In the spring of 2007, fifteen artists of color gathered at a coffee shop in New York City. They were a group were trained actors, writers, and directors fresh out of NYU, hungry to practice their craft and share authentic and complex stories of their communities and cultures that were bold, risky, and unapologetic. In that coffee shop, they realized that a space like that didn’t exist for artists like them and so, The Movement Theatre Company was formed.

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The Movement creates an artistic social movement by developing and producing new work by artists of color. Our work engages audiences in a rich theatrical dialogue, enlightens communities to the important issues affecting our world, and empowers artists celebrate the many sides of their unique voice. We create brave spaces for artists of color to discover and unleash their most authentic voice and tell stories of people of color confronting the complexities of both the everyday and the extraordinary. Through our work we refuel, affirm, and celebrate the triumph of our resilience.

 

Under the leadership of David Mendizábal, Deadria Harrington, Eric Lockley, and Taylor Reynolds, who serve as the Producing Artistic Leadership Team, The Movement has five core process-driven programs: Harlem Nights, GO GREEN, our reading series, the Ladder Series, and Mainstage Productions. Through our programming, we cultivate a vision that embraces dialogue and inclusion as a means of community building. Founded on the culture of family and service to community, we have grown from a small collective of actors and writers to an expanded network of diverse artists from varied creative practices. Led by the principles of collaboration, collective leadership, and the act of listening, we have built a home for artists to experiment, develop, and unpack their ideas and have established ourselves as a growing artistic staple in Harlem. 

 

Founding Members

Ashley Noel Jones, Carlton Byrd, Chanel Carroll, Christiamilda Correa, Daren Taylor, Eric Lockley, Geri-Nikole Love, Jade Jackson, Jonathan McCrory, Kamisha McLean, Kimberly Young, Rachel Williams, Samantha Wright, Syhaya A. Smith, Xosha K. Roquemore