Let's Talk About Bullying

 As Miss Brooklyn 2009 and Miss Greater NYC 2010, I promoted arts-in-education opportunities. My friend Claire Buffie, Miss New York 2010, is advocating for LGBT rights, with a particular focus on young people. She recently passed on to me this amazing new project that bridges our platforms of using art to make change, and opening pathways of understanding and hope for young people who are troubled by unaccepting peers.  http://itgetsbetterplay.blogspot.com/...

   LET'S TALK ABOUT BULLYING

With the recent string of unfortunate and preventable teen suicides as a result of bullying, we've decided to take the It Gets Better campaign to a new level: with a live, honest-account stage show made up of YOUR stories: "Let's Talk About Bullying"


We are anonymously collecting stories from across the NYC area: stories about being the victim of bullying, how you may have perpetuated it, witnessed  it,  are taking steps to stop it, and everything in between. We want to hear YOUR stories. Collected stories will be turned into monologues and pieced together for a night of live, honest theatre in an new, original play we're calling "Let's Talk About Bullying". Donations made from the play will be donated to a TBD organization that works with troubled and bullied teenagers. 


We encourage everyone to submit your experiences- all replies will be ANONYMOUS so identities are protected. We're in this together. Let's end the vicious trend of teenage bullying. Through our efforts, we can hear stories that let us know IT GETS BETTER.


We're three  NYC theatre artists: Actor Josh Jeffers, Actor/Activist Jacyln Hennell and Playwright Andrew Kramer, who believe in changing minds through the power of live theatre.


Join us in telling these stories. 

To share your story: comment HERE (remember, NO name necessary and be SURE TO CHOOSE ANONYMOUS so comments are anonymously submitted) with your age, gender, and location and most importantly, your story. All stories will be read and formatted into stage monologues for our original play, LET'S TALK ABOUT BULLYING, to be performed in Late December in NYC. DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS, STORIES ACCEPTED UNTIL FRIDAY DEC. 3RD @ 5:00pm.

I'm Thankful For....

-A family (of relatives and friends) that provides me with unconditional love and support

-The amazing opportunities I've been blessed with this year

-A roof over my head, clothes on my back and having enough to eat

-A career that challenges and rewards me

-The opportunity to impact the lives of my students

-My health

-My happiness

Block Institute's Expressive Arts Program

As many of you know, I've become increasingly involved with Brooklyn's Block Institute over the past few years, and have joined their staff as a drama and expressive arts instructor. My teaching schedule has become increasingly hectic, (I now work for Block Institute, Community Word Project and the YWCA), but truly loving the work that I do and the people I work with makes the workload feel much lighter! Last night's Visual Arts Seminar at Block Institute was no exception, and I left in a much better mood than I arrived in- how many people can say THAT about their jobs?

How Will You Honor Our Veterans?

https://www.mowaa.org/veterans

Starting Artists' "Why Arts Matter" Video

Check out the full article here!

An Evening with Miss NY 2010

Tickets are available online or at the door!

EXCITING NEWS!

As I start to think about the transition from pageant world to the real world, my poor blog seems terribly confused. Q: Is it still a platform blog? ( A: Yep. I work in arts in education, so expect to hear A LOT about that). Q: Is it still a pageant blog? (Ummmmm... Sort of. I have a lot of friends who are still competing, and I love supporting them!) Q: Is it my personal blog? (A: Maybe a little... Expect to hear tidbits about my upcoming wedding, the planning of which I find equal parts exhilarating and overwhelming). Q: Is it my professional blog? (A: Probably yes- it does have my name in the title, doesn't it?)

So without further ado, it brings me greater joy than almost anything in the world to announce that my one-woman show, A Woman In Progress which I began writing in the fall of 2009 will have it's world premiere at NYC's historic La Mama e.t.c., produced by my very own Mind the Art Entertainment, and directed by my dear friend Alessio Cappelletti, on January 20th and 21st, 2011, at 10p.

This is huge for me on a couple of levels. I'm still trying to comprehend the fact that I wrote a slightly provocative full-length one-woman show. That it was decent enough to get the endorsement of my entertainment company (we hold each other to pretty high standards) and La Mama e.t.c. is kind of mind-blowing. And then there's the fact that I'll be on stage, alone, left to my own devices for 90 minutes. I can't help but reflect back upon how far Mind the Art Entertainment has come in such little time (we were founded in 2007), and how grateful I am to be able to create and perform the type of work that touches my soul with the support and guidance of my colleagues (and dear friends). And I'm beyond stoked that one of my dearest friends (and coincidentally, one of Joe's dearest friends as well- he's a groomsman in our wedding) will be directing. I've respected Alessio as an artist since the first day we meet as students at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 2004, and I'm thrilled to be working with him on my first solo piece. 

I'm currently working on some minor re-writes, and then we'll be diving into rehearsals. Check back for updates!

Brightest Star Semi-Finalist Awards Ceremony!

Diana Greene, myself, Calvin (2009 Brightest Star), Claire (Miss NY) and Christina (Miss Brooklyn 2011)