Reginald Edmund

Location.
Chicago, Il by way of Houston, Texas

What motivates you?
So it’s my goal to tell the stories of my community. That’s really the basics of it. Tell the stories that need to be told and stir hearts and minds. My hope is that the stories I tell help ignite people’s souls.

Company name: Resident Playwright of Chicago Dramatists, Artistic Director of New Voices Theatre

What is the biggest reward for doing what you do?

Reginal: When someone approaches me and tells me thank you for telling a story that helped heal some emotional wound that was buried deep inside. That’s the moment that I really feel complete. Is when I know that the play I just spent days, weeks, months, sometimes years on had helped somebody in some way shape or form.

I think too often people jump into this with their eyes clouded by the hunt of financial success. Get your play on broadway, get your play in American Theatre Magazine, or a sweeping cross country national regional blah blah blah world production in some 300 seat mega theatre like the Guthrie, Goodman, the Public, or the Taper. And that’s great to want those things, I’m relatively young to this business and believe me, even I want those things, but I think people have to realize that the greatest reward a writer can get out of this is knowing that at the end of the day that someone saw and heard those words written come to life and that if filled someones soul with light for just a little while in a world that is so dark and cruel to live in currently.

Have you ever put on a production where when its over you felt amazed? Why?

Reginald: I feel that way every time a production ends. For me seeing those words come to life and watching how the audience responds to it is perhaps one of the greatest highs I’ve ever experienced.

What is the tough part of doing what you do?

Reginald: I think the toughest part about this business, is that as a writer its such a lonely path, it doesn’t pay great, and a huge amount of it is all about waiting for something to happen, and it can be frustrating at time.

If you were on stage & was asked to play Shakespeare to Mrs. Obama would you be serious or act like Rupaul acting out Shakespeare & why?

Reginald: I won’t do either, cause I’m difficult like that. I’d write an adaption of a Shakespearean play but have it deal with the black experience.

What would you say to a person wanting to do what you do?

Reginald: I would say that if this is something you truly want to do deep down in your core then go for it. But I would warn that it hard going into the deep into the depth of one soul and writing something meaningful. I would also say that if you want to write then you should remember this one key thing. That every play that you write should be both a love note and a suicide note to the world, like its the last play you’ll ever write.

If you really wanted to convince someone to join your company what would you say to help them decide to come to you?

Reginald: I’d tell them that New Voices Theatre is a company dedicated to giving emerging playwrights of color opportunities to have their plays work-shopped, produced, and developed by any means necessary.

Why do you think its important for the arts to stay relevant for future generations?

Reginald: I just think that people should seriously start looking at art as a way that you can peek into the soul of American life. I think people have forgotten that fact. So often we write the pedestrian play, when there is a bigger world to capture. And audiences have gotten bored with the pedestrian. Time writers start digging deep into the core of humanity again, time for producers to get the balls to produce those plays, and its time for audiences to quit being lazy and applauding the mediocre and start saying give me a little heat to ignite my soul, and maybe those young audiences will start feeling like yeah maybe this theatre thing is relevant to my life after all and it’s not actually just a bunch of high dollar b.s. Too often audiences walk out the doors of theatres and they haven’t felt anything rock their world. Think its time we change that. Writers aren’t writing for change or for revolution in thought anymore, and the ones that are don’t get produced that often or at all.

Do you think the art of acting has been lost to media fame & the craft has been pushed aside for looks instead of talent? Why?

Reginald: Definitely, definitely, definitely!!! I just think that’s America, actually in general and that’s a sad truth. It’s that our values in this country has been thrown the hell off balance, and I’m not certain if that will ever get made right and that’s tragic. Until we collectively say we want to see stories about America from all perspectives then it will never happen, cause in the minds of the people in power within theatre and films, often its not about the art, its not about the soul of the community, all they care about is what’s going to sell tickets, what’s going to aid in the continued success. And placing some plastic celeb or a pretty person will do that. Will sell that ticket in the United States of America. Everywhere else I think they value talent above all else. I don’t know just a thought

Name. Poetri  

Location North Hollywood, CA  

Age Hmmm. Men never tell their age. Or is it women?  Until I figure this out, my age will remain with me. lol  Goals To be used by GOD enough to make HIM  smile.  

Accomplishments Hmmm. Depends on what you  mean. Career accomplishments or Life Accomplish ments? In either case, it is too many too name. God  has been good.  

Projects NEW PROJECT! “Poetri and ’em” coming  out early next year on APTV. Of course, Spoken  Funk. Da’ Poetry Lounge. A few gems that I am not at  liberty to talk about with the company I work with,  Amusement Park Entertainment.  

Inspiration Jesus  

Talents A plethora.  

