For over 18 years, White Bird Productions has been producing plays, commissioning new work, collaborating with musicians and choreographers and, through Creative Theatrics, offering children’s theater classes in Brooklyn. Based in the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York’s South Oxford Space in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, White Bird Productions has a particular interest in the urban landscape, and how the residents and the natural environment of New York complement and collide with one another. Ensemble developed work exploring these issues includes Villagers (John Istel) at St. Mark’s Church in the Bouwerie, COMBUSTION: The Politics of Trash at BAM (Kathryn Dickinson), and Islands: An Urban Archipelago (David Pleasant and Dickinson) at Blue Heron Arts Centre.

Over the past 4 years White Bird has developed and produced Boro Tales: Brooklyn at the Blue Heron Arts Centre and BRIC Studio in downtown Brooklyn and Boro Tales: Manhattan at HERE Arts Centre. Boro Tales brought together playwrights Lynn Nottage, Jeffrey M. Jones and Camila Jones, Melissa James Gibson, Len Jenkin, Marjorie Duffield, Onome Ekeh Jenny Lyn Bader, David Ashkenasi and John Istel to re-imagine fairy tales in their home borough of New York City. Boro Tales is a five-borough project that seeks to celebrate our urban environment through the lens of NYC’s playwrights.

In 2005, White Bird Productions produced the Barbie Project, which brought together performing artists to explore their childhood memories/experiences with Barbie and Ken dolls. In addition, the flying south series, which has included Cooking With Lard by Cindy Hanson and Cheryl Norris, a series of political monologues American Blues, and a workshop of Kathryn Dickinson’s Borne of Conviction, is a program that explores, develops and produces theatre about the American south.

White Bird Productions has been proud to receive major funding for many of these projects from New York City Environmental Fund (Hudson River Foundation), CASA from New York City, Brooklyn Arts Council, family foundations and private donors.

White Bird Production History:

Productions:

1987: 1^st production Terror America and A Public Service By John Istel
at the OHIO Theatre.

1989: Incorporated as White Bird Productions, Inc.

1990: Villagers By John Istel at St. Mark’s Church

1995: Combustion: The Politics of Trash By Kathryn Dickinson
at BAM — Leperq Space

1997: Combustion: The Politics of Trash By Kathryn Dickinson
at BAM — Hillman Studio

2000: Islands: An Urban Archipelago by David Pleasant & Kathryn Dickinson

2002: Boro Tales: Brooklyn at HERE Arts Centre

The Little Matchgirl By Lynn Nottage

Rapunzel By Melissa James Gibson

Twelve Brothers By Jeffrey M. Jones & Camila Jones

Snow White By Onome Ekeh

Lucky Hans By Marjorie Duffield & Danny Ashkenasi

Dancing Princesses by Marjorie Duffield & the Performance Team

2003: Boro Tales: Brooklyn at BRIC in Brooklyn

2004: Cooking With Lard by Cindy Hanson & Cheryl Norris
at HERE Arts Centre

2004: Neverland: A World of Games at HERE Arts Centre & BRIC

2005: Boro Tales: Manhattan at HERE

Briar Rose By Len & Zoe Jenkin

The Fisherman’s Wife by jenny lyn Bader

Hood By Welker White, Delphine Dhilly and Performance Team

2005: American Blues at HERE — A Festival of New Works & Commentary about Blue State/Red State sentiments.

2005: The Barbie Project at the OHIO Theatre
(An Adult look and stories about Barbie & Ken dolls)