RezaRitesRi.com

By Reza Corinne Clifton

(an abbreviated version of this article appeared in Motif Magazine on February 1, 2006)

PROVIDENCE, RI–Nehassaiu de Gannes is a charming, intelligent, and illuminating young woman with a deep understanding and ability to reproduce the complexities of history. Twice lucky are we here in RI, then, for de Gannes is a writer and actress, and starting on the second of February, she hits the stage with her latest performance. Door of No Return is a one-woman show written by and starring de Gannes, directed by Kelli Wicke Davis, with music by Cathy Clasper-Torch and Nisha Purushotham. Brown University’s Rites and Reason Theatre hosts the performance, happening February 2-5 and February 9-12.

The “Arts Component” of Brown’s Africana studies department, Rites and Reason has been a home or venue for many shows exploring black and multiracial themes, but de Gannes may have hit something unique. In Door, she includes but does not stop at the African-American slave/descendant narrative, but rather includes the experiences of different peoples who call America, and often RI, home: those who came with the Mayflower, describes de Gannes, and those like her who did not, but are crucial parts of American history—Native Americans, immigrants, asylum-seekers, and others. And let me remind you, it is a one woman show.

If you don’t recognize her name immediately, if you go to one of the performances, you will recognize de Gannes—from her residency at Trinity Repertory Conservatory, to different roles she’s played at Perishable Theatre, the Black Repertory Company, and other sites in RI as well as in North Carolina, New York City, and more. In the flurry of final rehearsals de Gannes took some time to email me and sit briefly with me to quench my curiosity with regard to, how she began acting, how she came to write the very show in which she is now starring, and how the collaboration with Rites and Reason began.

How de Gannes came to move to Providence and how de Gannes came to acting are clandestinely linked:

“The funny truth is I only began acting after coming to Providence. I moved here from Philadelphia because my boyfriend at the time was in his second year of the MFA [Masters of Fine Arts] Program in Poetry and a friend of his, Dominic Taylor, an MFA playwright asked us to act in a new play of his, ‘Photo Op,’ that was being produced as part of the Brown New Plays Festival—a workshop festival of plays by graduate student playwrights. Well, I certainly didn’t think of myself as becoming an actor. I enjoyed the collaboration, working with other writers and artists… I had studied some dance when I was younger and had performed my poetry, so I did enjoy the performance arts.”

A year later, 1996, de Gannes was still in Providence—teaching at Moses Brown—now single, when she decided to recruit a group of her young colleagues and friends to join her in auditioning for the New Plays Festival. They all ended up cast in a play by a Brown student Azande, who later called on de Gannes again to act in her thesis play. Around this same time, de Gannes was choosing Brown over New York University and University of Michigan for pursuit of a Masters in Fine Arts.

Her choice to be (and to a certain extent continue) at Brown signified amounting opportunities to act too, as she auditioned for the works of or was requested by fresh and experienced Brown playwrights and directors, like Alva Rogers, Peter Dubois, and Aishah Rahman. After earning her MFA, she went on to participate in a three year theatre training program at Trinity Rep—through May, 2004—that included a playwriting course in which she produced work that earned an award from the Perishable Theatre’s 2001 Women’s Playwriting Competition.

Initially, Door was nothing more than a broad idea, borne of a 2001 trip de Gannes took to Ghana in West Africa. She knew at the time, though, that she wanted to write about the experience. She also became fascinated with the concept of performing works written by herself as opposed to passing the work along, while the idea of a one-woman show seems to have gnawed at her too. Door of No Return, started becoming a reality, though, before her May 2004 expiration from Trinity.

“From the very beginning Rites and Reason (R & R) has been a collaborating partner in the development of Door of No Return. It began with conversation between Artistic Director, Elmo Terry-Morgan and I on The East Side Trolley in March 2004, which led to an RI Foundation New Works Grant application and other grant proposal applications to RI State Council on the Arts and RI Council for the Humanities. It was a great fit because R & R is a “Research to Performance Method” theatre specifically interested in the development of new plays and I wanted to create a play rooted in contemporary and historical research and embark on a multi-disciplinary process of developing Door of No Return.”

This collaboration and Rites and Reason’s methods yielded a three-phrase process that included the sharing and subsequent discussion of the first draft, a week-long workshop with key players to define the surrounding layers of the written work—like music and body movement—followed by a “work-in-progress showing,” and culminating with the upcoming February performances. I know why I’ll go—the music, dance, and array of characters to be played by one actor—but de Gannes indicates that she hopes that people will come for “the theatrical experiences, the RI stories past and present, and to ask themselves, ‘is it possible to listen across differences?’”

