Historic Black Church Presents Women Of The Arts

MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, NY -- In conjunction with Women’s History Month, The Riverside Theatre is hosting five exceptional women for Women of Excellence in the Arts, an evening of conversation sharing the beauty and power of women in the arts as experienced through the unique artistic journeys of Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Carol Maillard, Ntozake Shange, Tamara Tunie and Glory Van Scott. The event takes place on Monday, March 28, 7:00 p.m. at the Theatre, located in the historic Riverside Church, Morningside Heights, NY.

“Each of these women have made great strides in their respective areas of performance, whether it be music, stage or screen,” said Jewel Kinch, Executive Director of The Riverside Theatre. “Women’s History Month is the perfect time to shine a spotlight on these exceptional women and present their incredible journeys. I know audiences will enjoy hearing about their experiences first hand.”

Hosted by award winning journalist, author, playwright and radio host Esther Armah, “An Evening with Women of Excellence in the Arts” brings together Jawole Willa Jo Zollar (dancer and choreographer), Carol Maillard (actress and vocalist), Ntozake Shange (playwright, novelist and poet), Tamara Tunie (actress and director), and Dr. Glory Van Scott (producer/director, actress and dancer), for an intimate conversation about their journeys in the performing arts. The event will be followed by a brief reception.

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar is an award winning choreographer and founder of Urban Bush Women. She is a fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation for choreography as well as a United States Artists Wynn fellow. Jawole was also selected by the Kennedy Center as a Master of African American Choreography. She was featured as a leading influential dancer/choreographer on FLY: The Five First Ladies of Dance alongside last year’s Woman of Excellence participant, Carmen deLavallade.

Carol Maillard is a founding member of the vocal ensemble SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK. She is an accomplished actress and has performed in film, television and on stage, including appearances in the feature films Beloved and Thirty Years to Life. Her theater credits encompass a wide range of styles from musical comedy and revues to drama and experimental, with performances both on- and off-Broadway.

Poet, playwright, novelist, and essayist, Ntozake Shange was propelled into the national literary and dramatic scene in 1974 with the dramatic debut of for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf. She has since maintained a literary presence, garnering awards and honors for her achievements as a dramatist, poet and novelist.

Best known for her roles on As the World Turns and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Tamara Tunie made her Broadway debut alongside Lena Horne in Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music. In addition to being twice nominated for the Soap Opera Digest Awards, Tunie was honored with two nominations for the NAACP Image Awards. In 2007, she received a Tony Award as co-producer for the musical Spring

Awakening. She was also a Tony Award nominee (Best Play) for co-producing August Wilson’s Radio Golf. Tunie completed her directorial debut with the 2010 romantic comedy See You In September.

Dr. Glory Van Scott is a producer/director, actress, singer, dancer and composer, who has performed on- and off-Broadway. She is a recipient of an Eleanor Roosevelt N.A.I.R.O. grant in the field of Human Relations and is also a Breadloaf Writers Scholar. Dr. Van Scott has also been awarded the key to the City of Dallas for her artistic achievements and the Coat of Arms and Maple Leaf Pins from the City of Owen Sound, in Canada, for her creative work with children.

Originally named the Cloister Theatre, The Riverside Theatre was founded in 1960 on the belief that the arts can be a transforming power in peoples’ lives and is committed to serving as a catalyst for cultural connections and social change. The Riverside Theatre, located at the historic Riverside Church, produces work that promotes and deepens cultural and social awareness. Highlights from the past ten seasons have included: the Katherine Dunham Tribute in honor of her 96th birthday; the Clark Terry Tribute hosted by the late Ossie Davis, with special guests Bill Cosby, Arturo Sandoval, Dianne Reeves, Nicholas Payton and Jon Faddis; the screening of The Rise & Fall of Jim Crow, in collaboration with Thirteen WNET and the National Council for Community & Justice; and the critically acclaimed production of Through the Night.