EXCITING NEWS FROM THE JOCUNDA MUSIC, FILM & THEATRE FESTIVAL

The JOCUNDA MUSIC, FILM & THEATRE FESTIVAL: The Destination for Creative Minds   Why should you be a part of the JOCUNDA FESTIVAL? On our Digital Platform we provide Worldwide exposure, which can in turn provide you with opportunities for theatres to book or produce your play or act (Band, Singers, Dancers or Spoken Word Artists) at their theatre. If Founder and Artistic Director, Van Dirk Fisher, is acquired to direct your play he has access to some of the best talent in the country, who have appeared on Broadway, major feature films, Primetime shows, Netflix, Amazon, etc. We provide social media exposure, publicity, marketing and branding. Submissions are Open for the JOCUNDA MUSIC FESTIVAL, which will be at a theatre in NJ in July and livestreamed on Zoom. We are looking for Bands, Singers, Hip Hop Dancers, Spoken Word Artists and Comedians. You can also submit a play for our PLAY READING SERIES. For submissions details Click Here.     We care about what you think. What do you need? What are you looking for from a theatre company or festival? What's important to you? Please take 5 minutes to fill out our survey. Click Here. Our mission is to put the SPOTLIGHT on the Artist and Playwright. We provide a nurturing environment to develop new plays and outstanding artists, while providing opportunities for them to network with Industry professionals. Visit our website to see the TESTIMONIALS from artists who have worked with the Riant Theatre, the JOCUNDA FESTIVAL and Van Dirk Fisher. Click Here.     The JOCUNDA FESTIVAL Virtual Play Reading Presents  GOD'S TRAIN TO AUSCHWITZ by Marc Littman  PENELOPE by Chalmer Hardenbergh directed by Van Dirk Fisher WHEN: Sunday, May 16, 2021, at 8PM ET and 5PM PT WHERE: Zoom TICKETS: $25.00 to benefit the Riant Theatre.  To obtain tickets in advance, click HERE. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. The reading will be followed by a TALK BACK with the artists moderated by Van Dirk Fisher, Founder and Artistic Director of the Riant Theatre and producer of the JOCUNDA FESTIVAL. GOD’S TRAIN TO AUSCHWITZ What if you were on a train bound for the Auschwitz death camp and you were the only one in a boxcar crammed with desperate sous who knew your fate? You know you must survive the arduous journey just to have a chance at surviving the rigors of the work camp. But is it enough just to ensure your body survives?               FREE VIDEO VIEWING: Conversations with Creative Minds - Episode 1 - The Playwrights, Directors & Actors in Group A of the LGBTQ Short Play Festival - Click Here. Conversations with Creative Minds - Episode 2 - The Playwrights, Directors & Actors in Group B of the LGBTQ Short Play Festival - Click Here. Conversations with Creative Minds - Episode 3 - The Playwrights, Directors & Actors in Group C of the LGBTQ Short Play Festival - Click Here.     The Show Must Go ON! JOCUNDA.Con is a celebration of everything we LOVE about Music, Film & Theatre. Even during these times when we can’t gather in large groups in a theatre we plan on sharing our events VIRTUALLY on Zoom in the meantime. Here's an opportunity for you to join JOCUNDA Con Virtually for FREE! THE JOCUNDA FILM FESTIVAL will run from Friday, May 21st, through Thursday, May 27th, on Zoom. Therefore, you can view it Worldwide from the comfort of your home! Digital Pass Perks! We can’t do it without your support. You can unlock exclusive content, collectible merch, and other special perks at our additional levels of support. Our FREE Mainstage Livestream Events will be available to those who sign up for JOCUNDA Con Click Here. .We will also make them available on our social media accounts on Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo.             Give the Gift of Books     Submit Your Play for the Virtual Play Reading Series   Submit your Play to the Strawberry One-Act Festival. Seeking plays with a running time of 15-30 minutes. Submit your Play to the Strawberry Theatre Festival. Seeking plays with a running time of 40-90 minutes. Late Submissions click here to submit. Notifications will be sent sent out as plays are accepted into the festival. The Festival will be in September - October of 2021.   Submit Your Play to the Strawberry One-Act Festival   The JOCUNDA MUSIC, FILM & THEATRE FESTIVAL will be in 2021 at ARTEL Hotel in Brooklyn, NY in September and October of 2021. We are seeking: Feature Films, Short Films, Music Videos, Animation, Web Series and Documentaries. Comedians, Spoken Word Artists, Fashion Designers, Writers, Singers, Bands and Hip-Hop Artists can also submit to be in the JOCUNDA FESTIVAL. Late Submissions click here to submit. Notifications will be sent out by as artists are accepted into the festival.       THE BENEFITS OF GIVING:  Your donations will help us to continue to provide opportunities for artists to work on their craft, be seen by industry professionals, network and collaborate on other projects. The Riant Theatre (formerly known as the Black Experimental Theatre) is a nonprofit 501(3)(c) organization. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowable by law.   DONATE NOW       The JOCUNDA MUSIC, FILM & THEATRE FESTIVAL'S MISSION:   To provide a nurturing environment to showcase artists and provide opportunities to network and collaborate on new projects.   About JOCUNDA FESTIVAL     Riant Theatre | Website ‌ ‌ ‌

JOCUNDA MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL SEEKS 50 ARTISTS TO SHOWCASE THEIR WORK

We are accepting Submissions—No Fee to Submit—from Performers in the following categories: Dancers, Bands, Singers, Playwrights, Spoken Word Artists, Visual Artists.

