Kristiana Rae Colón, MarieAnge Louis-Jean & Zaria Primer
For the students of Climb & Succeed Charter Academy, a high school in a dystopian near future, the slightest defiance is met with riot-gear-clad security who patrol the halls informed by an AI bot. Armed and ready with each student’s protocols, she deploys harrowing new disciplinary codes that take ‘in-school suspension’ (ISS) to a haunting extreme.
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Kristiana Rae Colón
Kristiana Rae Colón (April 16, 1986) is an American poet, playwright, actor, educator, Cave Canem Fellow, creator of #BlackSexMatters and co-founder of the #LetUsBreathe Collective. She was awarded 2017 Best Black Playwright by The Black Mall. Her plays have premiered in Chicago, New York, London, and other cities. Colón is the author of several plays and poems. She earned the 2013 Drinking Gourd Poetry Prize. Her play, Octagon, won Colón the Arizona Theatre Company 2014 National Latino Playwriting Award. Kristiana's writing, producing, and organizing work to radically reimagine power structures, our complicity in them, and visions for liberation.
MarieAnge Louis-Jean
MarieAnge Louis-Jean is a rising actor, writer & dancer. Louis-Jean has been in the industry since they were 9-months-old, starting in modeling then moving on to pursue acting in high school and college. They recently graduated from UIC with their BFA in Acting. Their next steps are to get their master’s degree in writing and further their career as a playwright, poet and screenwriter.
Zaria Primer
Zaria Imani Primer is an actor, singer, and songwriter. She has literally been singing since she was able to make a sound. She started her acting career at age five, as a principal on a Luna Carpet commercial, and is also known for her featured role in The Chi, and Joe Pera Talks with you. Zaria is quick-witted and has a natural comedic timing which makes her fun to be around. She aspires to be a positive impact on others and is grateful for every chance given to do just that.
About the Performance
For the students of Climb & Succeed Charter Academy, a high school in a dystopian near future, the slightest defiance is met with riot-gear-clad security who patrol the halls informed by an AI bot. Armed and ready with each student’s protocols, she deploys harrowing new disciplinary codes that take ‘in-school suspension’ (ISS) to a haunting extreme. In search of their mysteriously missing sister and guided by a mystic teaching artist, Voltaire & Yansa learn to wield their ancestral magic and black girl badassery to combat the harrowing militarization of public education.
