Progress Theatre

Progress Theatre ( PT ) is an international touring ensemble of multi-disciplined performers committed to using art to encourage social consciousness, cross-community dialogue and cultural awareness. Known for dynamic performances combining theatre, dance, blues, storytelling, spirituals, R&B, poetry and hip-hop, PT has been featured by some of the most celebrated arts centers in the country. Their roster of theatre seasons includes sold-out performances at New Yorks world-famous Apollo Theatre and Performance Space 122, residencies at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (San Francisco), New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the National Black Theater Festival, and the World Music Theatre Festival in the Netherlands. PT 's unique brand of performance blends African American cultural legacy with contemporary artistic genre, academia with popular culture, and politics with social realities, all contributing to the groups' appeal to both old and new generations of theatergoers. PT pushes beyond the borders of "traditional" theatre asserting themselves as a distinctive voice in the next generation of American theatre by examining the insights and social concerns of today's young adult generation.
The creative partnership between playwright/director Cristal Chanelle Truscott and music composer Maiesha McQueen along with PT 's talented ensemble members Dana Bowles and Aaron Goodson produces PT 's diverse tour repertoire that currently includes the full-length plays PEACHES ( PT 's most highly acclaimed piece), 'MEMBUH and a myriad of shorter works. Community initiatives and outreach programs like Generation Progress , a program that provides arts workshops and discounted tickets for youth; and the Open Stage , a pre-show performance session featuring upcoming and veteran artists in selected tour cities have quickly become signatures at PT performances. By engaging various communities onstage and off, ProgressTheatre strives to change the make-up of average theatergoers, encouraging audiences diverse in race, age and spiritual background.
Progress Theatre will be adding a new play to their touring repertoire entitled THE RAIN , which is schedule to premiere in 2008. For more information about this dynamic group of young artists or to join the mailing list, visit www.ProgressTheatre.com .