Black Girl Joy

by Phanésia Pharel

At the Black Girl Joy Center for Vulnerable Youth in Miami, four girls- Trina, JT, Squeaks and Donna come together to share their story. Black Girl Joy shifts between memory, choreo poems and a juicy plot. It is a ritual play for black girls/women to heal from intimate partner violence, a loss of girlhood, and the death of our friends.

At the Black Girl Joy Center for Vulnerable Youth in Miami, four girls- Trina, JT, Squeaks and Donna come together to share their story. Black Girl Joy shifts between memory, choreo poems and a juicy plot. It is a ritual play for black girls/women to heal from intimate partner violence, a loss of girlhood, and the death of our friends.

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Black Girl Joy

Recommended by

  • Shaun Leisher: Black Girl Joy by Phanésia Pharel
    “

    A play that constantly (and brilliantly) breaks the fourth wall and blends performance styles to tell the stories of these women and their bond together. An homage to the strength of Black women and sisterhood.

    A play that constantly (and brilliantly) breaks the fourth wall and blends performance styles to tell the stories of these women and their bond together. An homage to the strength of Black women and sisterhood.

    ”
TRINA - 17.
Born in New Orleans, If this were a cheer squad...she would be captain. Radically real. Femme.

JT - 16
Full name is Jasmine Torres.
Ride or die! Nobody’s sidekick. If she’s not speaking it’s because she don’t got nothing to say. Period. Femme.

BABYGIRL - 15
Eyes set on the future. Everybody knows she’s going places.
Entrenched in being a girl.

DONNA - 24
Turns heads when she walks into the room. Dreamgirl turned big sister. Nia Long energy.

SQUEAKS - 18.
Makes a lot of noise because they’re scared people will see what's inside...which is lovely by the way. Tomboy aesthetic. They/them pronouns.

WIDE EYES-16
Gentle when he feels safe which is rare. Man of the house. Baby cousin of the streets.

MS.PEG-45
A white woman that has lived many lives!

SOFTFISTS/PAPA- 38
The m in man is for machismo. Alpha of these streets.

MOM/SALAD LADY/MIDDLE CLASS BLACK LADY-35
The middle aged black women we have access to in this world.

Development History

  • Workshop, La Femme Productions, 2022
  • Workshop, Shattered Globe, 2022
  • Workshop, Teatro Chelsea , 2021
  • Workshop, Egg & Spoon Theater Collective , 2021
  • Reading, Echo Theater Company , 2020

Awards

  • Frank Moffett Mosier Fellowship for Works in Heightened
    Finalist
  • Jane Chambers Award
    Finalist
    2021