“Queer, Mama. Crossroads” Uses Spoken Word/Movement To Explore The Lives Of Queer Women of Color

April 5, 2019• byMichael Strangeways

The ensemble of Queer, Mama. Crossroads
(clockwise from top left)
Kamari Bright, Naa Akua, Simone Dawson, Ebo Barton, Jalayna Carter
Photo by Jaycee Hermida Holmes

Opening tonight at the Annex Theatre on Capitol Hill is a powerful new theater piece QUEER, MAMA. CROSSROADS which combines movement, spoken word and non-traditional theater narratives to tell stories about queer women of color.

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Where do black women go when their souls are taken too soon?
At the crossroads.

April 5 marks the beginning of an incredible journey as Annex Theatre presents choreo-poem-performance piece Queer, Mama. Crossroads written and co-directed by Seattle Civic Poet Anastacia-Reneé, co-directed by Aviona Rodriguez Brown.

Performing for 5 weekends, the ensemble—Ebo Barton, Simone Dawson(Crewmates), Kamari Bright, Jalayna Carter, and Naa Akua—play invisible black mothers targeted by systemic racism and sexism and the spiritual guides who carry those mothers to the other side. Featuring designs by Janelle Kimbrough(costumes), Zane Suarez (lights), Elizabeth Barrett (scenic), Dayana Capulong(sound), and Raven Blue (choreography), Queer, Mama. Crossroads will inspire you to question the actions we do and do not take for social justice.

Click to Learn More About Opening Night April 5

Explore racism, sexism, homophobia, systemic silence, and spirit in this choreo-poem-performance piece. Dismantle the American cover of denial and secrecy regarding injustices committed against queer women of color who are mothers.

Writer and Co-Director Anastacia-Reneé is a writer, performance artist, and workshop facilitator who has been described as a queer super-shero of color. She was the 2015-2016 Poet-in-Residence at Hugo House, received the 2017 Artist of the Year award and has been named the 2018-2019 Seattle Civic Poet. The Civic Poet program celebrates Seattle’s rich literary community while investing in the future of literary arts through community engagement.

Co-Director Aviona Rodriguez Brown is a afrolatinx curvaceous person who bends time and space itself to be involved in the theater. Aviona is a seattle based teaching artist, stage manager, model, actor, director, producer and student. As a social justice leader, she hopes to begin a detention replacement program that teaches at risk children and adults art therapy.

Queer, Mama. Crossroads by Anastacia-Reneé
Co-Directed by Anastacia-Reneé & Aviona Rodriguez BrownApril 5 through May 4
Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30pm
PWYC Preview on Thursday, April 4
PWYC Mondays on April 15 & 22
No Performance on Friday, April 19$10-$20 Sliding Scale Tickets at bit.ly/QMCAnnex

Annex Theatre is located at the corner of 11th & Pike in Capitol Hill.

About the Author: Michael Strangeways

As the Editorial Director/Co-Owner, Michael Strangeways writes, edits and does about a million other jobs for Seattle Gay Scene, Puget Sound's most visited LGBTQ news, arts and entertainment website now celebrating its 14th year as a media outlet. A semi-proud Midwesterner by birth, he's lived in Seattle since 2000. He's also a film producer who would like you to check out the Jinkx Monsoon documentary, "Drag Becomes Him" now available on Amazon.com. In his spare time, he gets slightly obsessive about his love for old movies, challenging theater, "otters", vodka, chocolate, "I,Claudius", Lizzie Borden, real books made out of paper, disaster films, show tunes, Weimar era Germany, flea markets, pop surrealistic art, the sex lives of Hollywood actors both living and dead, kitties, chicken fried steak, haute couture and David Bowie. But, not necessarily in that order.