voicesofshe

Co-Founder and Directorof Voices of SHE, aka VOS. 

ENTRY TWO - 01/31/21:
The theater journey of Ann Rowe began on the campus of Eastern Michigan University (EMU) in the Ann Arbor region of Southeast Michigan. A professor at EMU brought to Rowe's attention that she may have a talent in directing theater. Although Rowe loved theatre, she did not want to direct “mainstream” theatre. She had a calling from a different place, more from a stage that echoed voices not always mainstream. Upon hearing Rowe's exploration of self-direction, her professor suggested looking into a program at EMU called the "Program of Interpretation Performance Studies (IPS). She accepted the suggestion, shifted her degree, and focused in the exploration of the IPS and that it had to offer.   

Within the year, Rowe's work within the IPS started to show the fruits of her studies. She became skilled enough to showcase to the public. One such showcase was that of Pure Poetry, written by her college mate, Angeline D’Balentine. Rowe both directed and performed the poem. The piece was first written and published in the Ann Arbor journal, Cellar Roots. When Rowe had first approached D'Balentine on taking the published poem, and making it into a performance piece, D'Balentine admitted never having thought of that creative pathway for her poetry. D'Balentine was a script writer, but honestly never given thought to cross-media for her poetry. She loved Rowe's idea, and accepted to grant permission for Rowe to explore it creatively in the IPS showcase. It went on to receive great reviews, and even opening a domino effect later down the road for Pure Poetry to get the attention of Off-Broadway a few years later for the SPORK festival, hosted by the tv celebrity, Stacey London. Rowe did very well in the IPS program, which also opened many roads ahead for herself. 

After Rowe earned her B.S. degree in Theatre Arts & Communication with the emphasis in Interpretation, Rowe took on an offered opportunity immediately after graduation to substitute teach both theater and artistic expression. This path opened up the pathway to becoming a full-time teacher, and giving her the years of experience that have since made her be known for being an advocate and teacher for grade school and high school students across the USA. In parallel to her theater career, she also has maintained a teaching career that has infused the study and passion for theater and interpretive art for many young minds that have gone off to be inspired adults of present, including her current role located in Dallas, Texas. 

In her early years, after graduating college, Rowe landed a gig as a stagehand for a production at Plowshare Theatre in Detroit, and has gone off to support and grow her way up into the off-mainstream theater circuit, including being a spotlight operator upon her first years arriving in Dallas for the Uptown Players. In her time at the Uptown Players, Rowe was awarded with being selected as the assistant stage manager, and then promoted to manager for the Pride Festival.

Within a few years of growing both her experience in Dallas and her theater network, Rowe connected with the Bishop Arts Theatre Center, and became so moved by their work that she started volunteering at the theatre, just to be in their midst and further grow that pathway of interest.  Rowe felt a new chapter for her passion for theatre began at Bishop Arts Theatre Center. Rowe’s volunteering at Bishop Arts Theatre Center ranged from box office, “volunteer” staff member, house manager, and stage managing. Rowe served as the Development Chair on the theatre’s board of directors. 

During this time with BATC, Rowe finally heard the voices that echoed so many years prior while at EMU, before joining that IRP program. Voices that came from some unseen, unheard stage that she'd been feeling this calling to find. And so, it was because of her time volunteering at BATC that the concept of VOS finally found "voice." Rowe envisioned a space, a stage, for women artists to showcase their talent. She felt it was on this stage that these voices could be heard in a new way - a new stage approach. Not just being in one spot, but to be shared in many places, making certain that these voices could be and would be heard. Rowe realized that the trending concept of "pop-up" theater would be a great a fit. 

Rowe had kept in contact with D'Balentine over the years, and recently had noticed some of the producing (and scripting) D'Balentine had, had success in. And so, Rowe approached D'Balentine about the getting into a partnership, and to explore creating a pop up theatre company. After a few meetings, structuring the pop-up style to become the one-act touring play festival, and some name explorations with D'Balentine adding the SHE to the end of Rowe's Voices of..... , "Voices of SHE" was born.

Rowe is thrilled to where VOS has come, and she is looking forward to the future successes for these Voices of SHE to be heard. 

The VOS Production (Voices of SHE) in partnership with D'Balentine Creative launches their newly founded Pop-Up Theater Production with their first season kicking off on October 10th, 2019, at The Wild Detectives Bookstore & Bar venue located in the Bishop Arts District of Dallas, Texas. 

The philosophy behind the festival is to nourish the voices and stories from women's experience and perspective for the public to hear and know. The idea behind making it a pop-up style theater is to provide opportunity for the festival to travel, giving more platform and reach to the cause and experience. 

