a c t i n g n e w s ! ! !
* Nambi BOOKED a guest star role on the new NBC legal drama CHICAGO JUSTICE. Airdate: April 23, 2017.
* Nambi premiered Off-Broadway playing opposite Broadway great Jeff McCarthy in Jeffrey Sweet's KUNSTLER, February 19-March 12, 2017.
* Nambi BOOKED a co-star role on the new TBS show titled SEARCH PARTY.
* Nambi BOOKED co-star roles on ELEMENTARY, MADAM SECRETARY, and PERSON OF INTEREST on CBS and CHICAGO PD on NBC.
* Nambi BOOKED the lead in a short film called HAUNT written and directed by Faith Pennick. Screenings TBA.
* Nambi was flown to Los Angeles by Fox Studios to test for a series regular role on a pilot.
* 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.
* Nambi premiered Off-Broadway playing opposite Broadway great Jeff McCarthy in Jeffrey Sweet's KUNSTLER, February 19-March 12, 2017.
* Nambi BOOKED a co-star role on the new TBS show titled SEARCH PARTY.
* Nambi BOOKED co-star roles on ELEMENTARY, MADAM SECRETARY, and PERSON OF INTEREST on CBS and CHICAGO PD on NBC.
* Nambi BOOKED the lead in a short film called HAUNT written and directed by Faith Pennick. Screenings TBA.
* Nambi was flown to Los Angeles by Fox Studios to test for a series regular role on a pilot.
* 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.
p l a w r i t i n g n e w s ! ! !
PRODUCTIONS:
* Nambi just returned from LA taking meetings for possible work writing for television and development deals for network television.
* Nambi's residency at the National Black Theatre in New York will culminate with a workshop production of her new play BLOOD, in November 2017.
* NATIVE SON is receiving a production at Yale Repertory Theatre this fall directed by Seret Scott. November 24-December 16.
* NATIVE SON will receive another production at Antaeus in Los Angeles, Feb-June 2018, director TBA.
* NATIVE SON just closed at Marietta's Theatre in the Square in Marietta, Georgia.
* NATIVE SON just closed at Stray Cat Theatre in Tempe, Arizona, March 10-25.
* NATIVE SON just closed a production at Marin Theatre Company in California January 19-February 12, 2017, directed by Seret Scott.
* NATIVE SON just closed a production at UCSD in San Diego in the fall of 2016, directed by Casey Stangl.
* NATIVE SON has other productions happening across the country, TBA!
* TONI MORRISON'S JAZZ, Nambi's adaptation, will receive it's world premiere at CenterStage in Baltimore May 19- June 25, directed by CenterStage's Artistic Director, Kwame Kwei-Armah.
* THE EVERY 28 HOURS PLAYS, where Nambi has a piece featured along with other artists such as Chisa Hutchinson, Dominique Morisseau, Lynn Nottage, and Colman Domingo, is receiving presentations across the country including New York City on November 7 at The Bank Street Theater produced by The New Group, Labyrinth Theater Company, and Working Theater. This program is work in direct response to The Black Lives Matter Movement, originally produced by Oregon Shakespeare Company and The One Minute Play Festival.
* 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.
*JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM, commissioned by Chicago Children's Theatre, received it's world premiere at Chicago Children's Theatre in April 2016 season.
* THE TRANSLATION OF LIKES, commissioned by De Paul University received a stellar workshop production in De Paul's mainstage 2015-16 season, director Ron OJ Parson.
* XTIGONE has received multiple productions throughout the country this season.
* NATIVE SON closed at Court Theatre in Chicago where it was extended and ran to sold out/standing room only houses. The production was a co-production with American Blues Theater, was directed by Seret Scott, and was the highest grossing production in the 60 year history of Court Theatre.
PUBLICATIONS:
* Nambi's NATIVE SON and DEAD OF NIGHT...THE EXECUTION OF, part of the 7 PLAYWRIGHTS OF HANDS UP are available now through Samuel French Publishing! Click on this title for a direct link to the website:
NATIVE SON by Nambi E. Kelley
* XTIGONE was just published by YouthPLAYS and is available for licensing! Click on the title for a direct link to the website:
XTIGONE by Nambi E. Kelley
* Nambi has work published in YouthPLAYS, GO SOLO, a book of monologues for young actors. Click on the title for a direct link to the website:
GO SOLO by YouthPLAYS
* Nambi's co-adaptation of THE BOOK OF LIVING AND DYING was published in Singapore to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of The Finger Players Theatre in Singapore.
COMMISSIONS/AWARDS/RESIDENCIES:
* Nambi is a playwright in residence at The National Black Theatre in New York City 2015-17.
* * Nambi's just signed with the prestigious Gersh Agency in New York for playwriting representation.
* Nambi's adaptation of Richard Wright's NATIVE SON was nominated for 5 Jeff Awards, including best adaptation and production of the year.
*NATIVE SON was just nominated for inclusion on the Kilroy's List 2015 in the top 7% of new plays by female and trans* authors nominated by literary managers, directors, and other artists polled across the country.
* Nambi was a finalist for the Francesca Primus Award, a $10,000 prize, for her work on NATIVE SON.
* Nambi was a finalist for the Kevin Spacey Award, a $10,000 prize, for her work on Toni Morrison's JAZZ.
