What's Inside?
Full Catalogue
Explore our selection of over 40 uniquely Black stories, vividly performed and expertly crafted.
Backstage
Get a deeper dive into the history and making of some of your favorite stories.
Interviews with Icons
Hear directly from some of the most influential talents in Black culture.
Listen Magazine
Enjoy a monthly magazine that contains sneak peeks, insightful information, and other tidbits.
First Monday Releases
Shirley Carney’s stories reflect the journey of a Black woman nearing a half century of living. Her voice is distinctive, and her characters capture the complexity of her varied experiences. She was born in rural Mississippi, transplanted to Chicago by her teens, served in the Navy during the Vietnam era, and became an unwed mother, all before her 21st birthday. Now living in Texas, she continues to straddle the fence between urban sensibilities and rural practicality. Radical Hearsay is not so much a staging as it is a sharing of that which should be spoken, and that which needs to be heard.
BlaQ Market Monologues is drawn from the book of the same name. Through this collection of monologues, we get an opportunity to witness how we as individuals and as a community – grapple with the fundamental issues of our humanity.
These plays were introduced to the world through MPAACT. Voiced here by a stellar complement of actors. You have an opportunity to discover what we have long understood – these artists should be celebrated because these characters are transcendent.
In an effort to fan the flames of Revolution, two Black radicals kidnap the Governor’s daughter and convince the public the crime was committed by white supremacists. When public interest in the kidnapping wanes, a last desperate bid is made to keep the sparks of Revolution alive.
Shirley Carney’s stories reflect the journey of a Black woman nearing a half century of living. Her voice is distinctive, and her characters capture the complexity of her varied experiences. She was born in rural Mississippi, transplanted to Chicago by her teens, served in the Navy during the Vietnam era, and became an unwed mother, all before her 21st birthday. Now living in Texas, she continues to straddle the fence between urban sensibilities and rural practicality. Radical Hearsay is not so much a staging as it is a sharing of that which should be spoken, and that which needs to be heard.
Returning to Our Roots
From the time of our ancestors, our story and our history has been told orally. The Griot in our villages kept and told the oral history of our people, and passed it down to the next generations. More recently, our transplanted elders gathered the family around the victrola radio in the living room and listened to the news and stories of the world, as well as weekend episodes of the family’s favorite radio serials.
Birthed during the global pandemic which shuttered our theatre doors for a year, we took heart in the ability to return to our elders’ tradition. MPAACT invites you to stream our Podcast Play Series- radio plays presented for your enjoyment. Gather around with family and enjoy dynamically Black stories presented comfortably in your home.
Who We Are
MPAACT exists to develop, nurture, and sustain Afrikan Centered Theatre [ACT], an artistic expression grounded in the many cultures and traditions of the Afrikan continent and its Diaspora. With a vision focused on creating new work and collaborative art, MPAACT produces and educates with the goal of increasing understanding and appreciation of [ACT] and its interrelated disciplines.
MPAACT has grown from a collective of like-minded individuals who shared an artistic vision, to an organization that has produced a formidable body of work. This work includes: main stage productions, a playwright’s laboratory, standing productions, original music, a publishing company [Sakhu Publications], an arts education program, and many workshops and master classes.
It is important to us as a company that we, in everything we do, pull from the disparate cultural elements which unite artists in the Afrikan Diaspora. Drawing from the well that nourished artists such as Wole Soyinka, Charles Mingus, Adrienne Kennedy, Amiri Baraka and Bob Marley among others, we create and perform work, which examines and celebrates the many facets of Afrikan theatre.
Want to learn more? Visit our official website mpaact.org!
Contact
Greenhouse Theatre Center
2257 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
information@mpaact.org
661.373.3089
Mail: P.O. Box 10039
Chicago IL, 60610