Door of No Return runs Thursday through Sunday, February 2-5 and February 9-12, 7:00 PM Thursdays through Saturdays and 3:00 PM on Sundays at Rites and Reason Theatre on 155 Angell Street in Providence; Post-show “Folkthough” discussion will follow the Sunday performances. For more information or for reservation, contact Rites and Reason Theatre 401-863-3558.

Reza Corinne Clifton is a community organizer for RI Children’s Crusade for Higher Education on a High School Reform project. She is also a freelance writer whose articles can be seen in the Providence American Newspaper, Motif Magazine, and at www.RezaRitesRi.com.

By Reza Corinne Clifton

(This article appeared in the January 18 edition of Motif Magazine)

(January 28, 2006) Several members of the Rhode Island Young Professionals, as well as from the Boston and National Chapters of the Urban League’s Young Professionals

PROVIDENCE, RI—In a city and state often criticized for inequities in access, RI-area artists—particularly painters and photographers—should take notice, for you have acquired another place to exhibit work.

The third annual Winter Soiree and Silent Art Auction, a Rhode Island Young Professionals (RIYP) fundraising and charity event, is coming up this month on Saturday January 28 at the Radisson Airport Hotel starting at 5:30. Ticket prices are assorted, and depend on membership versus non-membership status, and how close to the event they are purchased. This is RIYP’s only fundraising event; therefore ticket sales go to the organization. The price includes admission and dinner for the evening, which is slated to have the president of the National Urban League Young Professionals, Nolan Rollins, as guest speaker, and Michelle Brown from News Channel 10 as host.

The Soiree is also a charity event, though, and that’s where the artists come in. For the first ninety minutes to two hours, participants will be invited to bid on art items donated by various artists. The proceeds from the auction, as in previous years, will go towards art programs offered on an ongoing basis at area Boys and Girls Clubs.

The pieces are as eclectic as the artists—and their level of exposure. At last year’s event, the two items that received the highest bids were paintings done by Providence resident and gospel musician Wayne Henderson; some who knew Henderson were shocked last year to learn that he painted, never mind painting with such an elevated skill level.

This year, there is an even higher level of excitement surrounding the Soiree and Art Auction. For one, explains RIYP Art auction head, Parliamentarian and Social Committee Chair Raymond Watson, “I got the word out early about the auction, and I stayed on (committee) people about the art, which is a big step. And Melissa (Bridges, RIYP secretary) got the invitations out nice and early. We got the word out about the (soiree and the auction) late last year.”

Watson and Bridges’ diligence has paid off. Henderson has committed, and as a matter of fact is in the process of painting afresh, a canvas; and Boston artist Anna Koon—who donated several pieces during the first year—has signed on again to donate multiple pieces this year. Several artists from out of state have also committed to donating art work, but it’s another local artist that I, for one, am very excited about.

Sidney Tillet is a RI painter that in no time, is sure to become a household name. To the Providence underground art scene enthusiast, Tillet is probably known for his artistic and planning contributions to the “Straight Mixed Culture” mixed media art series, a night planned and executed by several visual and musical artists most recently held at the Ron Wexler Studio on Weybosset St.

Tillet’s work has been more accessible, though, previously displayed at places like the Providence URI campus and the Johnson and Wales multicultural center downtown, and for good reason. His paintings are rich in color, texture and theme, and an instant hit to those who catch a glimpse; many reflect the diversity and vibrancy of his Latin culture, through portraits of the ethnically diverse and with scenes depicting critical, cultural traditions.

Artists who have had less exposure shouldn’t be deterred, though, according to Watson. “We don’t limit ourselves to artists who have had exposure” nor to those with content automatically appealing to all. “We welcome those with experience and acclaim, but RIYP will never get to a point where we say no to an art donation.”

The Rhode Island Young Professionals meets the first Thursday of every month at 6:00 at Casey Family Services on Eddy Street in Providence, and the meetings are open to the public. To purchase tickets for the January 28 RIYP Winter Soiree and Art Auction or if you’re interested in donating artwork or money for the Boys and Girls arts programs, email Raymond Watson at rayw06@yahoo.com.

Reza Corinne Clifton is a community organizer for RI Children’s Crusade for Higher Education on a High School Reform project. She is also a freelance writer whose articles can be seen in the Providence American Newspaper, Motif Magazine, and at www.RezaRitesRi.com.