Charles Weldon
NEC Artistic Director
NEC Alumnus, Actor, Director, Film, TV, Theatre
Charles
Weldon, a veteran actor known for the memorable roles he created for
the stage, film and television, was designated to serve as Artistic
Director of the Negro Ensemble Company in September 2004.
Weldon, a member of the company since 1970, performed in over 40 NEC productions, including such classics as A Soldier’s Play, The Great McDaddy, The Offering, The Brownsville Raid and The River Niger. Audiences have also seen him in such films as Stir Crazy, The River Niger and A Woman Called Moses, and on such prime time television shows as Law and Order, New York Undercover, Sanford and Son, and Police Story.
In addition to bringing life to scores of characters on the NEC stage,
he has directed several productions for the company, and served on the
faculty of its well-respected drama instruction program.
As Artistic Director, he is dedicated to preserving,
sustaining and building upon the company’s contribution to the American
theatre.
His objectives in taking the helm of the 40-year-old
institution are to produce new works by and about African Americans;
develop young playwrights through its Playwrights Lab; groom young
theatre professionals through the Intensive Training Program
established by the company’s founders, Douglass Turner Ward and Robert
Hooks; cultivate a new generation of theatrical producers through its
Producer-in-Residence program; and oversee the company’s innovative
arts-in-education program that integrates the African American theatre
into school curricula.
During his first season as artistic director (2004-05), Weldon premiered Blues in a Broken Tongue,
a new play by Tony Award nominee, Leslie Lee. The playwright, a
professor in the dramatic writing program at New York University,
received a 1975 OBIE award for The First Breeze of Summer, another play that debuted on the NEC stage.
Weldon is also co-founder of the Alumni of the Negro
Ensemble Company, a roster of distinguished performers that includes
such luminaries as Phylicia Rashad, Denzel Washington, Hattie Winston,
Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Louis Gossett, Jr.,
Barbara Montgomery and other world-class artists.
Leslie Lee
The Advanced Playwriting workshop, conducted by Leslie Lee, will be an intense and comprehensive workshop emphasizing the "character-driven play," in which the key to success is a thorought examination of its characters emotionally, psychologically, and physically. The notion that the plot of the story is contained within the characters themselves will be heavily stressed. Characters must have a history before they appear on the blank page. An equally important part of the workshop is the acknowledgement that a play is a series of scenes (or beats) strung together by a central theme. Scene work, involving dramatic movement, character will and purpose is, therefore, a significant element of the workshop process. The adage that "writing is rewriting" will be a critical part of learning. By the end of the twelve-week cycle, the playwright will be required to complete a new length-play or a rewrite of a previously written full length play.
The workshop will be comprised of no more than 12 students, each of whom has completed a full length play. No one else need apply. Playwrights must submit a copy of a play prior to the workshop to determine if it meets the criteria and standards of the workshop. The workshop is for serious writers who have or have not been produced and wish to perfect their craft as well as pursue the theater as a profession. At the end of each cycle, those plays that are deemed ready by will be given a reading by professional actors. The workshop will be held on Monday evening from 7 - 10 pm.
Marmarra McKinney
Director of NEC's Arts-in Ed Program and Teaching Artist has developed
programs, workshops, performances, choreography for several Arts in Ed
Organizations currently dances, acts, sings, writes and creates
costumes for NEC and The Phyllis Rose Dance Company, now in it's year
of teaching and performing in NYC, Conn, NJ and Mass. Schools primarily
for Pre-K through 8, and Adult Audiences. Ms McKinney facilitated
workshops for K-8 and teacher's trainings for Learning Through Expanded
Arts Program, developed programs and facilitated workshops with High
School Students in Inner-City Schools, teacher and performer with Lola
Louis's Performing Arts Center Bronx, NY, Teaching-Artist with Rye Arts
Center, with Tony Randall's National Actor's Theatre, bringing
workshops and Classics playing on Broadway to NYC School Students and
received The Mayor's Very Special Arts Award in conjunction with
Theatre In Motion, a Company of performers with and without
disabilities performing for NYC Schools and Libraries.