Poet/Comedian/Actor/MC/Host/all around nice guy.  Favorite authors Myself. Yes, I am bias! Zora Neal  Hurston  

Oddest job Worked in a factory where I had to count  nails.  

Common misconception of you That I am always  happy. I wish I were, but that is the furthest thing from  the truth.  

1. What is Spoken Funk?  

Spoken Funk is a live entertainment show that has  four main acts. Two poets and Two comedians. That is  the easy way to explain it. The hard part is what goes  on between these acts. Brutha Gimel (the DJ) and I  

play games with the audience, music is played, people  get on stage and dance, celebrities come on stage and  play games and/or perform. It really is amazing. God  has touched it so much that it is a different show every  time and nearly impossible to explain.  

2. What do you like about hosting the most? 

I am free. The show is not a show that happens in this  particular way every time. It is a surprise. I am surprised. The audience is taken on a journey and they  never know where they are are gonna end up. We may  cry all night, laugh all night or do all the things in be tween. I am the conductor of that. To take people on a  trip guided by GOD every night is one of the most re warding things I can do.  

3. Many people became familiar to you from your appearance on Def Jam Poetry, how do you feel it has  had a impact overall in your life if any?  

If it weren’t for Def Poetry Jam, I wouldn’t be at the  position I am today. I will still be me, I just would not  have been known enough to fully express me. When I  express me now, people laugh and carry on and know  that I am that crazy dude. But, whenever I am in a  place where no one knows me…it takes much longer  for them to get me. It’s weird. They eventually do, but  by the end of the night, I am exhausted from spending  so much energy and not receiving anything back. I  owe all of that freedom to walk into a joint and be me  to Def Poetry Jam.  

4. If you could create the ultimate show of your career who would be on it and why?  

Dead or Alive? If I could use anyone, my first guest  would be Michael Jackson. I was a huge fan. And now  I am friends with his family and have realized that I  was no where near as much of a fan as some of the  people I have been in contact with through my involvement with his family. They take it to the next  level. But, anyway, he would be my for sure first  guest. Then Denzel. And to end the show. I would bring up the greatest closer of all time. Jesus Christ. 

5. If you had the opportunity to make 3 books mandatory for students to read who and what would they be  and why?  

Come on now. lol. By now, you already know one of  them. The Bible. The second one would be Purpose  Driven Life. (I am about to read it for the third time)  And since I saw it recently and opened my eyes even  more…I think I would say “12 Years a Slave.”  

6. What’s one question you wish people would ask  you?  

Hmm. I can think of a million questions I wish people  would NOT ask me. It is hard to think of one that I  want them to ask me. Hmmm.  

7. Besides Spoken Funk what other projects are you  working on?  

I have many many projects in the running to be the  break out hit that surpasses all of my dreams. lol. I am  the co-founder of Da’ Poetry Lounge. This is a open  mic spoken word venue that has been running for 15  years. We get anywhere from 250-500 people every  Tuesday. It is the largest on going open mic poetry  venue in the nation. Then I have a movie that we are  pitching, a few TV shows and a couple of musical acts  that we are managing. So, it is kinda busy. All bless ings, of course.  

8. Who inspires you?  

Jesus. He inspires me everyday.  

9. What’s something people would be surprised to  know about you?  

I’m fat. I am sure people look at me and see a six-pack  walking hunk of a man. But deep down under all of  this muscle. I am fat. Seriously, people are always sur prised to hear that I am afraid of dogs. I am not sure  why that is so surprising…but apparently it is.  

10. How do you maintain family and poetry when it  

takes you on the road?  I don’t manage it too well. That is why I have cut  down on my time on the road a great deal. I used to be  gone 6 or 7 months out of the year…now with two kids  and a disabled wife…that had to stop.  

11. If you had control of every type of communication  (tv,radio, cell phones etc) for one day what would you  play for the world?  

Hahahahaha. Great question. For a good chunk of the  day, I would play sermons from my favorite pastors.  Then, I would play a few thousand of my poems. And  I would end the night with a marathon of Spoken Funk  shows.  

12. What do you see for your future?  

I see GOD blessing the seeds my wife, my partners  and I have sown. I see him giving me my dreams and  so much more and I turn around and use those blessings to bless others in a way that they never could  imagine.  

If you would like more information or to contact:
Poetri
Co-CEO of Spoken Funk
Senior Writer at Amusement Park Entertainment
Poetri@Amusementparkent.com
http://www.Spokenfunk.com
http://www.AmusementParkent.com

Spoken Funk is every First Sunday of the Month at
the HaHa Cafe Comedy Club in North Hollywood.
Now, that you know that information. I am going
to expect to see you there soon.
-Poetri-