You are invited to LEGACY NIGHT @ The Milwaukee Chamber Theater | Hosted by CopyWrite Mag

BLACK PEOPLE IT IS TIME TO TAKE UP SPACE!

INFO FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AT MCT


We invite Black and African American community members to join us for Legacy Night on March 22 at 7:30 pm, a special performance of THE MOUNTAINTOP by Katori Hall hosted by CopyWrite Magazine [THATS US!] dedicated to and celebrating the Black community.

What is Legacy Night?

The intention behind this event is to purposefully create an environment in which a Black audience can experience and discuss this play about a Black leader, created and performed by Black artists, in a space that celebrates the Black Community and centers their perspectives.

Legacy Night is inspired by a similar event created in 2019 by actor and playwright Jeremy O. Harris, where for the first time ever, every seat in Broadway’s Golden Theatre was occupied by Black audience members. We're calling this special performance Legacy Night not only because legacy is one of the major themes within THE MOUNTAINTOP but also to honor and celebrate our Black and African American community and the legacy we hope to create together in Milwaukee. 

What if I'm not Black or African American?

We encourage our non-Black audience members to join us in honoring this initiative by choosing to experience the play at another performance.

We thank you in advance for supporting these artists and MCT as we facilitate an opportunity for a community to come together to enjoy this special event. 

Ticket Options

Legacy Night Tickets are $20 (plus sales tax and box office fees).

Purchase Online

You can purchase tickets online by clicking the button below and using the code LEGACY. You will need to enter the code in the "Promo Code" box at the top right corner of the Broadway Theatre Center ticketing page and click submit before you try to select the date. The Legacy Night performance will not show up until you have submitted code LEGACY.

"Renaissance" | Milwaukee Film Screening

Beyonce’s “Renaissance” film proves to be the model for all concert films! This grand, 3-hour production masterpiece was four years in the making and as I sat in the third row from the big screen at The Oriental, I could tell that not a day was wasted.

“Flaws and All'' & “Dangerously in Love” was the opener and despite its history as a declaration to a lover, in this particular performance, Beyonce allowed herself to be in awe of the moment and sang it as a ballad to her growing audience of almost 30 years and shared some words of affirmation along with it. She was dressed in an ethereal black gown in the first scene which complimented the romanticization of the mutual admiration between herself and the fans, yet it also could be seen as a tamed contrast to the otherworldliness of her later outfits- symbolic of her growth from a pop star to world declared icon. Through her catalog, she humanizes this journey with flashbacks of behind-the-scenes development consisting of aches, pains, hands-on construction, harsh hours, and properly giving out flowers to all who had a hand on this tour. Even to those whose smaller parts have had a great impact on her, like her daughter Blue Ivy, who did not shy away from the stage nor from having a creative opinion. The standard was the method for all to adopt and this large collective crew of artists and otherwise showed true to it by their results. There was positivity depicted in wins of all magnitudes and mishaps that only highlighted the true nature of teamwork and leadership; Trust. However, with being human comes the not-so-great reality as well. A piece of that reality, which may easily be overlooked by many whom it may not concern, is that no matter how many victories your method has produced, being intelligent as a black woman creative doesn’t put one out of range from having ‘them’ (yes ‘them’) attempt to try you mentally. When approached with such bravado, Beyonce’s only response was fearlessly remembering to choose to stand in her own authority rather than giving into the regret of the so-called stigma of being assertive with high demands. Who's to say how long it has been that Beyonce has truly felt within herself the courage to see through to getting her way at all times and at all costs but mastering that commitment can make an established art form to those on the outside feel renewed to the one inside.

As narrated and depicted through and through, the Renaissance is not just an era or a stage, it's a transcendence of a culture and the individuals in it. As the most catered-to audience (haha-wink), the African Diaspora, whether they be man, woman, straight, LGBTQIA+, adult, child, African or Black American, and so forth, vicariously experienced the glamor of our multifaceted culture through time via this tour. It is a great hoorah! moment for all leaving no question that Beyonce is a voice for every creed and that the modern approach is historically unapologetic.

/Naomi-Re’a CW


/CW is a Proud Community Partner of Milwaukee Film's Black History Month Programming

Art by liv burks

We are going “BLACK to BLACK” with Black History Month Celebrations. /CW is a Proud Community Partner of Milwaukee Film's Black History Month Programming. Check out the last of films we cant wait to see!

FOLLOW US ON INSTIGRAM FOR YOU CHANCE TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO SEE ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER FILM SCREENINGS.