* Nambi was just commissioned by The New Black Fest in New York City curated by Keith Josef Atkins to pen a 10 minute play as part of the HANDS UP! an evening of short pieces on the black body and police. The commissioned plays have had/will have several productions across the country, and will be published by Sam French, November 2016.
*Nambi will be one of a select group of facilitators at The Public Theatre in New York City for public conversations discussing the play PARTY PEOPLE November/December 2016 hosted by PeoplMovr.
* Nambi continues to work on her commission from Halcyon Theatre, title THIS IS AMERICA, workshop dates, tbd.
* Nambi has been invited to submit a full proposal for a JOYCE AWARD for her project on Stokely Carmichael, production TBA at Court Theatre.
* Nambi was a finalist for a JOYCE AWARD for her work on Chicago Children's Theatre's commissioned work called JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM.
* Nambi was nominated for a Mellon Foundation Award by Court Theatre.
* 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 just returned from LA taking meetings for possible work writing for television and development deals for network television.
* Nambi's residency at the National Black Theatre in New York will culminate with a workshop production of her new play BLOOD, in November 2017.
* NATIVE SON is receiving a production at Yale Repertory Theatre this fall directed by Seret Scott. November 24-December 16.
* NATIVE SON will receive another production at Antaeus in Los Angeles, Feb-June 2018, director TBA.
* NATIVE SON just closed at Marietta's Theatre in the Square in Marietta, Georgia.
* NATIVE SON just closed at Stray Cat Theatre in Tempe, Arizona, March 10-25.
* NATIVE SON just closed a production at Marin Theatre Company in California January 19-February 12, 2017, directed by Seret Scott.
* NATIVE SON just closed a production at UCSD in San Diego in the fall of 2016, directed by Casey Stangl.
* NATIVE SON has other productions happening across the country, TBA!
* TONI MORRISON'S JAZZ, Nambi's adaptation, will receive it's world premiere at CenterStage in Baltimore May 19- June 25, directed by CenterStage's Artistic Director, Kwame Kwei-Armah.
* THE EVERY 28 HOURS PLAYS, where Nambi has a piece featured along with other artists such as Chisa Hutchinson, Dominique Morisseau, Lynn Nottage, and Colman Domingo, is receiving presentations across the country including New York City on November 7 at The Bank Street Theater produced by The New Group, Labyrinth Theater Company, and Working Theater. This program is work in direct response to The Black Lives Matter Movement, originally produced by Oregon Shakespeare Company and The One Minute Play Festival.
* 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.
*JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM, commissioned by Chicago Children's Theatre, received it's world premiere at Chicago Children's Theatre in April 2016 season.
* THE TRANSLATION OF LIKES, commissioned by De Paul University received a stellar workshop production in De Paul's mainstage 2015-16 season, director Ron OJ Parson.
* XTIGONE has received multiple productions throughout the country this season.
* NATIVE SON closed at Court Theatre in Chicago where it was extended and ran to sold out/standing room only houses. The production was a co-production with American Blues Theater, was directed by Seret Scott, and was the highest grossing production in the 60 year history of Court Theatre.
PUBLICATIONS:
* Nambi's NATIVE SON and DEAD OF NIGHT...THE EXECUTION OF, part of the 7 PLAYWRIGHTS OF HANDS UP are available now through Samuel French Publishing! Click on this title for a direct link to the website:
NATIVE SON by Nambi E. Kelley
* XTIGONE was just published by YouthPLAYS and is available for licensing! Click on the title for a direct link to the website:
XTIGONE by Nambi E. Kelley
* Nambi has work published in YouthPLAYS, GO SOLO, a book of monologues for young actors. Click on the title for a direct link to the website:
GO SOLO by YouthPLAYS
* Nambi's co-adaptation of THE BOOK OF LIVING AND DYING was published in Singapore to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of The Finger Players Theatre in Singapore.
COMMISSIONS/AWARDS/RESIDENCIES:
* Nambi is a playwright in residence at The National Black Theatre in New York City 2015-17.
* * Nambi's just signed with the prestigious Gersh Agency in New York for playwriting representation.
* Nambi's adaptation of Richard Wright's NATIVE SON was nominated for 5 Jeff Awards, including best adaptation and production of the year.
*NATIVE SON was just nominated for inclusion on the Kilroy's List 2015 in the top 7% of new plays by female and trans* authors nominated by literary managers, directors, and other artists polled across the country.
* Nambi was a finalist for the Francesca Primus Award, a $10,000 prize, for her work on NATIVE SON.
* Nambi was a finalist for the Kevin Spacey Award, a $10,000 prize, for her work on Toni Morrison's JAZZ.
* Nambi was just commissioned by The New Black Fest in New York City curated by Keith Josef Atkins to pen a 10 minute play as part of the HANDS UP! an evening of short pieces on the black body and police. The commissioned plays have had/will have several productions across the country, and will be published by Sam French, November 2016.
*Nambi will be one of a select group of facilitators at The Public Theatre in New York City for public conversations discussing the play PARTY PEOPLE November/December 2016 hosted by PeoplMovr.
* Nambi continues to work on her commission from Halcyon Theatre, title THIS IS AMERICA, workshop dates, tbd.
* Nambi has been invited to submit a full proposal for a JOYCE AWARD for her project on Stokely Carmichael, production TBA at Court Theatre.
* Nambi was a finalist for a JOYCE AWARD for her work on Chicago Children's Theatre's commissioned work called JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM.
* Nambi was nominated for a Mellon Foundation Award by Court Theatre.
* 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.
