s Day. We are inviting artists (visual and performance), musicians, writers and provocateurs to submit work and join in an evening of hellfire and brimstone that will lift the roof right off the Box. Amid an abusive climate of bigotry, sexism, xenophobia, environmental devastation and a long list of injustices, we call on you to come out of your studios to strengthen community, engage/rage in dialogue, rupture false rhetoric, disrupt the normalizing and be heard. This process and event takes cues from Viennese Actionists, Arte Chicano, Interventionists, All-wave Feminists, Butoh, Punk, Rap, South Park, Cyber-activists, insert your influences and muses here:__________.

We are interested in voices from ALL communities – mainstream, downstream, upstream, stream-of-consciousness: LGBTQ, POC, Disability, First Nations, Muslim, Self-Identified, White Male okay too.

Interested participants: Send a brief written proposal and/or images describing your intended offering, along with optional links to online time-based documentation to lightboxperformance@gmail.com

PROPOSAL DEADLINE: January 15th
Notifications will be made on January 25th

Information:
• Durational installations and video installations to be shown in basement spaces at Light Box.
• Shorter performative works, 8-10 minutes maximum, and readings in main space from 6 – 9 pm, Feb. 20th.

Venue/Tech:
Light Box, located at 8641 Linwood Street in Detroit, has an accessible main performing space 1500sq.ft total — about 1300sq ft open space with sprung floor; audience or performing risers; about
75-90 chairs; PA system with a couple of mics; two video projectors; only house lighting.

Basement spaces — not ADA accessible include a large room with a former baptismal (now also a shower), a room with a former bank vault and a couple of other spaces.

Curators for this event: Amanda Grace Ewing, Emilia Javanica, Melanie Manos and Stefanie Cohen

About the national/worldwide efforts from badandnasty.com:
BAD AND NASTY (aka Bad Hombres and Nasty Women) is a loose-knit coalition of artists, activists, media makers, theater folk, web geeks, designers, performers, writers, concerned citizens, and [whatever YOU may be that is not in the list above] around the world who are tired of waking up every morning since Election Day 2016 feeling angry/scared/sad and not having anything useful to do with those emotions. We are currently planning a day (and night!) of art and action taking place around the world on FEBRUARY 20, 2017, called NOT MY PRESIDENTS’ DAY. Cool stuff will be happening at a safe and special theatre (or two or three!) near you. Check our map to find out what’s going on in your neck of the woods.

EncoreMichigan.com Review

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Family is where you find it at Planet Ant’s “Hamtown Races” REVIEW November 25, 2016 Martin F. Kohn

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – The inadvertent family—unrelated people who choose to be with each other, often at a bar—has long been a go-to situation for theater and TV; think “The Iceman Cometh” or “Cheers.” Margaret Edwartowski’s play Hamtown Races at Hamtramck’s Planet Ant Theatre is such a tale of family-where-you-find-it and the results are more than satisfying.

One reason is the play’s specificity. Even without its title, the play’s setting is unmistakably Hamtramck, that funky, gritty and diverse little city surrounded by Detroit. In the neighborhood diner where all the onstage action takes place you’ll find proprietor Noor, an immigrant from Lebanon; her thoroughly Americanized college student daughter, Lolia; diner fixtures and bickering buddies Jimmy, who is African American, and Dobry, who is Polish; and finally Matt, young proprietor of the nearby T-shirt shop that caters to the town’s influx of millennials.

These are people who probably wouldn’t have voted for the current president-elect, but that’s not an issue here. Hamtown Races was first performed in 2012 and is back, more or less by popular demand, in a new production.

There is one other character, a late arrival; we’ll get to him…later.

Edwartowski provides several storylines but characters are the engine that drives her play, none more forcefully than the quarrelsome, inseparable duo of Jimmy (Falah Cannon) and Dobry (Stephen Craig Blackwell). Their dialogue is snappy, funny and very informative about Hamtramck and its ethnic divisions. Jimmy relates to profanity as if it’s a component of the air he breathes: oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, the n-word and the mother-word. He uses “dumbass” as a term of endearment.

Cannon musters all of Jimmy’s bluster in the cause of a man with a grudge against the word, railing against the system (he’s fighting to receive disability) and the “A-rabs” and other denizens of Hamtramck (including African Americans).

Blackwell, with a pitch-perfect accent, is Jimmy’s good-natured foil, adversary and occasional co-conspirator. He supposedly works in his brother’s unspecified business, and Jimmy doesn’t work at all, but neither man really has a life outside the café.

Noor (Maya Gangadharan) and daughter Lolia (Shelby Marie Schroeder) persuasively convey the conflict typical of a protective old-country mother and more modern offspring. One source of conflict: the mutual attraction between Lolia and Matt, the T-shirt guy (Andy Alan Reid).

