The theater’s mission is to support and invest in experimental art by Black, brown and queer artists.

The Flea has announced The Mellon Foundation has become a new funding partner supporting the theater’s mission to support and invest in experimental art by Black, brown and queer artists. The Mellon Foundation has gifted The Flea a $1.2M grant to be dispersed over 36 months to support the launch of a new shared leadership structure with resident theater makers and the establishment of a new community building project.

As The Flea continues to embody its new mission it is simultaneously building its capacity to serve a community of artists and audiences with productions, residencies, commissions and community programs to enhance and uplift experimental art by Black, brown and queer artists. Since its refounding in 2021, The Flea has added resident artists and community members to its Board, hired critical new staff positions and supported over 150 artists, as well as offering capacity building support for Resident Companies, renters and community organizations. The support from The Mellon Foundation will ensure The Flea’s ability to continue building out its operations and filling key staff positions in partnership with its Resident Companies and key community partners.

“This is an incredible investment in our organization and points to the deep work we’ve done over the last two years to center Black, brown and queer artists and their communities and audiences. We are grateful to Emil Kang, Program Director for Arts and Culture, and Isabel Quinzaños Alonso, Program Associate, for being fierce advocates and unwavering partners during this process. This investment will stabilize our operations and afford us the time and resources to grow a unique operational model that embodies our mission and values,” said Niegel Smith, Artistic Director of The Flea.

As The Flea prepares for their 2023 season which includes two world premieres, Hang Time, written and directed by Pulitzer finalist, Zora Howard and cheeky little brown, written and starring, Nkenna Akunna, its annual Juneteenth commissions, performances from its resident companies, The Fled and Emerge 125 and its annual house party, The Flea is grateful for funding partners who continue to invest their time and financial support in its vision.

For all information, please visit www.theflea.org.

ABOUT THE FLEA
The Flea Theater is a prolific NYC-based company founded in 1996 by three downtown artists who set out to “raise a joyful hell in a small space.” In 2021, The Flea refounded itself with a new mission and core values through collaborative efforts with CJAM. Our new operational model exemplifies our investment in artists and social equity and embraces our experimental, downtown NYC artistic heritage.

Our work with CJAM included a restorative partnership design process with The Flea’s former resident artists; DEI training for our Board of Directors, Executive Leadership and Board development; and a visioning process that helped to collaboratively design The Flea’s new organizational model and mission. The Flea’s new mission is: To invest in experimental art by Black, Brown, and queer folks. We provide space, financial support and producing partnership so that they may develop and share their vision in community with audiences.

The Flea is committed to programs and operations that are Human Centered; Anti-Racist & Anti-Oppressive; Collaborative; Innovative; Sustainable; and Transparent.

The Flea has produced more than 160 world premieres in its 25-year history, earning many awards including two Obies and a Special Drama Desk. Previous Flea productions that have become part of the theatrical canon include Ellen McLaughlin’s The Trojan Women, Will Eno’s Oh, the Humanity, Thomas Bradshaw’s Fulfillment, Edward Iskandar’s The Mysteries and NSangou Njikam’s Syncing Ink.

Learn more about The Flea and Flea Leadership at https://theflea.org/about/leadership/

THE FLEA
ANNOUNCES 2ND SEASON
UNDER NEW MISSION, VISION & MOVEMENT, CENTERING BLACK, BROWN & QUEER ARTISTS

SPRING 2023
THE FLEA PARTNERS WITH PLAYWRIGHT + PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST
ZORA HOWARD
& WACO (WHERE ART CAN OCCUR) THEATER TO PRODUCE
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF
HANG TIME, WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY ZORA HOWARD

JUNE 2023
THE FLEA PARTNERS WITH
5 BLACK PERFORMANCE ARTISTS
TO BRING DISTINCT, ENGAGING, AND FREE
JUNETEENTH PERFORMANCES INTO THE STREETS OF NYC

