Episode 2: Aejay Antonis Marquis

"My weapon against destructive forces is creative forces." –Aejay Antonis Marquis

We talk about preparing to direct as an embodied practice, facilitating ensemble process, the politics of casting local, creating liberatory spaces for Black and queer bodies, Lorraine Hansberry, The Magnolia Ballet, and much more…

@thebodyisthebrain

ABOUT THE ARTIST

AeJay Antonis Marquis (They/Them) is a performance artist, scholar, educator, and activist committed to transforming theatre. A PhD student in Performance Studies at UC Berkeley, their work explores Black and Queer cultural safety, decolonizing theatre, and queer political performance. Formerly the Director of Theatre at Contra Costa School of Performing Arts, AeJay’s Bay Area contributions include directing, choreographing, acting, and dramaturgy. They are directing The Magnolia Ballet at Shotgun Players this summer. AeJay also serves as an Artistic Associate at Marin Shakespeare Company, Artistic Producer at Playwrights Foundation, and Education Program Associate at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. They are also a proud GAAP Fellow.

RESOURCES/REFERENCES

Ticket link to The Magnolia Ballet at Shotgun Players (opens July 2025)

Diana Taylor, The Archive and the Repertoire: Performing Cultural Memory in the Americas, Duke University Press (2003)

Grassroots Artists Advocacy Program (GAAP)

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