With support from the California Arts Council, Lower Bottom Playaz will maintain its Oakland venue and produce BAMBDFest 2023, facilitate artistic work by Black women, train community members in stagecraft, employ actors, and continue service to underserved communities. Funding will allow us to team-build and create infrastructure that supports sustainability.
– Mainstage Theatre Season: Two-three full-scale productions each year. The 2025 Season included Government Housing by Ayodele Nzinga, and August Wilson’s Two Trains Running and King Hedley II.
– February Repertory Series: A platform for emerging voices in the Bay Area featuring original works by local writers. This year’s series featured new work including Saltwater Moonshine by Alie Jones and Comb Your Hair or You’ll Look Like a Slave by Leelee Jackson.
– BAMBDFEST: Oakland’s first Black Arts Movement Theater, Film, and Literature Festival, with a special focus on the Monday Night Theater Series, which stages new works by local artists.
– Youth Summer Theater Day Camp: Offering summer enrichment programming to underserved youth ages 5-18, built around an original arts-based literacy curriculum. The camp employs troupe members and community youth as instructors and culminates in a free community performance.
– Open Mic Nights and Literary Events: Hosting regular community gatherings, including open mics and literary showcases.
– Janga’s House: An ongoing program dedicated to advancing female voices in theater by supporting the creation and production of new work by women artists.