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Faison Harlem Renaissance Theater and Musical Series Embraces plays, musicals, dance performances, performance art and concerts that are an outgrowth and transformation of the Harlem Experience. The Faison Firehouse Respect Project The Respect Project is a partnership with Hospital Audiences, Inc (HAI), a theatrical production workshop series cultivated through HAI’s violence prevention initiative. The Respect Project is founded upon the philosophy that exposure to the arts can have an enriching and inspirational effect on individuals’ lives. The Respect Project impacts both participants and audience members with its brutal honesty, bringing sensitive social issues into the open and conveying the message that art can be a source of beauty as well as an excellent medium for expression and social change. The Respect Project is presented at NYC high schools, community based after-school programs, prisons, juvenile detention centers, senior centers and age appropriate temporary housing shelters and nationwide venues. The Respect Project is a powerful performance piece addressing critical issues faced by youth today. It draws upon the life experiences of a diverse group of 16-21 year old New York City students under the directorial influence of George Faison. Presently in its fourth year, content is created by youth cast members who use song, dance, spoken word and rap to express how they have dealt with personal and often difficult experiences in which respect was denied. Students are recruited from public schools and public housing throughout the five boroughs of Manhattan. The program will be held for two seasons and students will be paid a stipend for their hard work. |
