The Akan of Ghana refer to a person's life force as her/his Okra, that which connects an individual's past with the present and future.  We cannot take a step forward without owning our past.  It is what ensures socially responsible art.

Last year Penumbra launched OKRA, a rigorous culturally specific program where playwrights can develop their plays in a safe, nurturing environment without restriction or reservation.  The program has three components dedicated to play development - the expansion of early ideas, the exploration of a play script, and a developmental workshop to share the script with an audience.

You are invited to attend the staged readings which culminate the week-long development workshops.  You might also want to check out the play submission process which requires the playwright to speak to his/her place in the continuum of the black experience in America - it is both challenging and thought-provoking.