PASS THE MIC FESTIVAL
A virtual play festival intended to "Pass the Mic" and amplify voices of the Global Majority consisting of an evening of short plays, live monologues, musical guests, and video montages of various diverse theatres across the country. This annual festival includes a town-hall like discussion with artists and special guests to discuss what actions we all can take to continue supporting the movement beyond the evening. A portion of all proceeds go to an organization of choice.
PASS THE MIC FESTIVAL 2021
A Virtual Play Festival amplifying Asian American and Pacific Islander Voices.
IAMA Theatre Company’s Pass the Mic festival amplifies Asian American and Pacific Islander voices with five 10-minute short plays, initially inspired by #StopAsianHate, but expanding to any topic the playwrights choose, each written and directed by AAPI artists. Company member Parvesh Cheena (Outsourced, My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) and queer/transgender Tamil-Sri Lankan-American actor/writer/comic D’Lo co-host a hybrid live/pre-recorded online festival that features live monologues, musical guests and video montages streaming live on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET, then remain available to view on demand through Sunday, Oct. 24.
Five 10-minute short plays, each written and directed by AAPI artists, make up the heart of the event. The plays include: …I’ve No Regrets, written by Nicholas Pilapil and directed by IAMA associate artistic director Rodney To; Long by Charlie Oh, directed by Jully Lee; Hindi by Nandita Shenoy, directed by Nelson T. Eusebio III; Broken English by Nina Ki, directed by Gaven Trinidad; and For Us All by Jeanne Sakata, directed by Jennifer Chang.
The hybrid live/pre-recorded festival will also feature monologues, musical guests and video montages. A sampling of interludes includes Calm, a song written by Adam Gwon and performed by IAMA ensemble member Deborah S. Craig; Dishwasher Dreams, a monologue written and performed by Allaudin Ullah and directed by Chay Yew; Transfusion, a monologue written by Kit Yan, performed by Futaba Shioda and directed by Kat Yen; a song performed by Po’ai Lincoln; and a series of poems written and performed by Noa Gardner.
Pass the Mic festival 2020
A Virtual Play Festival amplifying Black Voices.
Live-streamed via Facebook and YouTube
Hosted by IAMA and AMMO members Brandon Scott and Courtney Sauls
5 new plays written and directed by Black artists, inspired by the current iteration of the movement for racial justice and equity.
Written by: Malika Oyetimein, Donnetta Lavinia Grays, Carolyn Ratteray, Larry Powell, and D.G. Watson
Directed by: Cheyenne Barboza, Keith Powell, Valerie Curtis-Newton, Larry Powell, and Keiana Richárd
Stay with us for the post-show discussion with all playwrights and directors. They will be discussing how their creative process has shifted in the midst of this movement.
While the event is free and open to the public, please join us for this call to action by making a donation. All donations will be split between BLD PWR and Color of Change.
IAMA and AMMO are matching the first $500 in donations for a total of $1000.