The one subject they skirt is the absence of the husband and father who has stayed behind in Lebanon all these 11 years, but that subject becomes unavoidable when the man (Samer Ajluni) arrives without prior notice, suitcase in hand.

I could give away the plot (I won’t) and it wouldn’t diminish anyone’s enjoyment of Hamtown Races. Persuasively acted, and emphatically directed by Amanda Grace Ewing, it’s a play of flavors, pungent as the varied cuisines of Hamtown itself.

Click here for show days, times and details.

Read more about Hamtown Races 11/23–12/17

A note from the director

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars. – Kahlil Gibran

In many ways, Noor, the strong Arab woman at the center of this story, reminds me of my Sito (Arabic for grandmother), who passed away in August of this year – a week after I signed on to direct Hamtown Races. I think of Noor as a lighthouse – providing guidance, safety, and strength for everyone who encounters her. My Sito was the same way. She was at every concert, performance, holiday, and school ceremony my siblings, cousins, and I ever had. She cheered us on and, as an aspiring singer in her youth, always encouraged me to follow my heart toward the theatre. After Sito’s death, meeting Noor was a gift. This show gave me an opportunity to do something productive with my grief. Hamtown Races became a way to channel my family and my experiences as an Arab-American, a way to honor my grandmother and her legacy. At the heart of this play is a family fighting to stay together, a family fighting to mend their scars, a family fighting for survival. This show came at a perfect time for me.

Before we opened, a woman I looked up to all my life was defeated by racism, hate, frustration, and fear. In the days following the election, Hamtown Races once again provided an outlet for my pain and grief. Theatre-maker Augusto Boal called the theatre a rehearsal for revolution. Each day at rehearsal I felt that I was making a productive piece of the resistance. Inside Margaret’s gorgeous and hilarious words, the cast and I were able to do something hopeful with our anxiety, exasperation, and heartache. We took this examination of Hamtramck, the world in two square miles, and rehearsed mending our wounds, gathering our families, rebelling against the systems of oppression that compel us to criticize each other. This show came at the perfect time for us.

It is my hope that this show might help form a community of theatre-makers and theatergoers who can come together as the ‘massive characters’ needed to begin to effect the positive change needed in our larger story.

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Hamtown Races Show Dates:

November 23, 25, 26, 29, 30 | December 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17 | 8pm

Sunday December 4 at 2pm & Sunday December 11 at 6pm

Tickets – $20.00*

*Price includes a $1 per ticket online processing fee. Tickets are non-refundable.

Available at http://www.planetant.com

Planet Ant Theatre | 2357 Caniff Ave., Hamtramck, MI 48212 | 313-365-4948

Hamtown Races

It’s that time! Posters are out, the facebook event is created, it’s happening! In this post-election environment, it has been feeling so productive to come to rehearsals and create a show about race and culture that is inclusive, representative, and seriously funny. I think a lot of people are needing a good laugh right now.

Come out and see the show!

Show Dates:

November 23, 25, 26, 29, 30 | December 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17 | 8pm

Sunday December 4 at 2pm & Sunday December 11 at 6pm

Tickets – $20.00*

*Price includes a $1 per ticket online processing fee. Tickets are non-refundable.

Available at http://www.planetant.com

Planet Ant Theatre | 2357 Caniff Ave., Hamtramck, MI 48212 | 313-365-4948

Hamtown Races

I am excited to announce that I am directing “Hamtown Races” at Planet Ant Theatre this season. The show runs from November 23rd – December 27th.

From the Planet Ant website, “Planet Ant brings back an encore presentation of Margaret Edwartowski’s Wilde Award-winning play, Hamtown Races. Originally staged in Fall 2012, the play is set inside the Al Ameer Cafe, a family business belonging to Lebanese immigrants, which hosts a colorful and diverse collection of characters, each representative of the varied and shifting cultures in Hamtramck.”

As an Arab-American, whose great-grandparents immigrated from Lebanon, I am thrilled to be directing this show! I’m excited to explore this part of my family history and identity through this show – and further, I’m excited to explore race in Metro Detroit, and the history and changing culture of Hamtramck.

More to come!

BoxFest Detroit, 2016

As a producer of BoxFest Detroit, I am happy to announce that the festival is returning again this year! Now the longest running theatre festival in the Detroit area, BoxFest is an annual theatre festival that showcases and creates opportunities for women directors. This year the festival runs Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons and evenings, August 19 – 27, at Planet Ant Theatre.

