Resume: Full

[TO BE UPDATED. The resume only includes information up to 2003.]

Spoken Word

• mingus ah um | UW • Stout Black Student Union Ball | Wisconsin (February, 2003)

• three or four shades of love | The Loft Literary Center Talking Volume with Quincy Troupe After Party | Speakeasy Bar (February 2003)

• prophet to the messengers | National Poetry Slam Finals (Minneapolis, August 2002)

• O Black & Unknown Bards | SASE & Leigh Morris Chorale (1999)

• deep thirst | SASE About Town Reading Series | Crearté (December, 1998)

• circle unbroken | SASE About Town Reading Series | Blackbear Crossing (November, 1998)

• Earth Celebration: Sunrise Missions | Caponi Art Park (October 1998)

• Red Lights & Poetry • gg spot (spoken word venue) | Minneapolis (Various performances, 1998-1999)

• Nu Ark Experiment Spoken Word Performance Series | Various venues Minneapolis • St. Paul (May 1998-April 1999)

• Saturated in Sun-Ra | J. Otis Powell! (Producer) | Intermedia Arts (October 19, 1997)

• blues for nina: a celebration of the life and music of Nina Simone | SASE: The Write Place & Twin Cities Black Film Festival | Parkway Theatre (September 19, 1997)

• love song in middle passage: poems of Larry Neal | (with Anika & Nimely Napla) | Groove Garden | Biscuits & Blues (August 5, 1997)

• magic of a secret world | Audre Lorde Sighs Late Nite Series | Penumbra

• did i sing too loud? (with Doug DeCarlo) | Cacophony Chorus | First Avenue

• myself when i am real: reflections of mingus | Patrick’s Cabaret | Bryant Lake Bowl

• song for odessa jones | Sirius B (with J. Otis Powell!, Rene Ford & Ahanti Young) | Cacophony Chorus | First Avenue (June 6, 1996)

• a certain desire…: a tribute to Bob Kaufman | Walker Art Center | Beat Exhibit Opening (May 28, 1996)

• finger off the trigger | Cacophony Chorus | First Avenue (May, 1996)

• maiden voyage | Cacophony Chorus | Heart & Soul Benefit | Fine Line Music Cafe (March 18, 1996)

Performance

• Journeys: Birth Spirit Songs (multi-media, spoken word + movement) | Pangea World Theatre (June 11, 2000)

• Cleopatra: Ambitious Child (dance + spoken word) | Vox Medusa Dance Company (December 1, 1999)

• Theology: Love & Revolution (dance + spoken word) | J. Otis Powell! (Writer, Producer) | Hennepin Center for the Arts | Studio 6A (March 1, 1998)

• Lives Connected: Jacob Lawrence & Gwendolyn Knight Art Opening | Minneapolis Institute of Arts (February, 20 1998)

• murder’s home (theatre) | Spine: stripped bare performance collective (with Steve Grandell, Derek Hughes, Leah Johnston, Lorilyn Williams; developed by Walker Art Center & The Loft) | Walker Art Center (August 3, 1996)

• murder’s home (theatre) (directed by Miré Regulus) | Sirius B: Griot Forum (produced by Ahanti Young) | Sirius B | Intermedia Arts (May 31, 1996)

• a day in the life (movement performance; directed by Baraka De Soliel) | Sirius B | Studio 55 (International Cable Broadcast) (August 19, 1996)

• a day in the life (movement performance; directed by Baraka De Soliel) | Sirius B | The Gig (Art-a-Whirl) (May 18, 1996)

• long journey home (movement performance; directed by Geol Weirs) | Exchanges Mentoring Program | Intermedia Arts (November 1995)

• i want my flowers now (theatre) | Sirius B Performance Art Collective (1995)

Producing

• Singers of Daybreak Spoken Word Conference | MN Spoken Word Association | Minneapolis | August 2001 & 2002 (Co-produced with Shá Cage & Leah Nelson; the first-ever spoken word conference)

• Featuring Carl Hancock Rux, The Last Poets, Marc Smith, i was born with two tongues, Slug (of Atmosphere), Xenogia, Edupoetic Enterbrainment, David Yanofsky, Talaam Acey, J. Otis Powell!, Alex Pate, David Mura, Divinewords, Truthmaze, Sister Mimi, and many others.

