“When stories die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.”
Sue Monk Kidd
what am i doing now?
CODY RENARD RICHARD SCHOLAR
I am proud to have been inducted into the inaugural Cody Renard Richard Scholarship Program cohort in the spring of 2021. With the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 that have forced artists to pivot or feel completely tripped up, I feel a distinct ecstasy to be part of a program that will “honor, uplift, & support the next generation of Black, Asian, Latinx, Indigenous and People of Color theatre makers.” Additional gratitude to the Broadway Advocacy Coalition for sponsoring and facilitating the creation of this program.
For more information on the scholarship, check out:
-> http://www.codyrenard.com/scholarship
-> https://www.broadwayblack.com/cody-renard-richard-scholarship-announces-winners/
THE QUEER CODE PODCAST
The Queer Code is the amalgam experience of Two Black Queerfolk on an island of blue in the Deep South's sea of red. The team of David H. Parker and Devin Franklin has created a space that fosters self-empowerment, individuality, and freedom of expression. We meet at the intersection of college-age individuals, the LGBTQiA+ community, and the Black community in order to give people like us an opportunity to see and hear the thoughts, stories, and testimonials that they might not have ever heard represented in media before. We speak openly so that those that identify with us may also be moved to do so.
Description of Services
ACTING COACHING
All private acting coaching services $15/per 1/2 hour virtual session + first 1/2 hour FREE
Scene Study: Sitting down to read and comprehend your script/sides can be taxing by yourself. Together, we will analyze your script or sides and develop your character through thorough understanding of the given circumstances, style, conflict, and more of the work so you can turn out a completely unique character!
Audition Preparation: We will work together to make sure your self-tape conditions serve to create your fiercest audition, and if you want help with an in-person audition, we can do that, too! Meeting in-person will require you to be in the Los Angeles area, have proof of your COVID-19 vaccination, and is subject to a rate increase per session.
Cold Reading: You probably think going into an audition completely unprepared is difficult, right? Honestly, sometimes... but cold reads don’t have to be! The truth about cold reads is that you’re always prepared for them; let me show you exactly what I mean.
Improvisation: This is often everyone’s biggest fear in acting - having to create the lines off-the-cuff and bounce off another actor flawlessly. Together, we’ll discover ways to put aside performance anxiety when it comes to improv’ing so that we can be our beautiful spontaneous selves.
Voice & Movement: The old maxim is right - you really do have to walk before you can fly. Or is it crawl before you can walk? Either way, in acting, if you’re not fully in touch with your mind, body, and voice, how can you expect to act as a character that is? That’s why you and I will work together on methods of grounding ourselves, bringing focus and clarity back to the mind, and instilling a sense of confidence in the only voice you’ll ever have.
CREATIVE CONSULTANCY
”Let me be your cheerleader!”
Under this level of involvement, I will happily join you in three (3) VIRTUAL meetings: PRE-PRODUCTION, ONE (1) REHEARSAL, & POST-PRODUCTION, not to exceed a maximum of three (3) hours TOTAL. At these meetings, I will engage with you and your creative team, offering opinions and critiques based on what is said in or presented during the meetings exclusively. This level does not require research or engagement exterior of the meetings; I will provide solutions if there are glaring problems, and offer my own insights with regards to conceiving your concept and reflecting on it after completion.
*** $150 TOTAL, or $50/hour meeting/rehearsal
”Can I bring a friend to set?”
Under this level of involvement, I will eagerly join you on-set or in your theatrical production space on days of rehearsal, tech, or filming to actively co-curate your project. Correspondence and VIRTUAL meetings leading up to the day(s) booked are FREE. In addition to the energy I already would have brought you in the first level, I will bring an attitude and brain for problem solving and executing your vision. We are magnets for the things that we deserve, so let’s figure out together how to get you yours.
*** $75/hour rehearsal/day of filming
”We might be family after this!”
