The company was created in 2004
by a core group of multi-cultural artists. Living in New York, we
wanted a company that was representative of the faces we pass in daily
life. It seemed that theater companies were segmented by every
race and origin, and we wanted a human
company that is integrated, not segregated. The very nature of
this structure would also provide non-traditional casting opportunites
for the core members.
In addition, artists from other disciplines were invited to participate
in our projects. Musicians, singers, song writers, multi-media
and visual artists all took part in our first project: Sonnets for an Old Century.
We enjoyed a sold-out run of Jose Rivera's 'Sonnets' at the HERE Arts Center in the fall of 2004. Timed with Rivera's NY film premier of Motorcycle Diaries, Jose himself came to visit with the cast to show his support of the company.
After the production, several of the initial eight core members found
success that took them away from New York. As a result of this
good fortune, Velocity took a hyatus from major productions in 2005 and
2006.
With a desire to produce theater and film that fosters control of our
own destiny, Marc Santa Maria, Rainbow Dickerson and Kimberly Bailey
reengergized the Velocity Company in 2006. We are not beholden to the industry, just our artistic evolution.
We have planned a season of exciting new projects for 2007/2008,
including participation in the Midtown International Theater Festival,
a monthly reading series, and an ambitious production of Wild Honey
slated for early 2008.