 

Sometimes people who are the victim of abuse grow up to be like the person who abused them. That's what your piece must be about. THE TALE OF Y.  We will select a total of 50 submissions from the categories mentioned above.  If you are submitting a Dance piece, it must be no longer than 10 minutes in length. Deadline to submit is May 26th.  Singers and Bands, your song must not exceed 3.5 minutes. Deadline to submit is May 26th.  Spoken Word Artists, your piece must not exceed 3 minutes. Deadline to submit is May 26th.  Visual Artists, you can submit up to 5 paintings, drawings or artwork to share with our viewers. Deadline to submit is May 26th. You may be present to talk about your artwork on the day of the event if you are selected.  Playwrights, if you are are submitting a play that we have to find a director to cast and present a finish product you must submit the script by May 21st. The script must use Arial Font 12 pt and be double spaced. Double space between dialogue. If you are submitting your play as a performed play, then your deadline to submit is May 26th. The running time of your play must not exceed 10 minutes.  All artists please share your videos or artwork via Dropbox. Our email on Dropbox to share your file is RiantTheatre@gmail.com or share your video or artwork via www.WeTransfer.com send it to RiantTheatre@gmail.com.  Also include a brief bio of yourself and a Jpeg photo of yourself. We do not discriminate.  We celebrate all artists, all genders. PLEASE NOTE THAT'S OUR MISSION TO CELEBRATE ALL ARTISTS.  If your work is accepted, we will show it on our Zoom platform as a webinar and Livestream it on our Facebook page on Monday, May 31st.

 

JOCUNDA FESTIVAL PRESENTS LIVE READING ON ZOOM TO CELEBRATE PASSAGE OF 19TH AMENDMENT

The JOCUNDA FESTIVAL presents 

WITH BANNERS FLYING
by Kay Weaver and Martha Wheelock
directed by Van Dirk Fishe

WHEN: Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 8PM EST and 5PM PST
WHERE: Zoom
TICKETS: Tickets are $15.00 to benefit the Riant Theatre. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. 

The reading will be followed by a talkback with the artists moderated by Van Dirk Fisher, Founder and Artistic Director of the Riant Theatre and producer of the Jocunda Festival.
CLICK HERE to obtain tickets in advance 

WITH BANNERS FLYING is a celebration of the passage of the 19^th Amendment to the Constitution granting all American women the Right to Vote. The fight for women’s right to vote spanned 72 years; it took over 900 local, state, and national campaigns. The vote was won by tens of thousands of ordinary and diverse women 100 years ago. With Banners Flying captures one sliver of that history. 

The play takes place in the office of Dr. Anna Howard Shaw in 1917. She has brought Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, and Carrie Chapman Catt to a meeting in the hopes of tamping down the public vitriol being played out in the press between Catt (NAWSA) and Alice Paul (NWP), friction which seemed to be damaging the cause. The play opens with an African-American woman giving a lecture at a University in 2021 and shedding some light on the Black Suffragist’s contributions to the movement, which is often missing from history, as well as telling the story of these remarkable women.

The Cast includes:

SHELLEY HARTLE (Carrie Chapman Catt) Some of her credits include: Miss Julie (Christine), Hamlet (Queen Gertrude), Romeo and Juliet (Nurse) and Dr. Livingstone in Agnes of God.   

TAYLOR HAWTHORNE (Narrator) is an actress and director, known for Surreal Lounge (2012), What If ... (2011), Chris/tina (2012), the Ovation Award-nominated production of 4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane; the world premieres of Sand Moon by Liz Lanier and Hit by Alice Tuan.

MAGGIE MCCOLLESTER (Alice Paul) has recurring television roles in Dexter, The Unit, The Playdate and The Young and the Restless. In the Emmy award winning short film “Cold Winter’s Night” Maggie played Mom. Among her many stage roles, Maggie’s favorite role is Kate in The Taming of the Shrew.

AMY WALKER (Lucy Burns) recently starred in her short dramatic film Into Light as Inez Milholland, the suffrage martyr. Now available on Amazon Prime. In three feature films due out this year Walker plays key roles: Grace and Grit, alongside Mena Suvari and Frances Fisher and based on the best-selling book; Evan Wood, family drama about addiction; and The Scheme of Things, a family adventure film. Most recently, Amy won two Best Actress awards for her starring role as Lulu in Listen, a powerful short film dealing with domestic partner abuse. Amy has been featured on TEDx, the TODAY Show, NPR, Inside Edition, and as Variety's Accents Expert, for her chameleon-like ability to instantly switch between authentic characters, accents and singing styles.

CAROLE ITA WHITE (Dr. Anna Howard Shaw) started appearing in episodic TV and small film roles in the early 1970s. Her first TV job was Evil Roy Slade, starring John Astin, Mickey Rooney, and Milton Berle. The movie was written by producer and director Garry Marshall. Carole went on to play Big Rosie Greenbaum on long running series Laverne & Shirley. White made guest starring appearances in over 30 shows on such programs as Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, The Love Boat, Beverly Hills, 90210, The Wayans Bros. and Profiler.

Kay Weaver and Martha Wheelock (Co-Playwrights). 35 years ago, Kay and Martha wrote With Banners Flying for Kay Weaver’s concert at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, to celebrate the 65^th Anniversary of women winning the right to vote. The cast included Barbara Bain, Norma Connelly, Carole Ita White, and Betty Thomas, with Midge Costanza as the Narrator. Since that time, Kay and Martha formed Wild West Women, Inc, a 501(c)3 non-profit film and education company, producing films to empower women and girls and to spread Women’s History. WildWestWomen.org distributes our 15 films, featuring four films on Women’s Suffrage History. Visit us. 

To learn more about the JOCUNDA FESTIVAL Click Here.

Visit the Riant Theatre’s website at www.TheRiantTheatre.com.

To submit a play for consideration for the Play Reading Series Click Here.