Ina Norris facts for kids
Ina Norris is an American playwright, poet, producer, mentor, and educator. She lives in The Bronx, New York. Her first play, Nobody Loves a Black Little Girl When She Becomes A Woman, explored what it's like to be a Black woman. She uses theater to teach young people about life.
Early Life and Education
Ina Norris grew up in New York City. She went to Hampton University and earned a degree in psychology. Psychology is the study of the mind and how people behave.
Her Career in Theater and Community Work
Ina Norris is a community leader and works in social services. She used to be the Director for the Performing Arts at the Learning Tree Preparatory School in The Bronx. She loves to help young people from the city. She teaches them about theater and helps them create their own plays. She also writes and produces plays herself. Her goal is to use theater to educate young people about important life lessons.
Norris started the NYC Young Producers Project. This project helps young people learn how to produce their own shows. In 1991, she created her own company called In A Woman Productions. She also founded and directed the Kwanzaa Film Festival, which began in 2017.
Plays by Ina Norris
Ina Norris has written many plays. Her play Nobody Loves a Black Little Girl When She Becomes a Woman is about self-love. It encourages people to look at themselves and society through the eyes of a Black woman. Norris said this play is like "a theatrical sermon on loving yourself."
She also produced and wrote A Secret Lies Inside My Sister's Womb. This play first showed at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Her third play was Ain't Yo Mama Crying On The Pancake Box-Car. For this play, she received a special award called the Gregory Millard New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship. It first opened at the Henry Street Settlement Playhouse in New York City.
Norris produced The Turnstyle Warrior. This play was performed at the American Theater for Actors and the Negro Ensemble Company. A famous Broadway producer named Danny Simmons helped host it. The music for this play was made by Dame Grease. Another play she produced was Don't Play That Song for me. This play was produced by Barbara Ann Teer of the National Black Theatre. She also produced Danny's Waltz with Danny Simmons, who is known for Def Poetry Jam.
In 2000, Ina Norris received an important award. It was the New York Foundation for the Arts NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship for Playwriting and Screenwriting. This award recognized her talent in writing plays and scripts.
