The Birmingham Black Repertory Theatre Collective’s (BBRTC) Devising + Collaboration Theatre Lab is a groundbreaking, intergenerational initiative that empowers marginalized youth through the transformative power of theatre. Born out of the need for culturally specific creative spaces, the Theatre Lab offers an inclusive environment where students, particularly Black high school and college students, can explore, create, and lead.
Why do we do Theatre Lab?
To utilize storytelling and collaboration as a tool to devise a new paradigm.
To Empower Through Culturally-Specific Techniques:
BBRTC’s Theatre Lab is designed to empower both students and teachers through theatrical techniques and methodologies that create space for experimentation, fostering a sense of pride and identity that is essential for personal and artistic growth. We invite you to join us in this transformative journey, where creativity meets community, and where every participant has the opportunity to become a leader, storyteller, and change-maker.
To Facilitate an Innovative Academic Setting:
In our Lab, youth are given the agency, tools, mentorship, and real-time experience to develop performances based on an idea, picture, theme, object, or any other form of inspiration. This “lab-style” environment is both challenging and supportive, allowing students to experiment, take risks, and ultimately find their unique voices in the world of theatre.
To Invest in the Long-Term Sustainability of Young Artists:
By promoting cultural awareness, social justice, and inclusivity through the arts, the Theatre Lab ensures that the next generation of artists is equipped not only with technical skills but also with the values needed to become leaders and advocates for positive change.
“Is Anybody Out There?” (2020) by Carlton V. Bell II. Pictured L to R: David H. Parker, Director; Devin Tyrique Franklin, Actor; Alexandria Nicole, Production Assistant; Dez Wilson, Director of Photography.
The Process vs. The Production
At the heart of the BBRTC Theatre Lab is the principle that the process of creation is as valuable, if not more so, than the final production. Participants are immersed in a comprehensive, student-led production process that includes acting, stage-managing, playwriting, directing, and production design. Through consensus-based decision-making and collaboration, students learn the importance of collective storytelling.
PAST THEATRE LAB EXPERIENCES
Summer 2024
The 2024 Summer Theatre Lab was part of The Modern Green Book’s 2024 Culture & Community Fest Week. Birmingham Black Repertory Theatre Collective (BBRTC)’s flagship Theatre Lab, through creativity, cultural understanding, and community activation through artistic engagement, devised a new work, “Threads on 4th,” inspired by Birmingham’s 4th Ave North Black Business District and The Modern Green Book’s core focus on Black businesses.
Facilitated by David H. Parker & Theo Edwards-Butler
Directed by Devin Tyrique Franklin
Winter 2024
The Winter 2024 Theatre Lab was held October 2023 - February 2024 at the Jefferson County Academy of Theater and Dance, also known as JCATD, a Jefferson County theatre department. In its third year now in Jefferson County Schools, BBRTC facilitated a student-led development process of a new work culminating in a final performance that was devised and delivered by student crew and creative. This hybrid virtual/in-person process happened in 3 phases: Development, Devising, and Production.
It is an audition based program open to all. At JCATD, they not only offer insight and opportunities for students to perform, they also allow students to choreograph, stage manage, build sets, work with the sound team on microphones, and even learn how to work lights for a show. JCATD is one of the oldest Thespian Troupes (Troupe 398) in the state of Alabama. For more information how you can be apart of JCATD, visit their website.
Facilitated by JCATD Alumni Carlton V. Bell II & Symira Dixon, Aija Penix, and Jada Cato
Summer 2023
In 2023, BBRTC facilitated its second summer theatre lab through a residency with Sipp Culture, in Utica, MS with support from the Alabama FolkLife Association, Encore Theatre & Gallery, and National Performance Network.
This captivating devised theatre piece for young audiences reimagines timeless fables from across the African diaspora, drawing deeply from the rich reservoir of folklore that has been lovingly passed down through generations. "Afro Tales" is a living tribute to the enduring legacy of our ancestors.
In "Afro Tales," audiences are transported to a swamp reminiscent of Bayou La Batre, Alabama, where time stands still, and the spirit of the river comes alive through the voices of the ensemble cast.
The characters, such as the curious and carefree Jakai and the wise Aunt Leola, bring to life the timeless themes of consequence, survival and wit, performed with minimalistic soundscapes created by the actors themselves in keeping with the communal and participatory nature of African storytelling traditions.
“Afro Tales” (2023) Key Art. Actor: Lee Harper III. Photo: Aija Penix.
“Afro Tales” (2023) L-to-R: Jaylon Coleman, Stage Manager; Shyla Williams, Assistant Director; Jacqueline Lockhart, Choreographer; Devin Tyrique Franklin & David H. Parker, Co-Directors. Photo: Aija Penix.
Summer 2022
Theatre Lab Summer 2022 was the first Theatre Lab conducted virtually and in-person. Participants performed at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Virginia Samford Theatre, and Encore Theatre & Gallery.
Facilitated by Carlton V. Bell II and Aija Penix