• Words Will Heal the Wound National Poetry Month Spoken Word Radio Series | KFAI Fresh Air Radio | April 2000-present (Co-produce with Shá Cage for trú rúts endeavors; reflecting poetic traditions of diverse communities in the Twin Cities)

• Featuring J. Otis Powell!, Zell Miller III (of Austin, TX), Truthmaze, Divinewords, Shá Cage, Sarah Fox, Laurie Carlos, David Mura, Louis Alemayehu, Carei Thomas, Tom Scott, Malo Adams, Arkology, Marcie Rendon, Desdamona, The Poet Tree, Slug (of Atmosphere), Jeremy Ylvisaker, and many others.

• Richard Gober Art Opening | Walker Art Center | February 1999 (Produced the music entertainment for the evening.)

• Featuring Kitundu, Carei Thomas, Jeremy Ylvisaker, Genesis, Mankwe Ndosi, and others.

• Nu Ark Experiment Spoken Word Performance Series | Various venues Minneapolis • St. Paul (May 1998-April 1999)

• Featuring members of Arkology, Walter Kitundu, Douglas Ewart, J. Otis Powell!, Carei Thomas, Siddiq (of the Rhymesayers), and others.

• Lives Connected: Jacob Lawrence and Gwendolyn Knight Art Opening | Minneapolis Institute of Arts | February 1998 (Co-produced with Miré Regulus for minamine productions)

• Featuring Leah Nelson, Arkology, Heather Wilson, Seitu Jones, Rene Ford, Miré Regulus, and many others.

Authorship

• Sojourney (chapbook) | Writer | January 2003

• No Longer at Ease (Play) | Writer (Adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s novel; Commissioned by Pangea World Theatre) | Stage Production (June 2001)

• Birth Spirit Songs | Co-Creator & Co-Producer | (Commissioned by Pangea World Theatre; co-created with actress Shá Cage) (June 2000)

• No Longer at Ease | Writer (Adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s novel; Commissioned by Pangea World Theatre) | Staged Reading (June 1999)

• village blues (spoken word film) | Creator, Writer, Producer & Co-Director (Co-directed by Ayesha Adu); part of Nu Ark Experiments spoken word performance series (February 1999)

• black and blue(eden (poetry collection) | Writer | 1998

• love, constantly (poetry collection) | Writer | 1998

• blues for nina: a poetic exploration of the life and music of Nina Simone | Creator & Co-Writer (Co-written by Miré Regulus and performed by orginal members of Arkology, featuring Malo Adams, Miré Regulus, Jason “Kona” Lund, Dennis “Genesis” Maddix, and Anika) (Commissioned by SASE: The Write Place & Twin Cities Black Film Festival; opening kickoff for TC Black Film Festival 1997) (September 1997)

• murder’s home (performance play) | Writer (1996)

• monday morning body count (performance play) | Creator & Writer (1996)

• long journey back (movement performance) | Writer (Dealing with difficulty of maintaining relationships with loved ones in Afrika; Exchanges: Artist of Color Mentoring Program/Intermedia Arts) (November 1995)

• i want my flowers now (scenes) | Writer (Written in Hittite Empire residency; About the incarceration of Mumia Abu-Jamal) (1995)

• song for odessa jones (performance poetry) | Creator, Director & Videographer | (An improvisational performance poetry piece. Structure & subject created for poets to improvise within.) | June 6, 1996

• soulscript (poetry collection) | Writer | Winter 1992

• Son of a Stranger (screenplay) | Writer | (Application to Disney Studio’s Assistant Director Program; Semi-finals) | Winter 1992

• twenty-one (poetry collection) | Writer | Spring 1990

Music Production

No Longer at Ease Soundtrack
Executive Producer
Speakeasy Records
(Soundtrack of Pangea World Theatre’s stage production
of Chinua Achebe’s No Longer at Ease;
featuring Truthmaze & Mankwe Ndosi; produced by Jeremy Ylvisaker)
(June 2001)

Words Will Heal the Wound: a Celebration of Community Through Poetry (CD)
Executive Producer & Performer
Speakeasy Records
(Compilation of the Spoken Word radio series, reflecting poetic traditions
of diverse communities in the Twin Cities)
(August 2001)

village blues soundtrack (EP)
Executive Produer & Performer
Speakeasy Records
(Soundtrack of Spoken Word film village blues)
(July 1999)

