w r i t i n g n e w s ! ! !
.JUST IN!!
Nambi will be the Keynote Speaker for the 2021 TYA/USA Virtual Festival and Conference, May 2-13, 2021. She'll be speaking on May 5th at 12pm EST. Her critically-acclaimed play, JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM, will be presented as part of the Virtual Festival.
TELEVISION/FILM:
Nambi is writing for a new limited series for Apple TV+ starring Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong'o (TBA).
Nambi is serving as writer for Amazon's CORONATOWN, premiere date, TBD.
Nambi served on season one for a new television series with producer Lee Daniels and creator/showrunner Karin Gist titled OUR KIND OF PEOPLE, to premiere on Fox.
Nambi served on season three of Showtime's THE CHI. Her co-written episode titled is Terror Town (Ep 305), currently viewable on Showtime.com.
Nambi is in development with multiple projects for television. Stay tuned!
Nambi is developing a film project with Oscar Award winning executive producers Lagralane Group, project title TBA.
DIGITAL PRODUCTIONS:
JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM is currently on a digital national tour, and is in pre-production for an in-person national tour that will culminate in New York City, TBA. www.jabari-dreams-of-freedom.com
MiLK is currently streaming as a radio play produced by MPAACT directed by Goodman Theatre resident director, Chuck Smith.
BLOOD is currently streaming as a radio play produced by Variant Artists directed by CEO of Variant, Amie Farrell.
BLOOD was produced as a digital play by Gainesville Theatre Alliance directed by Daniel Carlton.
TRANSLATION OF LIKES was produced digitally by Western Carolina University's School of Stage and Screen, directed by Daniel Carlton.
THEATRE PRODUCTIONS:
HANDS UP: 7 BLACK PLAYWRIGHTS will receive an in person production at The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, directed by Keith Arthur Bolden, Fall 2021.
NATIVE SON was nominated by BroadwayWorld.com for Best Production of the Decade! The nominated production was produced by Antaeus Theatre in Los Angeles.
NATIVE SON received its New York premiere at The Duke Theatre July 17-August 24, 2019, produced by The Acting Company, directed by Seret Scott.
NATIVE SON received a production at Playmakers Theatre in North Carolina, Fall 2019
NATIVE SON received a re-mounted production of Antaeus' production directed by Andi Chapman at The Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles April 18-April 28, 2019.
NATIVE SON received a production at Mosaic Theatre in Washington D.C., March 28 - April 28, 2019, directed by Greg Morrison.
JAZZ, received its west coast premiere at Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley, California, April 25 - May 19, 2019, directed by Awoye Timpo.
BLOOD enjoyed a workshop at The Goodman Theatre, director Aaron Todd Douglas.
NATIVE SON received a production at Yale Repertory Theatre directed by Seret Scott to critical acclaim.
HANDS UP: 7 BLACK PLAYWRIGHTS: Nambi is one of 7 writers, and the only female voice featured in this dynamic reading series that is also in response to The Black Lives Matter movement, with productions and/or readings all across the country. Check out The New Black Fest's website for production details.
PUBLICATIONS:
HANDS UP: 7 PLAYWRIGHTS 7 TESTAMENTS with Nambi E. Kelley
NATIVE SON by Nambi E. Kelley
XTIGONE by Nambi E. Kelley
GO SOLO by YouthPLAYS
COMMISSIONS/AWARDS/RESIDENCIES:
Nambi is currently developing a commercial project with Grammy Award winning recording artist Deniece Williams, TBA.
Nambi is currently 1 of 4 BIPOC artists in residence at New Victory Theatre in New York City as a special cohort of LabWorks artists. The residency includes one on one coaching, developmental readings of her new play for young audiences, and $15,000 prize!
Nambi was awarded a 2 year residency with WP Theatre in New York City! Nambi gets to develop work, meet and work with multiple artists, present at the Pipeline Festival, and receives a monetary award for the residency.
Nambi was awarded the Prince Prize 2019 which grants $75,000 to Nambi and Court Theatre for a new play Nambi is developing about the life of Stokely Carmichael. This award guarantees a world premiere production at Court Theatre in Chicago, tba.
Nambi was awarded the Writers Grant Award 2019, a $5,000 prize, from The Dramatists Guild Foundation.
Nambi's NYC premiere of Native Son won a prestigious AUDELCO Award for BEST PRODUCTION, November 18, 2019!
Nambi was a finalist for The Primus Prize for her work on JAZZ, which comes with a $10,000 award.
JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM , commissioned by Chicago Children's Theatre, is in development for a national tour for family audiences through Nambi's residency at New Victory LabWorks in NYC.
Nambi received an award for BEST ADAPTATION by Stage Raw in Los Angeles for her work on NATIVE SON.
Nambi served as a guest lecturer in playwriting at the University of Illinois at Chicago mentoring aspiring actors and playwrights in dramatic structure and the industry at large.
Nambi will be the Keynote Speaker for the 2021 TYA/USA Virtual Festival and Conference, May 2-13, 2021. She'll be speaking on May 5th at 12pm EST. Her critically-acclaimed play, JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM, will be presented as part of the Virtual Festival.
TELEVISION/FILM:
Nambi is writing for a new limited series for Apple TV+ starring Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong'o (TBA).
Nambi is serving as writer for Amazon's CORONATOWN, premiere date, TBD.
