Every season Profile Theatre identifies a community that our Featured Playwright is intimately involved with and creates a free writing workshop for that specific group which we call Community Profile.

This season we are hosting a writing cohort exclusively for Black Women inspired by the passionate advocacy of Featured Playwright, Lynn Nottage.

Community Profile meets one a month, with award-winning writing mentors from around the city and country who bring exercises and ideas to help you meet your creative peak.

AN AFFINITY GROUP FOR BLACK WOMEN
Community Profile is a program where you will meet, create, share, and bear witness with other people who may have walked a mile in your shoes. We believe that by coming together to share stories with others who have similar life experiences, we can ease isolation, release negativity, and create networks of mutual support.

FREE FOR PARTICIPANTS
We are currently meeting virtually, but when the time comes Profile Theatre will provide the space to meet, food and beverages. All season long participants in Community Profile get free access to all of our programming. All you have to do is show up! Participants need only bring their imagination, endeavor and generosity of spirit.


2020-2021 MENTORS

  • Ngozi AnyanwuGood Grief at the Vineyard Theatre, NYC and CTG, LA; The Homecoming Queen at the Atlantic Theatre, NYC; staff writer on the HBO adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel AMERICANAH premiering later this year.
  • Kara Lee Corthron – LA-based playwright, YA novelist and TV writer (HBO’s “The Flight Attendant”)
  • Kia Corthron – Staff Writer on TV’s “The Wire”, Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize; Yale’s Windham-Campbell Prize for Drama
  • Tananarive Due – Award winning Author. American Book, NAACP Image, British Fantasy Awards.
  • Patricia Ione Lloyd – Tow Playwright-in-Residence at The Public Theatre, NYC; TV series Hap & Leonard on AMC, The Sinner on USA, Love Is _ on the OWN network, Twenties for BET and currently Evil on CBS
  • S. Renee Mitchell – Poet, Educator, Activist, and 2019-2020 Spirit of Portland Award-winner
  • Anya Pearson – Poet, Playwright and Performer (Made To Dance In Burning Buildings at Portland’s Shaking The Tree and New York’s Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater)
  • Josie Seid — Playwright and Actor, Resident Artist at Artists Repertory Theatre
  • Nilaja Sun — Solo Performer and Playwright, Princess Grace, Helen Hayes and NAACP Theatre Award-winner
  • Mfoniso Udofia – Playwright, TV writer and Actor (Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why,” and plays commissioned by Denver Center for the Performing Arts, ACT, Hartford Stage, South Coast Rep and others)
  • Damaris Webb  – Theater and Performance maker, Artistic Director of Vanport Mosaic

2020-2021 CALENDAR

All sessions take place on Zoom from 11AM-2PM (PST)

Sept. 19-20, 2020: Opening Session with all mentors
Oct. 17, 2020: Kia Corthron
Nov. 21, 2020: Damaris Webb
Dec. 12, 2020: Kara Lee Corthron
Jan, 9, 2021: Tananarive Due
Jan. 16, 2021: Patricia Ione Lloyd / Ngozi Anyanwu

Feb. 20, 2021: Josie Seid
Mar. 20, 2021: Nilaja Sun

Apr. 17, 2021: S. Renee Mitchell
May 15, 2021: Mfoniso Udofia
June 19, 2021: Anya Pearson


TAKE BACK YOUR TIME!
If you’d like to participate, know someone else who could benefit from a program like this or have any questions, please contact Bobby Bermea at bobbyb@profiletheatre.org

Ready to sign up? Fill out our form and we will be in touch.

Photo Credit: Guilherme Stecanella