Arkology – maiden voyage (EP)
Producer & Performer
Speakeasy Records
(Live performances of spoken word and music collective Arkology)
(July 1999)

blues for nina: an exploration of the life & music of Nina Simone (EP)
Producer & Performer
Speakeasy Records
(Soundtrack of live performance by Arkology
for the opening of the Twin Cities Black Film Festival)
(July 1999)

God’s Pager – heavy water blues (EP)
Producer & Performer
Speakeasy Records
(Musical hybrid of jazz, electronic music & spoken word,
improvised live in the studio; a tribute to Beat poet Bob Kaufman,
using his poetic works; recorded with electronic musician
Tim Donahue and Lebanese guitarist Assaad Lakkis)
(July 1999)

Film & Video Production

Langston Hughes’ Ask Your Mama
(spoken word and jazz performance; video)
Videographer & Video Technician
John Wright & Ron McCurdy Productions
February 2002 – present

nothing less than what is within
(short film; 16mm)
Creator, Director & Camera
(Starring: Sha Cage)
MCTC Film Program

innocence lost
(short film; video)
Creator, Co-Writer and Director
MTN Video Program
(Starring: Payton Woodson & Sha Cage;
Cinematography: Adonijah Espinosa;
Co-Editors: Sha Cage & Adonijah Espinosa)
MTN Video Program

village blues
(short film; digital video)
Creator, Writer, Producer & Co-Director
(Starring: Mankwe Ndosi, e.g. bailey, Leah Nelson & KayCee;
Cinematography, Editor, Co-Director: Ayesha Adu;
Music: Jeremy Ylvisaker, Walter Kitundu & Mankwe Ndosi)
MN State Arts Board Cultural Collaborations Grant
(Part of Nu Ark Experiments, experimental spoken word performance series)

Theatre (Acting)

Rhinoceros – Eugene Ionesco
Botard
Dipankar Mukherjee (director)
Pangea World Theatre
2000

Bearing Witness – Meena Natarajan & Luu Pham
Poet
Dipankar Mukherjee (director)
Pangea World Theatre
1999

Ajax – Sophocles
Odysseus
Dipankar Mukherjee (director)
Pangea World Theatre
1999

Arsenic and Old Lace –
Mortimer Brewster
Michael Kissen (director)
MCTC Theatre Department

Sketches in Time – Maxine Klein
Chief Ryan
Maxine Klein (director)
MCTC Theatre Department

monday morning body count – e.g. bailey
(with members of Sirius B)
Dead Men
Baraka De Soliel (director)
Sirius B Black Male Performance Art Collective
1996

The Punic Wars – Keith Antar Mason
Sirius B • Slave • Baliff
Keith Antar Mason (director)
The Hittite Empire (with Intermedia Arts,
Walker Art Center & Pillsbury House Theatre)
1995

Inherit the Wind
Reuter’s Man
Bruce Tinker (director)
Fargo/Moorhead Theatre
1993

King Lear – Shakespeare
First Officer
Reginald F. Bain (director)
University of Notre Dame

Blue Rose – Gerry Smith
James
Gerry Smith (director)
University of Notre Dame

Film/Television (Acting)

fragments (Short)
Homeless
Shá Cage/Trú Rúts Productions
2001

village blues (Short)
Poet
Ayesha Adu & e.g. bailey/dream café Xperience
1999

Melody’s Nightmare (Short)
Dr. Grey
Joe Kidwell

Gray Matter (Trailer)
Daniél
Ayesha Adu/Freestyle Pixsures

Untitled (Short)
Charles

A Day In The Life (Broadcast)
Dancer
Sirius B/Studio 55

The Stall (Short)
Suicide
Raphael Viera/Raphael Films

The Object (Short)
Orderlie
Lee Kanten/TRP-TV Production

Both Sides of the Story (Short)
Ex-Boyfriend
Keith Meyers/Sugartown Productions

Workshops & Residencies

In The Tradition: A History of Spoken Word
Spoken Word Class
The People’s University
Minneapolis Public Library
May 2003

From Spoken Word to Slam
Spoken Word Residency
Marcie Open School
March – April 2003