FALL 2023
THE FLEA PARTNERS WITH PLAYWRIGHT NKENNA AKUNNA TO PRODUCE
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF
CHEEKY LITTLE BROWN WRITTEN & STARRING NKENNA AKUNNA

FALL 2023
THE FLEA HOSTS ITS 3RD ANNUAL HOUSE PARTY
CELEBRATING ITS MISSION TO SUPPORT
EXPERIMENTAL ART BY BLACK, BROWN AND QUEER ARTISTS

THE FLED AND EMERGE125
RETURN AS RESIDENT COMPANIES

New York, NY (November 17, 2022) The Flea announced today its 2023 season featuring the world-premiere new play HANG TIME, by Zora Howard in her directorial debut, its annual Juneteenth Performance Commissions featuring new works and a symposium by five Black artists, the world premiere play with original music cheeky little brown, written and starring Nkenna Akunna in her New York City debut, and closing it all out with a shebang with their 3rd Annual House Party celebrating experimental art by Black, brown and queer artists at The Flea’s home at 20 Thomas St. Throughout the season, The Flea also welcomes back missioned aligned companies in theater and dance, The Fled and Emerge125 who are Resident Companies at The Flea receiving space and producing support for their seasons.

In line with The Flea’s radical new operating model, all of these works have been developed in partnership with the lead artists as co-producer on all elements of their productions, including budget partnership.

“This season showcases the bold, wide ranging works of Black, brown and queer artists who are taking impressive leaps in their disciplines. They uniquely capture the joy, concerns and an expansive vision of intersectional identities. Their artistry is why The Flea exists, why the community and staff show up every day, and I am thrilled to invite everyone to experience these works at our theater and throughout our great city,” said Niegel Smith, The Flea’s Artistic Director.

2023 World Premieres

HANG TIME
Three men chew the fat under an old, wide tree. In HANG TIME, we peek into the interiority – the great loves and bitter blues – of Black men in America. Setting the romantic and the macabre in sharp relief, HANG TIME invites the viewer to envisage the living Black body triumphant over the legacy of violence that it holds.

“HANG TIME has been haunting me for years. When I first shared the work and my intention to direct with Niegel and Martin at the Flea, I was met with not only enthusiasm but also a commitment to center my vision for its production. In the months following our initial conversation, that commitment has only deepened. I am thrilled to be embarking on this journey with the Flea to finally bring HANG TIME to life.” – Zora Howard, writer & director

HANG TIME is produced in partnership with WACO (Where Art Can Occur) Theater Center and will have its world-premiere at The Flea in Spring 2023, followed by a 2024 west coast premiere in Los Angeles.

cheeky little brown
In cheeky little brown audiences stumble upon Lady, an equal parts messy and determined charmer in the midst of crashing (and lowkey ruining) her best friend Gemma’s birthday party in London. Nothing goes as planned and audiences get a front-row seat to Lady’s desperate antics. Pain, distress, introspection, pigeons, and a whole lot of Doner meat — this coming of age story with original songs by playwright and star Nkenna Akunna, examines the complicated devastation of a friendship break up between two queer Black women with diverging journeys toward self-love and acceptance.

Fresh out of Brown’s MFA in Playwriting program, this work will mark Akunna’s NYC debut. The world-premiere is slated for The Flea in Fall 2023.

“This will be my first full production so I’m excited, nervous, and grateful for the massive opportunity. Niegel and Martin have been welcoming and deliberate in championing my work so far. I want to work with collaborators who listen to and respect my voice, and I believe I’ve found that in The Flea. I’m looking forward to this journey and to us building an environment for the work and all its collaborators to thrive.” –Nkenna Akunna, writer and star, cheeky little brown

Commissions

The Flea will commission five artists to devise and stage public performances in celebration of Juneteenth. These artists all have full autonomy over artistic vision and their budgets. These works will occur simultaneously across NYC and Fire Island from June 12-19. 2022’s artists included Ebony Noelle Golden, James Scruggs, Paris L’Hommie, Chanon Judson, and acclaimed artist, scholar, and ritual-maker Nia O. Witherspoon.