Nambi served on season one for a new television series with producer Lee Daniels and creator/showrunner Karin Gist titled OUR KIND OF PEOPLE, to premiere on Fox.
Nambi served on season three of Showtime's THE CHI. Her co-written episode titled is Terror Town (Ep 305), currently viewable on Showtime.com.
Nambi is in development with multiple projects for television. Stay tuned!
Nambi is developing a film project with Oscar Award winning executive producers Lagralane Group, project title TBA.
DIGITAL PRODUCTIONS:
JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM is currently on a digital national tour, and is in pre-production for an in-person national tour that will culminate in New York City, TBA. www.jabari-dreams-of-freedom.com
MiLK is currently streaming as a radio play produced by MPAACT directed by Goodman Theatre resident director, Chuck Smith.
BLOOD is currently streaming as a radio play produced by Variant Artists directed by CEO of Variant, Amie Farrell.
BLOOD was produced as a digital play by Gainesville Theatre Alliance directed by Daniel Carlton.
TRANSLATION OF LIKES was produced digitally by Western Carolina University's School of Stage and Screen, directed by Daniel Carlton.
THEATRE PRODUCTIONS:
HANDS UP: 7 BLACK PLAYWRIGHTS will receive an in person production at The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, directed by Keith Arthur Bolden, Fall 2021.
NATIVE SON was nominated by BroadwayWorld.com for Best Production of the Decade! The nominated production was produced by Antaeus Theatre in Los Angeles.
NATIVE SON received its New York premiere at The Duke Theatre July 17-August 24, 2019, produced by The Acting Company, directed by Seret Scott.
NATIVE SON received a production at Playmakers Theatre in North Carolina, Fall 2019
NATIVE SON received a re-mounted production of Antaeus' production directed by Andi Chapman at The Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles April 18-April 28, 2019.
NATIVE SON received a production at Mosaic Theatre in Washington D.C., March 28 - April 28, 2019, directed by Greg Morrison.
JAZZ, received its west coast premiere at Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley, California, April 25 - May 19, 2019, directed by Awoye Timpo.
BLOOD enjoyed a workshop at The Goodman Theatre, director Aaron Todd Douglas.
NATIVE SON received a production at Yale Repertory Theatre directed by Seret Scott to critical acclaim.
HANDS UP: 7 BLACK PLAYWRIGHTS: Nambi is one of 7 writers, and the only female voice featured in this dynamic reading series that is also in response to The Black Lives Matter movement, with productions and/or readings all across the country. Check out The New Black Fest's website for production details.
PUBLICATIONS:
HANDS UP: 7 PLAYWRIGHTS 7 TESTAMENTS with Nambi E. Kelley
NATIVE SON by Nambi E. Kelley
XTIGONE by Nambi E. Kelley
GO SOLO by YouthPLAYS
COMMISSIONS/AWARDS/RESIDENCIES:
Nambi is currently developing a commercial project with Grammy Award winning recording artist Deniece Williams, TBA.
Nambi is currently 1 of 4 BIPOC artists in residence at New Victory Theatre in New York City as a special cohort of LabWorks artists. The residency includes one on one coaching, developmental readings of her new play for young audiences, and $15,000 prize!
Nambi was awarded a 2 year residency with WP Theatre in New York City! Nambi gets to develop work, meet and work with multiple artists, present at the Pipeline Festival, and receives a monetary award for the residency.
Nambi was awarded the Prince Prize 2019 which grants $75,000 to Nambi and Court Theatre for a new play Nambi is developing about the life of Stokely Carmichael. This award guarantees a world premiere production at Court Theatre in Chicago, tba.
Nambi was awarded the Writers Grant Award 2019, a $5,000 prize, from The Dramatists Guild Foundation.
Nambi's NYC premiere of Native Son won a prestigious AUDELCO Award for BEST PRODUCTION, November 18, 2019!
Nambi was a finalist for The Primus Prize for her work on JAZZ, which comes with a $10,000 award.
JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM , commissioned by Chicago Children's Theatre, is in development for a national tour for family audiences through Nambi's residency at New Victory LabWorks in NYC.
Nambi received an award for BEST ADAPTATION by Stage Raw in Los Angeles for her work on NATIVE SON.
Nambi served as a guest lecturer in playwriting at the University of Illinois at Chicago mentoring aspiring actors and playwrights in dramatic structure and the industry at large.
a c t i n g n e w s ! ! !
* Nambi will be the voice of several characters on a new animation series on HBO Max called The Mecha Builders, air dates TBA!
* Nambi recently starred as Detective No Name Dame on a radio play called CHECK YO INVITE TOO written and co-starring Daniel Carlton streamed live via Harlem Stage's YouTube Channel.
* Nambi co-stars on Amazon's CORONATOWN, airdate tbd.
* Nambi BOOKED a role on NBC's CHICAGO MED! Original airdate February 5, 2020.
* Nambi played the role of NYA in PIPELINE by Dominique Morisseau directed by Reg Douglas at City Theatre in Pittsburgh.
* Nambi premiered Off-Broadway playing opposite Broadway great Jeff McCarthy in Jeffrey Sweet's KUNSTLER.
* Nambi BOOKED co-star roles on ELEMENTARY, MADAM SECRETARY, and PERSON OF INTEREST on CBS and CHICAGO PD on NBC.
* Nambi was nominated for a Broadway World Award and a Hattie McDaniel Award for Best Featured Actress for her work as Risa in August Wilson's TWO TRAINS RUNNING at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.