Spoken Word and the Integration of Text with Visual Arts
In The Spirit of Martin: The Living Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Visual Arts Exhibit
Spoken Word Residency
Weisman Art Museum & Homewood Studio
(For the MN Spoken Word Association)
March 2003

Spoken Word in a Multi-Media Context
Spoken Word Residency
North High School
(For Diversified Creative Sounds)
March – April 2003

Spoken Word and Theatre for Young Artists
Spoken Word & Theatre
Nelly Stone Johnson School
(For ProjectsaGoGo)
March 2003

Spoken Word, Slam & Performance
Spoken Word Residency
Cityview Middle School
(For the MN Spoken Word Association)
January – March 2003

SASE: The Write Place
Various Spoken Word, Theatre & Multi-Media Workshops and Residencies
1999 – 2001

Steppingstone Theatre
Various Theatre, Playwrighting & Spoken Word Workshops & Residencies
2000 – 2001

Spoken Word & Dance Workshop
(with Baraka de Soliel & Truthmaze)
Ordway’s Rennie Harris Arts Dialogue
March 2000

Spoken Word Art Form and Aesthetics
Spoken Word Residency
Walker Art Center Teen Arts Council’s Artist in Residence
(In conjunction with Wing Young Huie, Paul Baetty, Lorna Simpson exhibits and readings
and Sharon Bridgforth workshop)
(with guest artists J. Otis Powell!, Jason “Kona” Lund and Jim Anton)
March – May 1999

Photography

Million Man March Photographs
Exhibition
Juneteenth Festival
June 1996

A woman alone with others (performance)
written and directed by Miré Regulus
(Photographs for Production)
Red Eye Theatre
1996

The Observer
University of Notre Dame Student Newspaper
Staff Photographer (1888-1989) • Photo Editor (1989-1992)

Habari Gani: African- American Student Newspaper
University of Notre Dame
Staff Photograher
1990-1992

Others

MN Spoken Word Association & KMOJ Radio’s
Urban Griots (Spoken Word radio program)
Co-founder • Executive Producer • Co-Host • Engineer
KMOJ Radio • 89.9FM Minneapolis
March 2003 – present

Tehuti: The Art of Spoken Word Radio Program
Founder • Co-Producer • Co-Host • Engineer (with Shá Cage)
KFAI Fresh Air Radio • 90.3FM Minneapolis/106.7FM St. Paul
February 2002 – present

Minnesota Spoken Word Association (MNSWA)
Spoken Word Organization
Co-Founder • Artistic and Executive Director
July 2000 – present

Trú Rúts Endeavors
Artistic Organization
(includes Speakeasy Records, 12 Horizons Press, Trú Rúts Productions,
Mbari Gallery, and other entities)
Founder
1997 – present

Sirius B Black Male Performance Art Collective
(with Ani Sabare, J. Otis Powell!, Rene Ford, Juan Jackson, Jeff Bailey,
Ahanti Young, Slim Warren, Marcus Bracey, Billy X,
Baraka De Soliel and Kirk Washington)
Co-Founder • Member
1995 – present

S.A.S.E./Jerome Spoken Word Verve Grant Program
Co-Founder (with Carolyn Holbrook)
S.A.S.E.: The Write Place & Jerome Foundation
2000-2001

Arkology
Spoken Word and Music Collective
(with Miré Regulus, Mankwe Ndosi, Jason “Kona” Lund,
Dennis “Genesis” Maddix, and Tom Spaeth)
Co-Founder • Member
September 1997 – December 2000

dream café Xperience
Filmmaking Collaborative
Co-Founder (with Ayesha Adu)
1997-1999

minamine productions
Performance/Theatre Productions
(with Miré Regulus)
Co-Founder • Producer
1997-1999

Filmmaker Susan Robeson’s
Fictionalized Documentary Film Residency
(with Ayesha Adu)
Researcher • Co-Coordinator
Walker Art Center
July 1996 – April 1999

SPINE: Writer’s Collective
(with Steven Grandell, Derek Hughes, Leah Johnston, and Lorilyn Willisam)
Co-Founder • Member
Developed by The Walker Art Center & The Loft
1996-1997

Write On RaDio! Literary Radio Program
Co-Founder • Co-Host • Co-Producer • Engineer
(with J. Otis Powell! and Lisa Bullard)
KFAI Fresh Air Radio • 90.3FM Minneapolis/106.7FM St. Paul
October 1995 – July 1999

