A Matter of Worth

I just finished a play A Matter of Worth for the Women Voices Theater Festival at the Silver Spring Black Box Theater. Here are two reviews on the play.

http://dctheatrescene.com/2015/09/21/a-matter-of-worth-live-garra-theatre/

http://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2015/09/17/the-womens-voices-theater-festival-a-matter-of-worth-at-live-garra-theatre1/

Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival

 

 I have always wanted to visit Martha's Vineyard for some reason. But coming from New York  I never really understood why I would go north to go to the beach. So, when the short film Jump that I was in, was picked to be in the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival. I jumped at the opportunity even though it was a toss up between going to the National Black Theatre week in Winston Salem the prior week. The Vineyard won out because I went to that event the last time. There was some maneuvering to make this trip and I got to stay with the granddaughter of W. Montague Cobb. I drove up with a Sowande who had a film that he had produced in the festival.

We left at 9:30PM and arrived at the ferry at 6AM and got on the island at 7AM. After dropping off our bags at the places that we were staying and freshening  up a bit, we went to breakfast at Linda Jean's. Sowande, who is a Howard University graduate, and I were introduced to Floyd Rance, the husband of the husband and wife team who are the founders of the film festival. Floyd is also a Howard University graduate and this kind of introduction happened throughout the week: it seemed as though everyone I met was a Howard University graduate. The director of the film that I am in Anthony J. Harper (also Howard University Graduate) could not attend and it was thanks to him I got a pass for the week of films and lectures.  We went to see the feature for that day Somewhere in the Middle at the theatre in Edgartown.

The next morning we went to breakfast at Biscuits with more Howard alumni. After breakfast, we went to the MV Airport to pick up Sowande's producing partner Darnley. The rest of the films were showing at the MV Performance Art Center where we picked up our credentials. There were 3 shorts showing and they were all good and informative. One of them was Karen Parsons' animation Dancing in the Light: The Janet Collins Story. Karen was the older sister in the show The Fresh Prince. Sowande and Darnley's film The American LOWS left you wanting more. Another of the films showing that was done by a woman with whom I had done a photo shoot, The Little Light of Mines: The Legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer was great. We left to get some dinner and returned to see the feature Althea. Fantastic film! I never knew she sang and made an album. Then we headed to the night spot Lola's to end the night.

Thursday it was breakfast and back to the Performance Center to see the feature Forgiveness and hear the director speak.

We left to go out to the Wampanoag reservation to see the light house, do some shopping and have lunch. Later, after taking Darnley to the Airport, we went to dinner in town ran into some friends who joined us and relaxed some. Sowande wanted to try the donuts at Backdoor Donuts.

Friday was my day. After breakfast went to the Performance Center where Jump was showing. After it screened and since the director wasn't there, I spoke and answered the questions that I could. The audience seem to enjoy it. 

I talked to a lot of the directors. The two main sponsors of the Festival were HBO and SAATCHI & SAATCHI met and spoke with them. It was a busy week on MV; the President was there with his family. There was going to be a 5k run that Sunday that was just making the ferry schedule crazy. I finally secured a 6AM ferry for Saturday morning, which allowed us to go to the CHI-RAQ discussion with Spike Lee, Nick Cannon, Teyonah Parrish and Father Michael L. Pfleger. It was a full house and, as with everything that I attended at this event, was run very well.

To end the evening, we went back  to Lola's for the Summer White Party  This ended my stay on MV. I got up at 4:30AM and boarded the 6AM ferry and headed home.
 

Antoinette Greene talks about All Rise

Q: What is All Rise?

Antoinette: All Rise is a one woman show written for me by writer/director Stephen Mitchell. It's about a judge giving a lecture to attorneys at law and motions in her courtroom.

Q: How would you describe the character?
Antoinette: I play her as a woman who has a chip on her shoulder and a world-class attitude. She would like nothing better than to provoke anyone she can.

Q: What issues does the show present?
Antoinette: As much as anything it deals with the difference between reality and perceived reality. In America, the people have rights--everyone knows that--but what they don't know is that the courts don't treat them as people; the courts treat them as "persons". “Persons” are what's known as legal fictions that have privileges rather than rights—franchises of the corporate federal government.

Q: Where will All Rise be seen?
Antoinette: It will be seen on pay per view and DVD and also will be presented as a live theatrical production when and where the opportunities presents itself.

"All Rise" Buzzed

Antoinette rehearsing a section of "All Rise" on skype.

Antoinette rehearsing "All Rise" on Skype

An Interview with Antoinette Greene

Q: How did you get started as an actress?

 Antoinette: I got started at a time in my life when I needed  to find myself and to feel more grounded. I got interested in acting and started classes at HB studios.  It was scary and exhilarating at the same time. I always wanted to be a dancer, but this was another way to express myself. And I found something that I keep trying to conquer.

 Q: What kind of roles are you best of playing?

 Antoinette: I am best at playing women who have a chip on their shoulder and a world class attitude but would like nothing better than put both of those aside.

 Q: Is there a director who's work you admire and with whom you would like to work?

 Antoinette:  The director that I admire is Amma Asante for her film "Belle" I love period pieces. And I love when they include women of color in positions of authority. She made us visible. The obstacles she went through to make this film and to have it come to fruition must have been enormous. I give her big props.

 Q: Do you have a wish list of directors?

 Antoinette: Yes. they are Ava Duvernay, Quentin Tarantinio, Craig Brewer, John Singleton, Malcolm D. Lee, Benh Zeitlin, Ridley Scott, Lee Daniels and Amma Asante

 Q: What is your background?

 Antoinette: My parents exposed me to theatre differently. My mother took us to Broadway shows. And my dad was more off Broadway. I enjoyed them all. But when my dad took me to see "The Me Nobody Knows" I was twelve. seeing Irene Cara up on stage made me want to be up there. As a young adult, my friends and I continued to go to plays and off beat films. Seeing shows and going out to eat were our past times.

 For further information contact

(240) 462 6771

Antoinette.greene@yahoo.com