Planet Ant Theatre is located at 2357 Caniff, Hamtramck, MI, 48212. Admission is payable by cash only at the door with day passes for $10.

BoxFest Detroit produces festivals that allow women directors the opportunities to direct original shows of their choice and win awards to help further their careers in directing. Proceeds from each festival are given to one or more directors as a scholarship to help further her career. The winning director of the audience vote competition is given the opportunity to direct a show with Planet Ant Theatre’s Late Night Series.

Over the two weekends long festival, BoxFest Detroit 2016 presents the work of 13 local women theatre artists. Directors reshaping the box this year are Mycah Leigh Artis, Dyan Bailey, Yolanda Fleischer, Emily Harpe, Wendy Katz Hiller, Shannon Hurst, RoNeesha Jackson, Michelle Resnick, Frannie Shepherd-Bates, Andaiye Spencer, Terie Spencer, Jennifer Ward, and Megan Wright. The producing team for BoxFest Detroit 2016 includes Molly McMahon, Kelly Rossi, and Amanda Grace Ewing.

“Once again, the BoxFest Detroit festival will feature exciting new work directed by a few of Michigan’s hardest-working and dynamic theatre artists,” said Molly McMahon, Artistic Director. While some women are new to directing or are just beginning professional careers, others are established artists with decades of experience. “Whether she is directing for the first time or whether she is a seasoned professional, each of our directors bring to their work the creative spark and vision necessary for success,” continued McMahon.

“We cannot wait to see the plays that were selected brought to life this year by our talented directors and actors,” said Kelly Rossi, Executive Director. “With over 500 play submissions, the selection process was tougher than ever before, and we look forward to audiences enjoying new plays by playwrights from across the U.S. and Canada.”

BoxFest Detroit, the only theatre festival of its kind in the U.S., is an annual theatre festival that showcases the work of and provides opportunities for women directors. BoxFest Detroit has served and continues to function as a springboard for many women and their directing careers. Directors who have participated in past festivals have gone on to pursue graduate studies at highly competitive universities, become directors at professional theatres, and form their own successful theatre and production companies. For more information, visit www.boxfestdetroit.com. BoxFest Detroit 2016 is sponsored by Planet Ant Theatre.

BoxFest Detroit, 2016

It’s that time of year – BoxFest 2106 has been announced! I’m thrilled to be one of the producers of the festival again this year. Check out our information and think about getting involved!

BoxFest Detroit, 2015

Press Release:

That’s right, folks! We’re back and BoxFest Detroit 2015 is happening! We’re really excited to be hosted by Planet Ant Theatre, Fridays and Saturdays, August 21 – 29. This is Molly McMahon, Artistic Director, excitedly typing away the good news.

Last year we regrouped and with more resources, we’re looking forward to our 2015 festival. We’ve gotten financial support from some generous people including Jerry Belanger and Park Bar Detroit, and Kennikki Jones-Jones and Edmund Alyn Jones and their company, Dramatically Richer Productions. We are so grateful for their support and want to shout our thanks from the rooftops. If you see these folks around town, give them a hug, a high five, or just say “You’re awesome!” to them. They really deserve it.

But wait, there’s more! We’re also adding a new face to the producing team! Amanda Ewing, a fantastic director in the Detroit area and past BFD director, has joined us as a producer this year. She will be a great asset to the festival and a great resource for newer directors looking for guidance.

We’re really looking forward to returning to Planet Ant Theatre where our 2005 – 2007 festivals were held. They have always been one of our biggest supporters and allies and we are overjoyed that they are hosting us at their space in the lovely City of Hamtramck.

Right now, we’re accepting submissions from directors, playwrights, and actors. Would you like to submit for this year’s festival? Just click on the Participate tab above for more information! We’d love to have you join us this year!

BoxFest Detroit, 2014

Sixteen Jackies by Emma Miller
Directed By: Amanda Grace Ewing
Jackie: Vanessa Sawson
BoxFest 2014

Showtimes
Saturday, September 20th @ 7:00PM

BoxFest Detroit is an annual theatre festival that showcases and creates opportunities for women directors. Though the main focus of the event is the directors, BoxFest Detroit creates a festive energy by including special opening and closing night events and by using the lobby to create an art gallery for female inspired art. Proceeds from the event are normally given to two directors as a scholarship to help further her career and the winner of the audience vote competition is given the opportunity to direct a show with Planet Ant Theatre’s Late Night Series. This season because of financial difficulties the workshop scaled back to staged readings.

About the changes on BoxFest 2014 from EncoreMichigan.com.

“Sixteen Jackies” is a one woman, one act, play chronicling the experiences of former first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy. RUMPUSROOM has plans to mount a full production of “Sixteen Jackies” this autumn.