New Manifest Theatre Company Promotes Inclusive Storytelling With Manifest Minifest​, A​n Online Workshop Series And Short Play Festival

New Manifest Theatre Company brings its second annual short play festival, Manifest Minifest​, to YouTube on September 24 - 26, 2020. In addition to four short plays, this year’s lineup features educational workshops from playwrights ​Idris Goodwin and Kristiana Rae Colón. Registration is free, but donations are welcome.

This is the first time New Manifest Theatre Company has included artistic workshops in the Minifest​ ​lineup. The festival kicks off with Goodwin and Colón’s playwriting workshop on September 24. The lineup also features workshops in producing, design and self care.

Audiences can stream four short plays on YouTube​ ​through the duration of the festival. Keeping with New Manifest’s mission statement, the plays showcase a broad range of styles and perspectives in contemporary theatre. The festival includes ​Cris Eli Blak’s ​BOY​, Katie Svatek’s Flat Hens Don't Lay Eggs Or How the Chicken Crossed the Road, ​Andra Hunter’s ​Maude​, and Kristiana Rae Colón’s ​Covenant.

Both Colón and Goodwin have ties to New Manifest Theatre Company. Colón’s ​good friday opened New Manifest’s 2020 season, and Goodwin’s ​The Realness: a break beat play ​was the company’s inaugural production.

Manifest Minifest concludes with a self-care for actors workshop, led by Simone Alexander and Faith Anderson.

“It is important for artists to practice self care because as artists, we are meant to challenge the world around us,” Anderson said. “Broken mirrors distort the image. If artists are broken, then the images of the world will also be distorted.”

Directors Simone Alexander, Faith Anderson and Eva McQuade upheld COVID-19 guidelines while producing the short plays.

“​I am really excited about Minifest being more accessible this year since it will be online,” Alexander said. “Since we are streaming it on YouTube, more people can view it than people who would have to physically come to our space in Austin to view it before.”

Manifest Minifest is sponsored by ​Six Square, Austin's Black Cultural District. 

September 24 - 26, 2020

• ●  Thursday, September 24 6pm CST- ​Playwriting Workshop​ with Idris Goodwin (​The Realness​) and Kristiana Rae Colón (​good friday)

• ●  Friday, September 25 6pm CST- ​Early Career Producing Workshop​ with Iyvon Edebiri (​The Parsnip Ship Podcast​) and Rudy Ramirez (​Futurx Festival​)

• ●  Saturday, September 26 4pm CST- ​Early Career Design Workshop​ with NMTC ensemble members Jacqueline Sindelar, Malyssa Quiles and Megan Kemp

• ●  Saturday, September 26 6pm CST- ​Artist Self Care Workshop​ with NMTC ensemble members Simone Alexander and Faith Anderson 

• Where: ​YouTube
  Tickets: ​Free, with a suggested donation of $5-$15

  Registration begins on September 1st through newmanifest.org, youtube link sent via email

  Cast sAnd Production Teams

• ●  Covenant​ by Kristiana Rae Colón

  • ○  Directed by Simone Alexander

  • ○  Cast: Simone Alexander, Faith Anderson, Oktavea LaToi, Kevin Pellicone, Khali

    Sykes

• ●  Boy ​by Cris Eli Blak

  • ○  Directed by Faith Anderson

  • ○  Cast: Trevor Bissell and Kenah Benefield

• ●  Flat Hens​ by Katie Svatek

  • ○  Directed by Simone Alexander

  • ○  Cast: Eva McQuade and Hollis Lapree Edwards

• ●  Maude​ by Andra Hunter

  • ○  Directed by Eva McQuade

  • ○  Cast: Jean Budney and Rupert Reyes