Marmarra McKinney is the writer of The Roots of Rap which has Sold Out Audiences for thousands of children for 12 years
since Interboro Repertory Theatre's director, Jonathan Fluck,
Commissioned her to write, choreograph, costume and perform and arrange
music for the piece with Gregor Manns. Marmarra McKinney's passion for
children led her to consult, initiate and develop Afterschool, Weekend
and in School Workshop programs including The Pawtucket Drug Free Task
Force Theatre Music Project with Providence Black Repertory Theatre
which is now a huge success with Donald King and Raidge at its helm.
Marmarra McKinney is also active with the American Indian Community
House sometimes competing in Pow Wow Dance Competitions and for Louis
Mofsie's so generously allows her to sing with Heyna Second Sons Drum
Circle .
Susan-Sojourna Collier
With a background in poetry & playwriting, Susan-Sojourna Collier received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Dramatic Series for ABC Network -- “All My Children.” A veteran television writer, Ms. Collier has written for many daytime drama series, including “Port Charles,” “All My Children” and “One Life to Live.” She has penned the screenplay “Get the Show On the Road” an adaptation of a romance novel. She has authored four plays produced throughout the east coast. Also, she is the winner of the New York’s New Professional Theatre’s Writing Festival and Walt Disney Writing Fellowship.
Ms. Collier’s producing credits includes a series of Public Service Announcements for NBC/Bravo Diversity on the Set campaign – filmed around the country. She collaborated with Women in Film – Los Angeles and pinned and produced a series of PSA for Operation Gratitude. In addition, Ms. Collier produced the feature doc “Charge it to the Game: The Effects of Gun Violence in Brooklyn” funded by the Robin Hood Foundation. She has served on the Development Team for Al Roker Production – creating new TV shows and documentaries.
She has taught film courses at Gibbs School & School of Visual Art. In addition, she serves on the Professional Advisory Committee for the Art Institute – NYC, active board member for Manna House School- East Harlem (creative arts center for the youths) and a mentor for Girls Write Now (creative writing program for at-risk girls) and Women of Color Film Festival – NYC. Presently, she is Development Director for Los Angeles based - Jowharah Films creating dramatic TV series.
Writing for Television Dramatic Series
The workshop will focus on the practice— the actual process involved in successfully writing a spec episodic script…the first step in getting a job on a TV series. This workshop takes the student step by step through writing their own script for an ongoing one-hour television dramatic series. The course will go from premise lines, through the outline, to writing a solid draft of the script. In addition, the course will simulate an actual ‘writer’s room’ taking the students through every aspect of a show. Students will develop & pitch story ideas, construct storylines, and polish spec scripts.
Sophia Romma
Sophia Romma is the author of three plays, "In The Eyes of Hope", "Coyote, Take Me There!" and "Defenses of Prague", directed by Leslie Lee and produced at La MaMa E.T.C. She is the author of "Sickle" also directed by Mr. Lee and produced at the American Theater for Actors and "Absolute Clarity" an Off-Broadway production at The Players Theater. Her play, "The Past Is Still Ahead" has toured in London, at the Pushkin House, in Moscow at the Mayakovsky Academic Art Theater, at the Millennium Theater in New York City and at the JCC. It has received rave reviews. Her most recent play, "A Sweet Word of Advice", which she also directed, was performed at the JCC in Manhattan.
Ms. Romma is the author of the Garnet Bracelet Grand Prix winning film, "Poor Liza" (first prize for screenwriting at the Gatchena Film Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia). The film was directed by the cult-director, Slava Tsukerman and starred Academy Award Winner, Lee Grant, and Academy Award Nominee, Ben Gazzara. She shot and directed her first film, "The Frozen Zone" for the New York Film Academy where she taught a course on screenwriting. She also shot and directed the award-winning documentary, "Sex Acts for Hire" a look at the Natasha Syndrome" (regarding the subject of Russian prostitution).
Ms. Romma has taught Drama at the Lander College for Women, at Touro College, at the New York Film Academy, and at the Frederick Douglass Creative Arts Center (where she holds a playwriting and screenwriting class).
Laurence Holder
Beginning Playwriting & Advanced Playwriting
Bio Coming Soon.
Myla Chuchill
Screenwriting 1 & Advanced Screenwriting
Bio Coming Soon.