“The Flea Juneteenth Commission provided invaluable time for me to make with creative freedom and communal accountability. The breadth and support of this commission made space for my artistic rigor, risk, ambition, and embraced my vulnerability and desire to discover.

Additionally, the commissioning support allowed me to deepen my partnership with the Haiti Cultural Exchange, my neighbors at the Rogers Tilden Community Garden, and to build new relationships with Artist / Production collaborators and with equitable financial support of artists.” said Chanon Judson, choreographer, dancer and Artistic Director of Urban Bush Women.

Annual House Party

The Flea Theater is proud to host its 3rd Annual House Party, a dance til you death drop party taking over all three floors of their Tribeca home and celebrating The Flea’s vision for the future of experimental art created by Black, Brown and queer artists. Guests will be greeted with immersive performances all over our three story performing arts complex with dance, music, drag, theater, visual arts and DJing from incredible Black brown and queer artists in The Flea community. This is a party like no other – a get down affair true to the aesthetic highs of all Flea events.

“Out of the ashes of the pandemic and racial reckoning the Flea is definitely ‘Blooming’, seeking out, uncovering and nourishing new artists and works. Another ‘only at the Flea‘ accomplishment was putting fun back into ‘fun(d)raising’ with our non-stop House Party filled with performances on every floor! ” said Nona Hendryx, Rock Goddess and Flea Board Chair.

Resident Companies Program

The Flea is also proud to welcome back its resident companies for another year of compelling new art.

The Fled Collective will return for its second year as the Key Resident Company beginning, marking the continuation of partnership and further restoration of this relationship with the newly formed collective. The inaugural residency is a reparative grant and partnership offered to a nascent company that centers Black, brown and queer artists. The artist collective will function as an autonomous company and receives $10,000 unrestricted cash support each year, $50,000 space rental credits each year, in addition to production and marketing support and resources to develop their new projects.

The renowned modern dance troupe EMERGE125 a Black woman-led organization, returns as a resident company a multi-year residency offering itinerant and mission-aligned artistic companies the ability to leverage The Flea’s in-house support system—creative, technical, and producing—to further their artistic reach.

“The Flea has been my artistic home in the city with Niegel [Smith] and his team supporting me, both personally and professionally. When I think of what presenter/artist relationships should look like, The Flea immediately comes to mind,” said EMERGE125 Artistic Director, Tiffany Rea-Fisher. “To have the added security to know that we will be a resident company at The Flea for the next two years is an absolute gift. Having another arts organization trust and invest in you in that way, especially now, will definitely change my artistic trajectory for the better, and I am truly grateful.”

To view photos of all lead artists (headshots and performance photos) as well as Flea logo, please click here.

The Flea was refounded in 2021 with the mission to support and invest in experimental art by Black, brown, and queer artists. The Flea provides space, financial support, producing partnership and other resources so that they may develop and share their vision in community with audiences.

About the Flea

The Flea Theater is a prolific NYC-based company founded in 1996 by three downtown artists. In 2021, The Flea refounded itself with a new mission and core values through collaborative efforts with CJAM. Our new operational model exemplifies our investment in artists and social equity and embraces our experimental, downtown NYC artistic heritage.

Our work with CJAM included a restorative partnership design process with 13 of The Flea’s former resident artists; DEI training for our Board of Directors, Executive Leadership and Board development; and a visioning process that helped to collaboratively design The Flea’s new organizational model and mission. The Flea’s new mission is: To invest in experimental art by Black, Brown, and queer folks. We provide space, financial support and producing partnership so that they may develop and share their vision in community with audiences.

