July 13, 2022 – Boise, ID – Boise Contemporary Theater (BCT) is pleased to announce the Second Annual BIPOC Playwrights Festival August 1-6, funded in part by a partnership with Boise Cascade, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the incredible generosity of the Morrison Center Endowment Fund. The festival brings playwrights, directors, and actors together to collaborate at BCT and culminates in matinee and evening performances and readings of these brand-new works on the Morrison Center stage.
Boise Cascade’s generous contribution will help fund the BCT BIPOC Playwrights Festival which brings new stories that are penned by artists from all over the country to Boise, ensuring that all aspects of the human experience are explored on BCT’s stages. Boise Cascade is a Fortune 500 wholesale distributor of building materials and manufacturer of wood products headquartered in Boise that has a heritage and culture of philanthropy and employs more than 6,100 associates at 55+ locations across the country.
“We’re excited to support the BIPOC Playwrights Festival to amplify historically underrepresented voices and to learn from stories that promote the diversity of human experiences,” said Trina Finley Ponce, DEI Director at Boise Cascade. “Whether in the workplace or on the stage, assembling a wider pool of talent brings creative perspectives and inspiring conversations that can engage, connect, and unite us.”
This year’s BIPOC Playwrights Festival will feature the one-man show Hold These Truths by Jeanne Sakata, starring Ryun Yu as well as staged readings of Being Black Outside, by Vinecia Coleman and Fear and Wonder, by Jason Tseng, two brand-new plays to be workshopped during the festival.
Benjamin Burdick, Producing Artistic Director added, “We are incredibly excited at this line-up of amazing new playwrights, as well as Jeanne’s wonderful play about the life of Gordon Hirabayashi. To be able to partner with community leaders like Boise Cascade and The Morrison Center is an honor and a privilege.”
For more information on Boise Cascade, visit https://www.bc.com/.
For more information on BCT’s Second Annual BIPOC Playwrights Festival, please visit https://bctweb.wpengine.com/bipoc/.
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