Neo Manifesto: Artist Forum
(Paisley Park Enterprises)
Founder
1994 – 1995

Habari Gani: African- American Student Newspaper
University of Notre Dame
Co-Founder
1990-1992

Awards/ Achievements

Loft/Red Lights & Poetry Tribute Series
(A Community Leader Recognition Series)
February 2003

Small Grants/Community Arts Grant
(Metro Regional Arts Council)
(For Trú Rúts Endeavors to produce
a Retrospective of African Visual Artists in the Twin Cities)
April 2002

Jerome Foundation Project Grant
(For the MN Spoken Word Association (MNSWA) to
produce Singers of Daybreak Spoken Word Conference,
and develop the MNSWA E-Letter & Website)
February 2002

Small Grants/Community Arts Grant
(Metro Regional Arts Council)
(For MN Spoken Word Association (MNSWA) to
produce Singers of Daybreak Spoken Word Conference)
December 2001

City Arts Grant (City of Minneapolis)
(For the MN Spoken Word Association (MNSWA) to
produce a neighborhood clean-up project)
December 2001

Jerome Foundation Project Grant
(For the MN Spoken Word Association (MNSWA) to
produce Singers of Daybreak Spoken Word Conference)
February 2001

Small Grants/Community Arts Grant
(Metro Regional Arts Council)
(For MN Spoken Word Association (MNSWA) to
produce Singers of Daybreak Spoken Word Conference)
December 2000

No Longer at Ease
Play Production
(Adaptation commissioned by Pangea World Theatre)
May 2000

village blues (short film)
Bronze Award in Experimental Film
Sarah Lawrence College Film Festival
April 2000

we were not always missing (poem)
(Published in Drumvoices Millennial Issue)
January 2000

village blues (short film)
Silver Award in Experimental Film
Worldfest International Film Festival
September 1999

LIN Grant (St. Paul Companies)
(To return home to Liberia after 20 years, to document journey and culture)
February 1999

MN State Arts Board Culutral Collaborations Grant
(with Intermedia Arts & SASE: The Write Place)
(To produce a year long series of experimental Spoken Word performances)
March 1998

National Federation of Community Broadcasting (NFCB)
Bronze Reel Award (for Write On RaDio! Literary Radio Program)
March 1998

EXCHANGES Emerging Artist Program (Intermedia Arts)
(To work with artist mentor Geol Weirs & create a performance)
August, 1995-November, 1995

Hughes Diop Knight Poetry Award (Annual Black Writer’s Conference)
(for the poems “without punctuation” and “letter to lisa”)
October, 1995

Elanor Meehan Medal for Literary Merit
(for experimental literary piece)
University of Notre Dame
May, 1992

Program to Promote Minority Enrollment in Graduate Studies (PMEGS) Scholarship
University of Notre Dame
1990

Memberships & Associations

Ache Magazine
Literary Journal
Spoken Word Editor
2002 – present

SASE: The Write Place
Literary Center
Board Member
2002

MTN Cable Access Television Station/Minneapolis
Member
1999- present

SPNN Cabel Access Television Station/St, Paul
Member
1999 – 2001

Training

MCTC
Filmmaking
Bruce Mamer
Minneapolis, MN
2000 – 2002

MCTC
Music
Jim Ouska
Minneapolis, MN
2002

MTN Video Production Training
John Akre
Minneapolis, MN
2000

Breath to Action
Acting/Performance
Lauri Carlos
Minneapolis, MN
1999

Jeffery Kitchen Screenwriting Seminar
Jeffery Kitchen
Minneapolis, MN
1999

MCTC
Acting
Michael Kissin
Minneapolis, MN

Midwest Media Artist Access Center (MMAAC)
Filmmaking
Thalia Dory
Minneapolis, MN

Guthrie Theatre Classes
Acting
Matthew Vaky
Minneapolis, MN

Hittite Empire Residency
Acting/Performance
Ani Sabare
Minneapolis, MN

Winter Communications
Acting
Chris Winter
Minneapolis, MN

Actors For Hire
Method Acting
Sandra K. Horner
Minneapolis, MN

University of Notre Dame Theatre Department
Acting
Reginald F. Bain
South Bend, IN
1991 – 1992