The Flea is committed to programs and and operations that are Human centered; Anti-Racist & Anti-oppressive; Collaborative; Innovative; Sustainable; and Transparent.
The Flea has produced more than 160 world premieres in its 25-year history, earning many awards including two Obies and a Special Drama Desk. Previous Flea productions that have become part of the theatrical canon include Ellen McLaughlin’s The Trojan Women, Will Eno’s Oh, the Humanity, Thomas Bradshaw’s Fulfillment, Edward Iskandar’s The Mysteries and NSangou Njikam’s Syncing Ink.

THE FLEA RECEIVES NEW FUNDING SUPPORT FROM
OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS
General Support Funds To Build Capacity

NEW YORK, NY (Thursday, November 17, 2022) – The Flea is proud to announce that Open Society Foundations has become a new funding partner supporting the theater’s renewed mission to uplift and nurture the Black, Brown and queer artists. In October 2022, the Open Society Foundation granted The Flea $100K grant to support general operating expenses at the organization as it continues to build capacity since its relaunch in fall of 2021.

“We are excited and grateful for the opportunity to cultivate new funding partners like Open Society Foundations during this critical moment in the organization’s development. General capacity support allows for our team to collectively decide on the capacity priorities that will allow the organization to build, grow and become sustainable. – Renee K. Smith, Interim Executive Director

The Flea is dedicated to nurturing safe spaces for Black, Brown and queer artists to experiment, create and house dynamic works and with this funding from the Open Society Foundations, The Flea will continue to build on the momentum of its inaugural season that cultivates spaces for Black, brown and queer creatives and their audiences to connect. As they prepare for their 2023 season which includes two world premieres, HANG TIME, written and directed by Pulitzer finalist, Zora Howard and cheeky little brown, written and starring, Nkenna Akunna, its annual Juneteenth commissions featuring five artists showcasing work across the city, performances from its resident companies, The Fled and Emerge 125 and its annual house party, The Flea is grateful for funding partners who continue to invest their time and financial support in its vision.

About The Flea:
The Flea Theater is a prolific NYC-based company founded in 1996 by three downtown artists who set out to “raise a joyful hell in a small space.” In 2021, The Flea refounded itself with a new mission and core values through collaborative efforts with CJAM. Our new operational model exemplifies our investment in artists and social equity and embraces our experimental, downtown NYC artistic heritage.

Our work with CJAM included a restorative partnership design process with 13 of The Flea’s former resident artists; DEI training for our Board of Directors, Executive Leadership and Board development; and a visioning process that helped to collaboratively design The Flea’s new organizational model and mission. The Flea’s new mission is: To invest in experimental art by Black, Brown, and queer folks. We provide space, financial support and producing partnership so that they may develop and share their vision in community with audiences.

The Flea is committed to programs and and operations that are Human centered; Anti-Racist & Anti-oppressive; Collaborative; Innovative; Sustainable; and Transparent.

The Flea has produced more than 160 world premieres in its 25-year history, earning many awards including two Obies and a Special Drama Desk. Previous Flea productions that have become part of the theatrical canon include Ellen McLaughlin’s The Trojan Women, Will Eno’s Oh, the Humanity, Thomas Bradshaw’s Fulfillment, Edward Iskandar’s The Mysteries and NSangou Njikam’s Syncing Ink.

Learn more about The Flea and Flea Leadership at https://theflea.org/about/leadership/

NYC-based tastemaker Jon Ali is a longtime music journalist who has interviewed some of the best acts in music such as Lady Gaga, Robyn, JoJo, Little Mix, Dua Lipa, Jazmine Sullivan, VINCINT, and the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna. He’s notably known for his work in highlighting queer musicans with his monthly playlists such as Queer Necessities. Currently, Jon Ali contributes to InTheKnow.com regularly and is celebrated as a DJ in queer nightlife all around New York City.
 
