The Juilliard School Drama Division and its Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program present the second of two 2018 Houghton Festival Readings.rnrnDonja R. Love Photo by Drew ShadernrnThe North Star written by Donja R. Love and directed by Malika Oyetimein was presented at The Pershing Square Signature Center Ford Foundation Studio Theatre December 8th, 2018 at 7:00 pm and December 9th, 2018 at 2:30 pmrnrnDonja R. Love is an Afro-Queer playwright, poet, and filmmaker from Philadelphia. He’s the recipient of the 2018 Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Award, the 2017 Princess Grace Playwriting Award. He’s the Lark’s 2016 Van Lier New Voices Playwrighting Fellow, The Playwrights Realm’s 2016/2017 Writing Fellow, and the 2011 Philadelphia Adult Grand Slam Poetry Champion. His work has been developed at Manhattan Theatre Club, Rising Circle Theatre, The Lark, and The Playwrights Realm. He’s had production at Manhattan Theatre Club (Sugar in Our Wounds) and Atlantic Theater Company (Fireflies). He’s the co0host of Off Book, a podcast on Black theatre; and he’s the co-founder of The Each-Other Project, an organization that helps build community and provide visibility, through art and advocacy, for LGBTQ People of Color. Select stage plays include The Love* Plays and soft.rn
Drew Shade is a visionary creative force at the intersection of Black theatre, media, and culture. As the Founder and Creative Director of Broadway Black, Off-Book: The Podcast, and The Antonyo Awards, he champions artistic excellence and amplifies the voices of Black theatre artists with intention, heart, and unapologetic pride.
His work has been featured in The New York Times, Playbill, Deadline, The Observer, and Apple TV’s Dear…, and he's collaborated with brands and institutions such as NBC, BET, Audible, Universal Pictures, SheaMoisture, The Public Theater, Signature Theatre, National Black Theatre, and more. He has also served as a cultural consultant and curator for countless Broadway productions for over a decade — establishing himself as a trusted voice and tastemaker in theatre and media.
In addition to his work behind the scenes, Shade is a performer and creative artist in his own right, with credits including Classical Theatre of Harlem’s The First Noel at The Apollo, The Preacher’s Wife musical at The Alliance Theatre, and a Sondheim tribute concert at Carnegie Hall led by Tituss Burgess. He’s also lent his voice to campaigns for Google and continues to explore visual storytelling through photography — from red carpets to press coverage.
Rooted in joy, justice, and the belief that Black theatre is both legacy and revolution, Shade continues to build platforms and shine light where it’s long been overdue — so Black artists are seen, heard, and celebrated on their own terms.
“Have a belief in yourself that is bigger than anyone’s disbelief.” – August Wilson
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