Sister Circle

Back in grad school we studied playwrights like Brecht, Shakespeare, Odets, Williams, and my favorite, Ibsen. Each writer presented a unique glimpse of the world and wildly different challenges. 

But looking back one thing there wasn't a great deal of was work from women or people of color. The voices were compelling but often felt linear in tone. It was probably something my overly earnest and anxious 25-year old self didn't really take the time to consider. I was just happy to be performing.

There were a handful of classmates, who thankfully, felt different. A group of African-American girls started a terrific little theater company called, Sister Circle. The group was made up of actors and playwrights who wrote, directed, produced, and performed original works. The stories were bold, unique, and personal. The girls were a big hit.

Most importantly, Sister Circle was an excellent example of a group of artists who refused to wait for permission to get their stories told. They felt the program wasn't doing enough to support underrepresented voices and instead of complaining took bold initiative to do something about it. It's a story that still inspires me to this day.