 
 
 
Jack Fuller is an artist born and raised in Harlem NYC’s Sugar Hill. They studied at Harlem School of the Arts and LaGuardia High School as a vocalist, instrumentalist, actor, arranger, & songwriter. As a queer child in Harlem, adversity was no stranger. Always misunderstood, always different they reach for communication through their work- to understand their art is to understand them. The two spirited/two headed creative force has 2 albums out the latest of which is “The Build”. They are currently developing a new experimental opera, Thoughts and Involuntary Mantras.
 
 
 
Yonatan Gebeyehu is a Brooklyn based actor/musician. Acting credits include: OFF- BROADWAY: TFANA: Timon of Athens, Bedlam Theater: Persuasion, New Georges/The Tank: I Thought I Would Die, But I Didn’t. REGIONAL: Shakespeare Theater Company: Timon of Athens, Everybody, Montana Rep: Go. Please. Go, Chautauqua Theater Company: Noises Off, Romeo and Juliet, Portland Stage Company: A Christmas Carol, UCSD/La Jolla Playhouse: Revolt. She said. Revolt Again., Strange Men TV: Prodigal Son (FOX), Elementary, Madame Secretary (CBS). DIGITAL: Vineyard Theater: Lessons in Survival, Series: 86’d (Bric Arts). TRAINING: University of California San Diego: MFA in Acting. Yonatan-Gebeyehu.com
 
 
Amara Granderson is a multidisciplinary performer last scene in her Broadway debut in the 2022 Tony-nominated revival of for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nona Hendryx tackles social issues, love and politics with a smoky vocal tessitura somewhere between funk and the end of the stratosphere. Hendryx’s legendary career spans six decades of sound and style evolution. Fans know her as a founding member of the girl group, Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles (with Sarah Dash, Cindy Birdsong and Patti LaBelle) known as “the Sweethearts of the Apollo Theatre” and inducted into the R&B Hall of Fame in 1999. In the 70s, the group morphed into the Rock & Funk Glam Diva’s ‘Labelle’ with the #1 record, Lady Marmalade. Nona Hendryx emerged as the chief songwriter of the group’s socially conscious and illuminating message songs. Hendryx then became the revolutionary art-rock, new-wave goddess embarked upon her own impressive Solo career, which spanned eight studio albums and engaged her with an impressive lineup of collaborators (Prince, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson, Bono and Cameo), resulting in top ten hits and a Grammy nomination (Rock This Houses with The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards on guitar). Nona is the Ambassador for Artistry in Music at Berklee College of Music in Boston and co-chair of The Flea’s Board of Directors.
 
 
Zora Howard is a Harlem-bred writer and performer. Plays include STEW (2021 Pulitzer Prize Finalist; P73), THE MASTER’S TOOLS (WTF), BUST (2022 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Finalist), HANG TIME (2022 Creative Capital Award Finalist) and GOOD FAITH. In 2020, her film Premature (2020 Film Independent John Cassavetes Award nominee), which she co-wrote with director Rashaad Ernesto Green, opened in theaters following its world premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Zora is the inaugural Judith Champion Fellow at MTC, a 2022 Lilly Award and Helen Merrill Award recipient and is currently under commission from Seattle Rep, MTC, and Wessex Grove.
 
 

Chanon Judson joined the critically acclaimed Urban Bush Women in 2001. She has had the privilege of serving the company as rehearsal director, Director for UB2 – Urban Bush Women’s performing apprentice ensemble, and now furthers her work with UBW as Co-Artistic Director and Co-Director of BOLD (Builders Organizers and Leaders through Dance). Chanon and Samantha are choreographic directors for UBW’s new evening-length work, “Hair and Other Stories,” in collaboration with Raelle Myrick-Hodges. Chanon is a recipient of the APAP Leadership Fellowship Cohort II and Director’s Lab Chicago Fellowship 2018. Additional credits include Taylor Mac’s 24-Hour Spectacular, A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, Cotton Club Parade (Warren Carlyle), Prophecy Dance Company (Kwame Ross), and the Tony Award-winning musical Fela! (Bill T. Jones). Her commercial credits include Victoria’s Secret Live, L’Oreal Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Apple Watch and the Michael Jackson 30th Anniversary Concert.
 
