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Dirk Van Fisher doesn't seem to be able to get much sleep these days. But as the founder and artistic director of the Riant Theatre, a New York-based African-American theater company fresh off the heels from another successful Strawberry One-Act Festival and a moving awards ceremony honoring leaders from all five of the City's boroughs, not to mention his search for a permanent home for his award-winning troupe, he has a lot on his plate. And that's just the beginning.
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He's also putting the finishing touches on an April 24th Spring Fling that will allow industry leaders to gather for a fun-filled fashion show and opportunities to network. And he'll be awarding scholarships to college-bound students at a June 19th Youth Empowerment Awards Dinner. (The venue for both events will be announced soon on the theater's website.
Finally, there are works like the recent play Dream Babies, an urban musical dealing with the challenges that teens living in foster care are forced to confront and hopefully overcome for which Fisher wrote the book, music and lyrics. It goes without saying that this brother is definitely putting on the "hits."
"I founded the company as the Black Experimental Theatre in 1979 when we first became incorporated and we were moving along pretty well," he said. "In 1991 we located a suitable space in Tribeca and changed our name to the "Riant" - a word meaning laughter and merriment in French because I wanted something more universal with a title that let people know our productions are more than the typical kinds of shows one would expect to see at a black theater."
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But shortly after 9/11, their building was destroyed, leaving Fisher scrambling for suitable digs - a search that continues today.
"It hasn't stopped us from putting on quality theatrical presentations, but at this point my primary goal is to build a new theater so we rent spaces for now and I am taking my time - finding the right spot and raising funds," he said. "
Fisher received rave reviews for Dream Babies, a play that he first began to dream about after becoming involved with teens from different foster care agencies in New York City and listening to their stories.
"I realized that there is a real stigmatism attached to kids who grow up in the foster care system not to mention the hardship, growing pains and frustrations they face as they go after their desires," he said. "Their own stories motivated me to start writing and I soon learned that for those who do succeed that success is in great part due to the support and knowledge they receive from their teachers and counselors."
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One of the play's main characters, Quayshawn, was portrayed by Bronx-born Rodney Mack, 23, who first became interested in the theater after attending an actors' workshop at his middle school when he was 13. He says that what was once a hobby has now become his passion.
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"That first class with Roy Thomas and Martin Henderson was a real turning point in my life," Mack said. "I was new to the stage then and I remember being extremely nervous.
But I learned and I grew and now I have chosen acting as my career. Getting into the mind of my character was a challenge but the more I studied the more I understood the anger and frustration that so many of my fellow young adults feel because of their unstable lives in foster care.
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Each time I perform my goal is to set the standard for the other actors on stage and to be a role model for those who will come after me."
Fisher's Strawberry One-Act Festival, which began as a way for him to identify talented playwrights and give them a chance to develop their works, has grown from a local competition to an international phenomenon - drawing eager playwrights from as far away as Denmark and London.
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This year's winner was Kee Lashon, an African -American man whose play "Heart's Gamble" faced stiff competition. And already Fisher is working on the next Festival which will tentatively take place sometime in August.
"Originally the festival was a competition for New Yorkers but it grew quickly and became great fun for our audiences," he said. "We even became referred to as a theatrical version of "American Idol" because the audience votes on what plays will move on from one round all the way to the finals. And because these are short plays, no more than 30 minutes in length, you can see three shows in any given night."
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The mission of the Riant Theater is to provide a nurturing environment and to develop new plays and outstanding artists. The Strawberry One-Act Festival, first started in 1995, is a perfect way to do just that.
Finally, Fisher is always involved in doing different outreach projects. Last summer the focus was on pioneers in the entertainment industry. This year he presented awards to those in the community whose goal is to help young children and teens reach their full potential - dedicated individuals like ministers, teachers and principals.
This year's Community Leadership Award recipients included: Rev. Ken Bogan, pastor, Greater Restoration Baptist Church (Crown Heights); Bill Briggs, founder and executive director, Youth & Tennis, Inc.; Earlean W. Golson, community public servant; Chrysetta Patterson, chairperson, New York Consortium for Youth Development, Inc; and Max "The Sax" Lucas, musician and humanitarian. |
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