Written & Performed by Letta Neely
Directed by Greg Allen
Produced by A Revolution of Values Theatre Project
Co-Produced with Fort Point Theatre Channel
Funded with a Live Arts Boston 2022 Grant, The Boston Foundation
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
August 4-9, 2023 @ 8:15 pm
(adapted show: ~50 minutes)
theSpaceUK, Symposium Hall Annexe Theatre
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Mariposa Museum and World Culture Center
co-presented by FPTC & Revolution of Values Theatre Project
August 12 & 13, 2023 @ 7pm
57 Circuit Ave.
Oak Bluffs, MA
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United Solo Theatre Festival
September 26, 2023 @ 7pm
Theatre Row, Studio Theatre
410 West 42nd St.
New York, NY
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CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT
PULLING IT ALL INTO THE CURRENT.
THANK YOU!
Past Performances
Boston Playwrights’ Theatre
May 25-28, 2023
949 Commonwealth Ave.
Boston, MA 02215
Post-Show Conversations
May 27, 2 pm: Moderated by Courtney Grey, Racial Justice and Behavioral Health Specialist, Community Organizer
May 27, 7:30 pm moderated by Porsha Olayiwola, Writer, Performer, Futurist, City of Boston Poet Laureate
May 28, 2 pm moderated by Amanda Shea, Spoken Word and Multidisciplinary Artist, Educator, Mentor, Activist, Publicist, and Mother
About the Play
Delve into the Depths of Humanity: Letta Neely's Transformative Play, Pulling It All Into the Current, Captivates Hearts and Minds at the Intersection of Queerness, Blackness, and Consciousness.
In a world hungry for meaningful connections and thought-provoking experiences, Letta Neely's groundbreaking solo play, Pulling It All Into The Current, emerges as an undeniably vital contribution to the artistic landscape, seamlessly weaving the threads of queerness, Blackness, and consciousness. This transformative theatrical experience demands the attention of reviewers and audiences alike during its runs at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Mariposa Museum (Oak Bluffs), and United Solo Theatre Festival (NYC).
Prepare to be transported on an emotional journey as Letta navigates the complexities of identity, self-discovery, redemption, and resilience. The spoken word takes center stage, transcending the conventional boundaries of storytelling, and becomes a powerful vehicle for introspection and empathy as a constellation of vibrant characters from teenagers to veterans, elders to addicts, queers to teachers, bring their unique perspectives, sharing profound insights into the human experience.
Meet Rhonda, a fifteen-year-old whose path to self-discovery is filled with painful experiences. Follow Chocolate Marsh, a recovering addict, as he embarks on a transformative journey of healing and redemption. Join Laprecious, a teenage mother, as she navigates the delicate balance between her aspirations for her new daughter and protecting her from a harsh world.
Enter the vibrant world of Corner, a flamboyant artist whose art becomes a courageous voice of resistance against the gentrification of his beloved neighborhood. Experience the poetic brilliance of Professor Crooked-Leg Boo, a street poet whose evocative songs shed light on the harsh realities of street life.
And finally, be inspired by Preacher, a beacon of hope in a world riddled with hardships, as he uplifts and motivates those around him with his unwavering faith and inspiring words.
Pulling It All Into the Current is a compelling tapestry of interconnected lives, exploring themes of resilience, redemption, love, and the pursuit of dreams. With its richly drawn characters and thought-provoking narratives, this captivating play leaves audiences questioning their own perceptions and reflecting on the intricacies of the human experience.
"We see the same stars and tell different stories. A look through the eyes of ten characters as they navigate the minefields and playgrounds of life. From fifteen-year-old Rhonda to the Veteran Hutsey, these stand-alone stories of teenagers, veterans, elders, addicts, queers, teachers, and others mingle haphazardly alongside and within each of us as they are 'pulled into the current' landscape. What's the aerial view of the terrain? What does the map look like when you turn it inside out?"
Meet Letta Neely
Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Letta is a Black lesbian playwright, performer, poet, mother, teacher, and community activist involved in progressive, anti-racist, and queer liberation movements all her adult life. Her work focuses on the connections and intersections of queerness, Blackness, and awareness.