 
Paris L’Hommie is an alien superstar, a French fashion Illustration come to life, a supermodel, a triple threat, and an amalgamation of black trans beauty, lineage, and art. Paris is known for their incredible presence and their ability to create stunning visual performing art pieces. She is also known for her unique and sultry burlesque numbers. As a rebellious artist, burlesque has been a way for her to display her black trans body for those to see in a glamorous light as opposed to how media often portrays black trans people. Paris is also the mother of the Brooklyn Drag/Art Collective Haus of Quench.
 
 
 
Mur is a New York City based visual and performance artist with a focus in music composition. Mur has exhibited and performed solo works in collaboration with La MaMa, National Sawdust, Le Poisson Rouge, Justin Vivian Bond, Alan Cumming, Illesteva, New York Fashion Week, Nordstrom, and Soho House. Earlier this month, Mur made their debut at the Guggenheim with countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo. Mur’s original musicals include Shopgirl The Musical (based on the Steve Martin Novella), Vagina Town The Musical, Mary Ann (A Psychotherapy Musical), REQUIEM (A Musical To Mourn My Failed Marriage), Susan Alexandra The Musical for New York Fashion Week, and TREES The Musical. This year, Mur was featured in New York Magazine’s The CUT. Mur’s mini musical videos have gone viral on social media and their visual work is on display at The Wild Bird Fund. Follow Mur at @murnewyork
 
 
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James Scruggs is a writer, performer, producer, teacher, speaker and arts administrator who creates large scale, topical, theatrical, multi-media work usually focused on inequity or gender politics. He is currently working with Rattlestick Theater to produce BRAVADO, a transmedia piece that will be experienced virtually, exploring viruses, mortality and 9/11. His work in progress version of A Voluptuary Life was a solo performance work about one man musing same gender loving lives across the ages. It was shown at HERE Arts Centerin March, 2019. MELT ! was a site specific, fully immersive work with actors, musicians and radical audience participation. It was commissioned and performed for one day on The High Line in NYC. His piece, 3/Fifths SupremacyLand was a “Must See” production in The NY Times; Timeout stated: “The insidious brilliance of SupremacyLand lies in the way that Scruggs, co-opts the conventions of immersive theater to deliver a powerful message.” He conceived, wrote and produced the fully interactive 3/Fifths, which enlisted over 30 collaborators, 23 actors, 46 channels of video, spread over 5 performance spaces spanning over 10,000 square feet. Previous theatrical works include Touchscape, An Emotional Striptease; Tickets To Manhood and Deepest Man, an experimental work with a 3D holographic projection surface exploring freediving as a cure for grief produced by and premiered at 3LD Art &Technology Center. He is currently a Fieldwork facilitator for The Field and a Professional Development Program facilitator for Creative Capital. James Scruggs has a BFA in Film from School of Visual Arts.
 
 

Nickolas Vaughan is a multi-hyphenate creative artist who combines visual, performing, musical and digital art to tell stories. At The Flea, he recently presented a process showing of his one-man show: Project Nick Vaughan. He is currently a producer for the upcoming documentary television series, Swiping America and HBO’s Emmy Award winning series, We’re Here. In 2019 his one-man show, ’Til You Make It, was selected for the TAG Solo Show Festival at The Actor’s Group Studio in Los Angeles, California. As an actor, Nickolas has performed extensively in the Washington, DC area, working at prominent theaters including The Kennedy Center, Ford’s Theatre, Signature Theatre and Studio Theatre, among others. Nickolas is the Co-Creative Director of Show:UP!, a pop-up, immersive ,theatrical dining experience based in New York. He earned a BFA at Howard University. @Nickster_v