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Our Students:
In the face of the world’s Covid-19 pandemic, our students in Marin City were met with isolation and loneliness. One high school student remarked, “art is my only combat against depression.” Nationally, the conversation around the value and preservation of black and brown lives have been at the forefront of discussions; locally, conversations around housing inequity in our community and demands from the Attorney General to desegregate our schools are at the center of the world our students live in.
Many of our Marin City students are brown and black youth who eagerly await a chance to add their voice to conversations that shape them. The Griot Theater Company seeks to be the stage to spotlight our youth’s talent. We believe that our students have the potential to challenge and change the world they live in with their strong stories with their bold voices.
Our Mission:
Our mission is simple: The Griot Theater Company (GTC) is more than a theater company; We are a collective of artists, educators, and entrepreneurs committed to exploring, embracing, and amplifying black and brown culture through the arts. We are the Griots of our time, responsible for uprooting and salvaging our culture, which has fought to exist.
Our Work:
We work directly with Marin City youth, from 5th through 12th grade, to foster a spirit of theater and culture. Our elementary and middle school students take a series of theater classes to stretch their bodies, voices, and imaginations. Our high school students intern for our company, essentially co-leading most aspects while building their art, education, and entrepreneurial leadership skills.
In our inaugural year, we served over fifty students through culturally amplifying, Covid-safe, and aligned English Language Arts (ELA) standards. Our students worked with brown and black working artists from Marin, Los Angeles, and Sacramento counties. Our classes were online, with final productions presented through online platforms and socially distanced venues. All of our classes were aligned with California Common Core Standards for ELA.
Our Productions:
In our second season, we plan on producing seven shows (see below). Two shows will be Student Driven and Devised Productions, which will act as final showcases for our middle school students. Five shows will be featured in our Mainstage Season, allowing our middle school and high school students to create art with professional working and community artists.
2020/21 Season (Student Driven and Devised Productions):
June 2021 The Griothon: The Birthing Place for Artists
2020/21 Season (Mainstage Productions):
February 2021 The Oratorical: Who is James Baldwin
July 2021 The Exertainment: The Queen of Cubs
2021/ 22 Season (Student Driven and Devised Production):
November 2021 Stories for Seniors: Fables and Fiction
June 2022 The Griothon: The Birthing Place for Artists
2021/22 Season Mainstage Shows:
September 2021 The Launch: The Colored Museum
November 2021 Straight Outta Grovers Corner
December 2021 Imagine: The Queen of Cubs
February 2022 The Oratorical: Who is Maya Angelou
July 2022 The Exertainment: The Wiz
The Need: 100,000
GTC produces seven theatrical productions a year which are free to all patrons. We believe that theater should be accessible to anyone who wishes to engage. All efforts are made possible by the community and individual contributions. Thank you in advance for supporting our high school student stipends, teaching artists, actors, production cost, etc. Because of you, we can birth a love of theater and culture in our community.
Tier 1: 10,000 Securing Funds for 2020/21 Season
Description: This tier supports our last two productions. This money will go directly to outstanding production cost, adult actor stipends.
Tier 2: 50,000 Young Griot Ensemble and Griot Ambassador Program
Description: This tier will allow us to hire four high school students and five teaching artists for ten months.
Tier 3: 25,000 Production Costs
Description: This tier supports two guest directors, twenty community actors. This tier also supports costumes, props, venues, etc.
Tier 4: 15,000 Administrative Costs
Description: This tier supports our administration and will ensure that we compensate our Artistic Director, Education Director, and Development Director.
In the face of the world’s Covid-19 pandemic, our students in Marin City were met with isolation and loneliness. One high school student remarked, “art is my only combat against depression.” Nationally, the conversation around the value and preservation of black and brown lives have been at the forefront of discussions; locally, conversations around housing inequity in our community and demands from the Attorney General to desegregate our schools are at the center of the world our students live in.
Many of our Marin City students are brown and black youth who eagerly await a chance to add their voice to conversations that shape them. The Griot Theater Company seeks to be the stage to spotlight our youth’s talent. We believe that our students have the potential to challenge and change the world they live in with their strong stories with their bold voices.
Our Mission:
Our mission is simple: The Griot Theater Company (GTC) is more than a theater company; We are a collective of artists, educators, and entrepreneurs committed to exploring, embracing, and amplifying black and brown culture through the arts. We are the Griots of our time, responsible for uprooting and salvaging our culture, which has fought to exist.
Our Work:
We work directly with Marin City youth, from 5th through 12th grade, to foster a spirit of theater and culture. Our elementary and middle school students take a series of theater classes to stretch their bodies, voices, and imaginations. Our high school students intern for our company, essentially co-leading most aspects while building their art, education, and entrepreneurial leadership skills.
In our inaugural year, we served over fifty students through culturally amplifying, Covid-safe, and aligned English Language Arts (ELA) standards. Our students worked with brown and black working artists from Marin, Los Angeles, and Sacramento counties. Our classes were online, with final productions presented through online platforms and socially distanced venues. All of our classes were aligned with California Common Core Standards for ELA.
Our Productions:
In our second season, we plan on producing seven shows (see below). Two shows will be Student Driven and Devised Productions, which will act as final showcases for our middle school students. Five shows will be featured in our Mainstage Season, allowing our middle school and high school students to create art with professional working and community artists.
2020/21 Season (Student Driven and Devised Productions):
June 2021 The Griothon: The Birthing Place for Artists
2020/21 Season (Mainstage Productions):
February 2021 The Oratorical: Who is James Baldwin
July 2021 The Exertainment: The Queen of Cubs
2021/ 22 Season (Student Driven and Devised Production):
November 2021 Stories for Seniors: Fables and Fiction
June 2022 The Griothon: The Birthing Place for Artists
2021/22 Season Mainstage Shows:
September 2021 The Launch: The Colored Museum
November 2021 Straight Outta Grovers Corner
December 2021 Imagine: The Queen of Cubs
February 2022 The Oratorical: Who is Maya Angelou
July 2022 The Exertainment: The Wiz
The Need: 100,000
GTC produces seven theatrical productions a year which are free to all patrons. We believe that theater should be accessible to anyone who wishes to engage. All efforts are made possible by the community and individual contributions. Thank you in advance for supporting our high school student stipends, teaching artists, actors, production cost, etc. Because of you, we can birth a love of theater and culture in our community.
Tier 1: 10,000 Securing Funds for 2020/21 Season
Description: This tier supports our last two productions. This money will go directly to outstanding production cost, adult actor stipends.
Tier 2: 50,000 Young Griot Ensemble and Griot Ambassador Program
Description: This tier will allow us to hire four high school students and five teaching artists for ten months.
Tier 3: 25,000 Production Costs
Description: This tier supports two guest directors, twenty community actors. This tier also supports costumes, props, venues, etc.
Tier 4: 15,000 Administrative Costs
Description: This tier supports our administration and will ensure that we compensate our Artistic Director, Education Director, and Development Director.