eyeBLINK Theater

The mission of eyeBLINK Theatre is to provide a home for emerging actors, directors and writers. Through several projects aimed specifically for the advancement of these artists, eyeBLINK strives to create a platform for multicultural voices.

American Colors:

American Colors is a multiethnic acting series designed to give actors of all ethnicities and backgrounds the opportunity to work on texts by classic playwrights. Classic playwrights are those that have paved the way theatrically, in terms of writing style, genre and characterizations, for contemporary works. Their plays are often considered masterpieces, revolutionary, and ground-breaking. Historically, the actors who played the roles were of a certain ethnicity or type, due to the social conditions of the time. American Colors strives to break the traditional holds on casting and seeks to create a new type of theatre where race and ethnicity do not matter, unless specifically stated in the plot of the play. Usually, the text is divided into two or three sections, directors are obtained for each section, and there are different actors for each section. The result is a group of artists who study the playwright extensively, analyze the text in the context of current social issues and allow the audience to experience the play in different ways, both literally and metaphorically.

Past Seasons

Tomorrow's Gold! New Work Series:

Tomorrow's Gold! is a reading series designed specifically for emerging playwrights. eyeBLINK's Project Manager, Mahira Sheikh, reads every script that is submitted to us each season. Five final plays are submitted to Theatre Director Qurrat Ann Kadwani for final selection. After at least two rehearsals, the play is given a reading in midtown with an audience comprised of actors, director, playwrights and general audience. A question and answer period follows in which the playwright can obtain feedback from the audience. The goal of this series is to feature talented writers whose plays contain multicultural actors and themes that can promote social change.

Past Seasons

Beneath the Banyan Tree:

eyeBLINK's original play is based on a series of South Asian folktales innovatively put together through one single plotline. 2003 brought the production of the first version and was sold out to audiences. 2004 brought another production with a second, edited version and also played to sold out audiences. This version was very different from the first, with tighter relationships, newer scenes including stage combat and a love story that followed the outline of more contemporary society. 2007 marks the completion of the third and final version of Beneath the Banyan Tree. This play, written by Brooke Pierce, concept by Qurrat Ann Kadwani, is completely different from the earlier versions. Additional folktales have been added and the main plot is tightened. The main characters, Dukhu, Mystic and the Tree each have their journey to complete. While fate has already decreed how they are going to die, they choose how they will live in this truly magical journey of life. Apart from the 3 main actors, 4 ensemble actors play 7-10 characters each. All roles are cast multiculturally.

Serious investors may contact info@eyeblink.org for a Financial Packet for an off-Broadway production.