@copywritemag


GAINING GROUND: THE FIGHT FOR BLACK LAND | 2/29/24 | THUR. 7:00PM

In just a few decades after the end of enslavement, Black Americans were able to amass millions of acres of farmland. Today approximately 90% of that land is no longer in Black hands. Various factors have been employed to take Black land, including violence, eminent domain and government discrimination. But it is a little-known issue — heirs’ property — that has had a devastating effect on Black land ownership. Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land is a timely and stirring documentary from Emmy-nominated producer/director Eternal Polk and Al Roker Entertainment that examines the causes, effects what is being done to fight the exploitation of these issues, and how landowners are reclaiming their agricultural legacy and creating paths to generational wealth.

Fashion revolutionary Bethann Hardison looks back on her journey as a pioneering Black model, modeling agent, and activist, shining a light on an untold chapter in the fight for racial diversity. From walking runway shows alongside Iman to discovering supermodels like Tyson Beckford and mentoring icons like Naomi Campbell, Hardison has been at the epicenter of major representational shifts in fashion. Catalyzing change requires continuous championing, and as the next generation takes the reins, Hardison reflects on her personal journey and the cost of being a pioneer.

In tandem with Frédéric Tcheng (Halston, Dior and I), Bethann Hardison and her co-director trace her impact on fashion from runway shows in New York and Paris in the ’70s to roundtables about lack of racial diversity in the early 2000s. Interviews with industry players speak to the state of fashion, while friends and family attest to Hardison’s rebellious and ambitious spirit. The film is an absorbing record of Hardison’s accomplishments and a rare contemplation on the life of a radical thinker.

TREASURED HEIRLOOMS - Black Lens Shorts Program | 2/10/24  | SAT. 12:00PM

From the tingling sensation of the alcohol spray following a haircut to the quick-paced hand games of our youth that occupied us for hours, the essence of Blackness has continuously worked as a dynamic archive of rites of passage and traditions that hold a special place in defining who we are. "TREASURED HEIRLOOMS" is a short film program delving into how Black folks globally are actively engaged in preserving, archiving, and creating approaches to ensure the endurance of our cherished traditions. This reflective cinematic offering aims to encourage us to embrace our traditions intimately, connecting us with both our past and future selves. - Marquise Mays, Black Lens Programmer

Shorts: Treasured Heirlooms featuring:

WILD MAGNOLIAS Dir. Alexandra Kern

MORE THAN HAIR Dir. Fitch Jean

GLITTER AIN'T GOLD Dirs. Christian Nolan Jones and Dominick Cormier

QUILTED EDUCATION Dir. Kayla Robinson

OVER THE WALL Dir. Krystal Tingle

AMPE: LEAP INTO THE SKY, BLACK GIRL Dirs. Ife Oluwamuyide and Claudia Owusu

The Mountaintop Legacy Award | Honoring Milwaukee Change-Makers

Art by Mikal Floyd-Pruitt

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre is thrilled to share with its community Pulitzer Prize-winner Katori Hall’s celebrated stage play THE MOUNTAINTOP, an inspiring reimagining of the final night of the life of legendary Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On April 3rd, 1968, after delivering one of his most memorable speeches, Dr. King retires to his room at the Lorraine Motel, where a mysterious stranger forces him to confront his destiny and legacy. A classic of the modern theater that in humanizing Dr. King suggests that we all have within us the power to be the change we wish to see in the world, THE MOUNTAINTOP will be directed by acclaimed Milwaukee theater artist Dimonte Henning. 

In keeping with its larger mission of bringing its community closer together while celebrating what makes Milwaukee great, and in partnership with CopyWrite Magazine, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, and Zao MKE Church, MCT will highlight Black excellence in Milwaukee during the run of THE MOUNTAINTOP through the Mountaintop Legacy Award. MCT will recognize at each MOUNTAINTOP performance one Milwaukee difference-maker who exemplifies the ideals of unity, equity, and locally led movements highlighted by Dr. King in his final speech, commonly referred to as “The Mountaintop Speech.”

Mountaintop Legacy Award recipients will be selected by a panel of MCT artists and community partners from nominations by the public of individuals who best exemplify Dr. King’s ideals across sectors including but not limited to political, nonprofit, business, educational, art, and tech.  

[INFO PROVIDED BY /CW COMMUNITY PARTNERS AT MCT]

Happy Black History [everyday] Month from your /CW Fam!

History is made daily.

Active practice is true performance.

Advocacy should be ambitious.

Challenges should never stop progressive change.

We are Black.

We are proud.