Under this level of involvement, I will essentially brainstorm with you on ideas, exchange notes back and forth on specific concepts or script analysis, view cuts prior to the final edit and offer critiques, help smooth out rehearsal/filming processes, and be a general go-to when it comes to having a set of third party hands on your vision. The most difficult part about creating is not being sure whether what you’re creating will work out as you intend; that’s where I come in. Between the two of us, there’s no room for failure, only some dope art you’ll be proud of for taking the terrifying leap to create!
*** $300 TOTAL (not to exceed 15 hours of work TOTAL)
Performance Photo Gallery
THE GLASS MENAGERIE (2020), dir. Dennis McLernon
THE GLASS MENAGERIE (2020), dir. Dennis McLernon
THE GLASS MENAGERIE (2020), dir. Dennis McLernon
THE GLASS MENAGERIE (2020), dir. Dennis McLernon
YELLOW (2019), dir. Rhonda Erbrick
ANGELS IN AMERICA (2018), dir. Jack Cannon/Hayley Procacci
ANGELS IN AMERICA (2018), dir. Jack Cannon/Hayley Procacci
WHAT DO FOLX SAY ABOUT ME?
National honors awarded to Theatre UAB’s original production “Disconnect” by KCACTF
“The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival has honored the original Theatre UAB production “Disconnect” with five national awards, including Special Achievement in Directing (Roy Lightner & David H. Parker).” — Shannon Thomason, via UAB News
UAB Department of Theatre graduate is making “big dream” come true
“Parker will graduate May 1 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham; their next destination is the University of California, Los Angeles, where they will pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater directing — on a full scholarship through UCLA’s Graduate Opportunity Fellowship — beginning this fall.” — Shannon Thomason, via UAB News
“Disconnect” by Theatre UAB selected for KCACTF Region IV performance
”[Lee] Shackleford serves on the KCACTF Region IV selection committee and reported to the department that ‘Disconnect’ was one of three productions in the region that received unanimous support from the committee.” — Shannon Thomason, via UAB News
UAB students present original play “Disconnect” for free
“BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Starting Thursday night the students at UAB will be presenting a new original play which will also follow COVID-19 protocols, making them one of the first to do it in the area. It’s also free to stream.” — Jonathan Skinner on DISCONNECT, via WBRC News, Newsbreak, and MSN.com
“From white family to black”
“The ‘brand-new story with classic roots‘ will be performed over five evenings. ‘Five intimate explorations of themes that do not fixate on oppression, segregation and the struggle of the black experience as most black-centric stories do,‘ wrote Parker, who plays Tom Wingfield in the play and who wrote about the production as the show’s dramaturg.” — Shannon Thomason on THE GLASS MENAGERIE, via UAB News
“My favorite podcast”
“With each episode, I always find myself laughing until I cry and smiling because everything that’s discussed I can relate to... I look forward to every new drop.” - Ceint on THE QUEER CODE, via iTunes Podcasts
“Y’all bad b***hes”
“You are all beacons of light, grateful for your existence.” - justsomequeer on THE QUEER CODE, via iTunes Podcasts
“Invited to the Table”
“Full Disclosure: I know these people — I teach in their Theatre Department — so I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying and admiring their talent and their dedication to their craft. But as a straight white cis dude, I am aware of the barrier, a line I mustn’t cross... I can’t just sit down with them and say, “Hey, guys, I want to be the best ally possible, so tell me what it’s like to be young, black, and gay in this time and place.” Y’know? They’re inviting us all to the table, folks, with warmth and honesty and a delightful ease of conversation. We hear them in their silliness, their frustration, their hopes, and their fears. We hear their obvious love for each other, and their dedication to being the best humans they can be. David says it best in episode one: “We are young... we have a lot to experience, but we’ve also experienced so much that nobody else has.” It’s so true, and kudos to him for knowing this and saying it. They want to learn, and they also want to share what they’ve learned. And that, if you ask me, is how it oughta be. Pull up a chair, friend. You’re welcome here.” — leeshack on THE QUEER CODE, via iTunes Podcasts
“YELLOW is an Emotional Casserole...”
“David H. Parker (Kendall) provides an alluring energy to a child longing for normalcy, and acceptance to what his heart needs, and wants.“ — David Edward Perry on YELLOW, via BroadwayWorld.com