Join us for a night of celebrating young and emerging artists at the 7 Stages 2024 Apprentice Showcase, on April 20th at 6:00 PM. Young theater professionals Akua Malloy, Aloe Sanders, Cade Nabors, Ezra Stene, Isis Kleef, and Nina Cajuste have been working with 7 Stages’ apprentice program where they have trained in the administrative, production and artistic aspects of theater. They are now bringing their talents to the stage with a culmination of all they have learned during their time with the program. Apprentices set to dazzle you with their unique artistic responses to Ilya Kaminsky’s “Deaf Republic”.
Taking skills learned during their time at 7 Stages, artists will be writing, directing and performing their own pieces that they have curated. They are ecstatic to share their passions for dance, music, visual art and crafts at this hour long presentation. Each performance offers a fresh take on the book’s themes of resilience, community and love. Don’t miss out on this culmination of a season’s worth of hard work and creativity from 7 Stages apprentices–an unforgettable evening celebrating the power of community and companionship.
Deaf Republic is a poetry book published in 2019 about an occupied town who decide, as a community, to go deaf and only speak in sign language after a deaf boy is shot and killed by occupying soldiers during a puppet show. The collection of poems follow the story of the townspeople after the act of violence. Protest, solace and tragedy are a few of the topics that inspired the young apprentices to create this showcase.
Apprentice Team
Nina Cajuste is a Chicago-born performer and theatre nerd. While attending Spelman College as a theatre and performance major, they have had the pleasure of exploring Atlanta’s artistic scene through not only 7Stages, but Synchronicity Theatre and Spriggs-Burroughs Drama and Dance Ensemble.
For Nina, reading Deaf Republic came at a crucial time in examining their own bonds and community. In such divisive, and terror-stricken times, Deaf Republic offered them a framework of what it means to truly lean on one another in times of hardship. Once finishing the book, they were most excited to portray Alfonso and Sonya’s relationship which they felt exemplified how persevering love and human connection can be.
Ezra Stene is a design enthusiast from upstate New York who spent four years studying illustration and sequential art at SCAD Savannah. When they moved to Atlanta post-graduation, they rekindled their love of theater tech since finding the 7Stages Apprenticeship program. After the honor of shadowing so many theater professionals, Ezra aspires to continue assisting in the creation of amazing art with awesome people in the theater world!
“When reading Deaf Republic, I found the biggest takeaway to be the importance of community in times of hardship and oppression. This story is ultimately encouraging connection with the neighbors around you, and standing up and speaking out for your people.
Reading and then re-reading this book these past few months, while looking at worldwide news, you can really see how essential these messages are right now. I feel that Deaf Republic is a timely read for 2024, and that everyone will get something out of it.”
Akua Malloy is a versatile theater artist from New York City with a background in performance, dance and theatre production. She has strengthened her skills as an artist learning at institutions such as Hofstra University, Alliance Theatre and New York Film Academy. She has worked with various companies such as Synchronicity Theatre, Harambee Dance Company and Dominion Entertainment Group while in Atlanta, GA.
When reading Deaf Republic, she found herself captivated by the depiction of collective strength in the face of oppression, drawing poignant connections to struggles worldwide. In particular, she was inspired by the resilience showcased, resonating deeply with similar struggles against adversity experienced by marginalized communities globally.
Aloe Sanders is a theatre enthusiast and a creature of the costumes. They find inspiration everywhere; from the sea and land dwellers at their day job, and the kids in their neighborhood, to random people they converse with on the bus. They are often seen knitting something cool, only to restart at the slightest hindrance.
When reading Deaf Republic, they found that throughout a book resounding with protest, outrage, and unthinkable heartbreak, the strongest parts were those in which the characters experienced peace.
Isis Kleef is a singer, musician, writer and educator from Amsterdam. This year she is graduating from the ‘University of the Arts’ in Amsterdam for her degree ‘Music in Education’. 15 years ago she started with playing the flute and developed herself as the singer- songwriter she is nowadays.
Deaf Republic made her think about the power of silence. How people can use silence as their strength to stand up for themselves and everything around them. Because there is a voice within silence.