& you know why it matters.

Happy Black History Month from your /CW Fam

It's time to pay Homage! CopyWrite Magazine Issue 20: Homage | Official Drop 10-18-22

HOMAGE | ISSUE 20 | COPYWRITE MAGAZINE | 10-18-22 |

HOMAGE | ISSUE 20 | COPYWRITE MAGAZINE | 10-18-22 |

It’s time to pay Homage!

Your official count down starts now!




CopyWrite Presents: SS22 - A Streetwear Showcase | PROMO VIDEO + TICKETS

SS22

CopyWrite Magazine present:

Street Smartz: A Streetwear Showcase

On May 22nd from 6pm-9pm, The Vatofied Experience will be collaborating with the Designers of Brick Layers Club and Planet Marcellus to offer a dynamic show that presents Black Men in fashion, a more than trendy display on Urban wear, and the ever morphing nuances of modern fashion culture.

Check out this promo video to get a glimpse of how we will be rocking SS22.

Get your tickets here:

General Admission

VIP Experience

Black Lens Kick Off & More about 2022 Milwaukee Film Festival

If you are a Milwaukee native or a film fanatic, we are almost positive that you’ve heard about the annual Milwaukee Film Festival. It is officially back onsite for in-person screenings! That’s great, right?! But have you heard of the Black Lens extension of the festival?

Created in 2014, Black Lens has a focal spotlight on Black film and filmmakers. While exploring stories in relation to Black roots and culture, these films are relevant to a wide array of different demographics—including you. How do we know? You’ll have to check it out to see for yourself.

The Black Lens Kick Off event started off with light food and refreshments while soothing music set the tone for the event. We were then greeted by the hostess with the mostest, Lexi S. Brunson  [owner & active editor-in-chief of CopyWrite Magazine], who then introduced us to the co-founder of Black Lens, Donte McFadden and Chief Innovation Officer, Geraud Blanks. During the event we had our first look at the trailers for the featured films with Black Lens this year. We were then engaged in a range of activities during the entirety of the event including trivia whereas guests had the opportunity to win prizes, tickets, merchandise and more. They even previewed an episode of Black Reelness, the Black Lens Podcast. 

Here are a few stills from films we can’t wait to see:

QUEEN OF GLORY

Director: Nana MensahUnited States | 2021 | 1 Hr. 18 Min.

BEBA

Director: Rebeca HunttUnited States, Mexico | 2021 | 1 Hr. 19 Min.

BITCH ASS

Director: Bill PosleyUnited States | 2022 | 1 Hr. 25 Min.

Director: Bill PosleyUnited States | 2022 | 1 Hr. 25 Min.

While in attendance at the Black Lens Kick Off, we got a chance to speak with Tiera Trammell from Milwaukee Film + Black Lens. 

Can you tell me a little about what we can expect from this year's Black Lens/Milwaukee Film festival?

“The Black love through Black Lens short series where they showcase Black filmmakers and Black actresses. It gives us a sense of who they are on and off the screen. The short series works to amplify their voices and really show them in a light of love and support rather than the traumatic images that we’re used to seeing. The documentaries are also a hot spot for the people.”

What was your inspiration for wanting to be part of something like this?

“What we noticed in Milwaukee was that, Black people like film too. And there was a lack of Black representation in film and around Milwaukee through film outlets. Being a part of the Black Lens program, we really get to go into communities, go into schools and actually reach the people in the community to provide this resource to people in our neighborhood.” 

While most of the film fest will be screened at Milwaukee Film’s Oriental Theater, they’re able to pour back into the north side community, Black stakeholders, and creatives doing these types of events. Black Lens brings film back to our community. 

We’ve piqued your interest and you want to know “How can I help?” Come out and support! While donations and monetary support is always welcomed, the major investors are impacted by seeing how beneficial these types of events are for our people. It further shows that we need these types of resources in our community and by just merely showing up, that’s affirmation that this genre of interest does, in fact, exist and is, in fact, an important factor of the culture. 

We hope to see you at this years’ Milwaukee Film festival running April 21st through May 5th. 

Show up and show out!

Get your tickets here!

Imani for /CW

Feel the SHIFT! CopyWrite Magazine Issue 19: Shape Shifting | Official Drop 4-15-22

SHAPE SHIFTING | ISSUE 19 | COPYWRITE MAGAZINE | 4-15-22 |

SHAPE SHIFTING | ISSUE 19 | COPYWRITE MAGAZINE | 4-15-22 |

Are you ready to feel the shift?

Your official count down starts now!