Act Now: A Night of Monologues Benefitting Black Lives

The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) and Chance the Rapper’s, nonprofit, SocialWorks, are proud to support the inaugural performance from ACT NOW, a Chicago activist theatre ensemble bringing awareness to the injustices affecting Black communities in Chicago.

On Thursday, August 6, 2020, at 8pm(CT), ACT NOW will present a virtual evening of monologues in support of five Chicago-based nonprofits who continue to uplift Black communities. This event aims to raise $10,000, with SocialWorks generously matching the first $5,000 raised. 100% of the proceeds will go to the following five local nonprofits: Assata’s Daughters, Black Girls Break Bread, Brave Space Alliance, GoodKids MadCity, and Let Us Breathe Collective.

ACT NOW: A NIGHT OF MONOLOGUES FOR BLACK LIVES will be presented live on Zoom by SocialWorks and hosted by Chicago-based actor, Dre Marquis. The monologues shared will be excerpts from Anna Deavere Smith’s, “TWILIGHT: LOS ANGELES, 1992” an acclaimed “documentary theatre” piece written in response to the Los Angeles riots following the police beating of Rodney King. Following the monologues, there will also be a cast panel discussion amplifying the voices of Black ensemble members, current events, and allyship.

“This piece was written about protests in the 90s! This continues to happen, and we’re still living in an eerily similar landscape. The text shares what we’re still chanting now, “no justice, no peace,” says ACT NOW Founder, Lauren Fern, “We’re grateful for SocialWorks extending their platform and allowing this Chicago organization to use our talents for revolutionary change.”

On Tuesday, August 4, from 4-5pm(CT), SocialWorks and The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) will air an informative Sworkshops Rebooted Instagram Live (@SocialWorks_Chi) episode, “Act Now For Black Lives.” OpenMike students, Hailey and Joryin, will host this discussion with special guests Dre Marquis, Nosakhere Cash O’Bannon, Kortnee Woodall, ACT NOW’s Lauren Fern, and Mark Bracken. The episode will highlight the importance of BLM advocacy and allyship within the theater. Sworkshops Rebooted is a prom fundraiser for the students of Chicago. This virtual series aims to inspire and educate, connecting individuals to local and national creatives, sharing their professions, interests, and hobbies. This campaign will directly fundraise a graduation/prom celebration for students within the Chicagoland area when safe. For more information, visit www.socialworkschi.org/sworkshops.

ACT NOW was formed in the spring of 2020 by 14 members of the ChiArts Theatre Conservatory’s Class of 2013. The experiences and performances from ChiArts profoundly impacted the group and inspired the founding of ACT NOW after reflecting on the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others due to police brutality. The ACT NOW performance can be accessed by donating as little as $1 through the official event registration link: https://actnowchicago.eventbrite.com.

ACT NOW is an activist theatre ensemble formed in 2020 by ChiArts Class of 2013 Theatre Alumni: Alisha Alexander, Bashè Jackson, Bianca Corral, Dashae Cora, Jay Calhoun, John Carter, Julia Zuniga, Kortnee Woodall, Lauren Fern, Martin Downs, Nosakhere Cash O'Bannon, Ryan Wasney, Starlyn Stratton, and Taylor Talhame.

SocialWorks, founded by Grammy-award-winning musician and humanitarian Chance the Rapper, aims to empower the youth through the arts, education, and civic engagement. SocialWorks has created 5 initiatives that present youth the opportunity to learn and act on their passions with programming focused on education, mental health, homelessness, and performing and literary arts – directly affecting thousands of youth yearly.

The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) is Chicago’s first public high school for the arts. With disciplines in creative writing, dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, ChiArts provides its scholar-artists with a tuition-free, pre-professional arts training program paired with a college preparatory academic curriculum. ChiArts opened its doors in 2009 and has graduated eight classes of scholar-artists at a rate between 92-100% each year. Learn more about recent ChiArts news and performances on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.