Letta's first play, Hamartia Blues, was produced by The Theater Offensive at the Boston Center for the Arts in 2002 and received two IRNE [Independent Reviewers of New England] award nominations. Her plays Last Rites and Shackles & Sugar have been produced in Boston, Philly, and Los Angeles. In addition to the chapbooks: gawd and alluh huh sistahs and When We Were Mud, Letta has written two books of poetry, Juba and Here (Wildheart Press), which were both finalists for the Lambda Literary Awards. Her literary work has been included in numerous anthologies, literary journals, and magazines, including Through the Cracks; Sinister Wisdom; Common Lives, Lesbian Lives; Rag Shock; African Voices, Rap Pages, Catch the Fire, Does Your Mama Know, and Roll Calla Generational Anthology of Social and Political Black Literature & Art. As a Traces/ Remain Ensemble member with Deen Rawlins-Harris, she collaborated with Toshi Reagon's Emerson College residency: Parable Path Boston, to develop the Seed to Harvest Book Project.
Letta is also a co-artistic director for Fort Point Theatre Channel. She is the editor and scriptwriter of Ife Franklin's The Slave Narratives of Willie Mae (book and film). Letta hosts FireWater Poetics (a hybrid open mic w/ feature) at Emerson College each month. She directed Renita Martin's play, Unmasked, for Revolution of Values, produced by Greg Allen. She is a NEFA grant recipient of both Collective Imagination for Spatial Justice and Public Art for Spatial Justice funding. Letta recently took on the role of Makayla in Lyralyn Kaye's AFAB (Assigned Female at Birth), an award-winning web series.
Finally, Letta is the Associate Director of Programs at Apprentice Learning.
Meet Greg Allen
As Assistant Teaching Professor at Northeastern University, Greg has worked as a director, educator, and producer for 25 years, directing many college/university productions, as well as professional productions in Boston and New York. Greg’s work has been presented at the Francis Anne Cannon Workshop Theater, Ensemble Studio Theater, and the Bleeker Street Theater in New York City; the Strand Theater, Mosesian Center for the Arts, and Boston Center for the Arts, all in Boston, and the Garde Arts Center in Connecticut; among others. Selected productions include The Colored Museum, Once on This Island, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, A Lesson Before Dying, and THUNDER – A Musical Memoir, which was selected and presented at the New York International Fringe Festival. The production earned the FringeNYC Outstanding Choreography Award and won rave reviews.
Greg also has a passion for working with playwrights in the process of developing scripts for readings, workshops, and initial production. He has directed workshops and premiere productions of new works by playwrights including Kirsten Greenidge, Cynthia Robinson, Richard Ravosa, Letta Neely, and Cliff Odle. Most recently, a production of Confidential Informant by Charlie Lyons and produced by TC2 Theatre Company and Mommy Are We Poor by Richard Ravosa, produced Six Corners Entertainment/David Bertolino Productions.
A graduate of the theater program at Sarah Lawrence College, Greg holds an M.F.A in Theater Directing from University of Massachusetts at Amherst, as well as an M.Ed. from Cambridge College. He has spent much of the last twenty-five years teaching theater in High Schools in Boston, as well as at the college and university level including MassBay Community College and Umass Amherst bringing theater to life with many wonderful collaborators, both aspiring and professional. Currently, Greg is on the teaching faculty at Wheelock Family Theatre, a volunteer “The Business of Theatre” mentor with Apprentice Learning Inc., Assistant Teaching Professor in the Northeastern University Department of Theatre, and Co-Artistic Director of A Revolution of Values Theatre Project.”
Some Viewers’ Comments
"Letta's work is absolutely vital." Abe Rybeck, Founder and former Artistic Director of the acclaimed Theatre Offensive in Boston, recognizes the significance and impact of Letta Neely's artistic contributions.
"THANK YOU! That was an amazing performance last night – congratulations. Thank you for your stories and your beautiful humanity. The production is riveting – Letta’s performances are deeply human, and Greg’s directing creates a haunting atmosphere in which these compelling characters come to life. It is a gorgeous collaboration with tons of heart." Antonio Ocampo-Guzman, Chair, Department of Theatre, Northeastern University, Boston, shares his heartfelt appreciation for the experience of Pulling It All Into The Current.
"I'm telling you!!! You do not want to miss it! Get the tickets!!! . . . Impressive, heart-wrenching. The writing and performance are award-worthy!" Porsha Olayiwola, City of Boston Poet Laureate, raves about Pulling ItAll Into The Current, encapsulating the impact of Letta Neely's work.