It is both the founder's, Angeline D'Balentine and Ann Rowe, intention for the present and future generations to be able to expand and grow with this first season.

D'Balentine states, “Traveling the United States and the world myself over the last decade has shown me the impact that getting out of your own back yard can have." She shared that, "through traveling and working in media, she's come to witness the influence that storytelling can have across distance and time." 

Rowe believes now is the time to make the the voices heard of women from all backgrounds, races, religions, and so on - to empower women is Rowe's goal.

Rowe shared, "I approached Angeline, and asked her if she'd be interested to start a theater venture with me," she continued, "One that would explore how we could rise up the female voice and give a platform for their narrative." 

Both ladies soon found themselves exploring the different dynamics and possibilities until they came to the business model of the traveling play festival. With it, it gave them the stage to promote their mission and support their overall goals, while being able to connect with local communities of theater, businesses, the media, and out-of-the-box partnerships. 

Ann Rowe and Angeline D'Balentine presently hold the responsibility of Co-founders at VOS Productions, Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, USA, with a satellite-based office in northern Michigan, USA.

Rowe is the current acting director for Texas and surrounding areas with openness to travel to direct, and also co-produce with D'Balentine. Rowe has her Bachelors in Art for Theater, and is a Theater Teacher at a local Dallas school. 

D'Balentine is the Executive Producer with also acting as on-location producer for off-stage production responsibilities, including legal and finance. She also contributes her playwright abilities. Two of her pieces are currently in this up coming season in Texas. She has her Masters in Science for Entertainment Business, and her Bachelors in Arts for Creative Writing. 

The One-acts Are:
Pure Poetry ........... by Angeline D'Balentine

La Presidente ................... by Kelly Hornung

Forty-Two .......... by Kimberly & Jacy Harsch

Passion of Tomatoes ........ by Angeline D'Balentine

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The Cast Will Be:
Tiff Canady  /  Olivia Omorose  /  Tasha Pearson

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More information on Voices of SHE go to https://voicesofshe.yolasite.com/. Follow them on Instagram: Angeline D'Balentine @adbalentine and Ann Rowe @akrowe2014

PR Contact: Ann Rowe, akrowe2014@gmail.com
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PURE POETRY

See more of PURE POETRY's words in the upcoming theater show, October, 2019!

ENTRY ONE - 08/02/19:
In 2001, while in her final year at Eastern Michigan University, Angeline D'Balentine took a Woman's Studies course. One of her assignments required that she read the book from Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye. She was so pulled into the main character's voice, Pecola Breedlove, that once Angeline finished reading, she couldn't stop hearing that voice of Pecola still echoing in her head. A few days later, while sitting between classes, she finished (in one sitting) the poem, "Pure Poetry."

Soon after she decided to submit the poem to a local Ann Arbor arts journal, Cellar Roots. Her poem was accepted and published. This event caused for D'Balentine to be invited to a panel, in which she was able to share in the "creation of voice" - especially in voices that were outside our own experience.

The following year one of the co-founders of the Voices Of She Play Festival, Ann Rowe, asked to perform the poem on stage - as a character in theater. D'Balentine had never thought to present this character in such way. She loved the idea, and agreed.

A few years later the poem/performance piece made it around the circuit, eventually catching the attention of Stacey London from "What Not To Wear" TV show. London was hosting a play festival on Off-Broadway in New York called SPORKS, a one-act play festival that worked with the NY Coalition for the Homeless Youth Services, a non-profit dedicated to the needs of homeless children. London felt this piece needed to be included. And so, the SPORKS team reached our to D'Balentine and soon Pure Poetry was performing in New York raising money for homeless kids. 

"It was amazing to have been nominated by Stacey London for this event," said D'Balentine, "Once I discovered a piece I wrote inspired by a little girl's voice, Pecola Breedlove, was helping to provide home-space for other kids out there, I was even more amazed. Truly, it is media to move - we can inspire change!"

Since, Pure Poetry has gone off to both perform (as far as London, UK,) and be published in some local journals and online platforms. It is with great pleasure to announce, WE, Voices of SHE will be once again bringing her alive, and Ann Rowe once again directing her voice on stage.

We cannot wait to announce who will be playing the part of PURE POETRY this time around. Look for an update here soon!

First weekend in October - you can see her live among the other one-act plays of Voices of SHE.

You can have the chance to see Pure Poetry on stage this fall. Email us at: vocdbproductions@gmail.com to learn more. 

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