September/October 2015 issue

Page 1

SEPT/OCT 2015

VISIT BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM

magazine

bronze

Luxury Foundations: Find your right shade Comedienne

Laura Canty-Samuel: bringing laughter to life

Hip Hop Trio The Shop Boyz are back!

Sandra Sprott & Janice Deul "Little Black Book" A celebration of black hair!


Follow Us

Photographer: Amina Touray Photography Models (from left to right): Tyrone Emanuel Smith, Ray Duran, Alex Cottrell, Quintin Mims, and Jason L. Stover


men


EDITOR’S

bronze magazine

note

Publisher and Editor In Chief

Shawn Chavis

Chief Operating Officer

Barry Stuldivant

Issue Design/Layout Shawn Chavis

Writers (this issue)

Deidra Brown Tanya Manning-Yarde, Ph.D Rosalyn Robinson Snigdaa Sethuram

On the Cover:

from left: Janice Deul and Sandra Sprott

Hello Bronze Beauties! I hope everyone had a beautiful summer! We have a fabulous issue in store for you this month featuring our cover stars, Dutch blogger Sandra Sprott, and Dutch lifestyle journalist and activist, Janice Deul, who co-collaborated on the Little Black Hair Book, a celebration of black hair from a European perspective. I think it's awesome that these fabulous ladies are giving us a glimpse of how other black women around the globe celebrate their natural hair. Other great features inside this issue include Domonique Green, a young lady who already at 15-years old, has a successful urban novelty boutique and magazine geared towards teens. Then there's Comedienne Laura Canty-Samuel, who balances family life with a succesful career of filling her audiences with laughter. And who can forget the feel good party hit "Party Like a Rock Star" by The Shop Boyz? Well, they are back with new music for their fans. I hope you are inspired by this issue. Until next time!

Shawn Shawn Chavis Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Search for Bronze Magazine or Bronze Mag Apps.


SEP/OCT 2015 CONTENTS FEATURES

6 Domonique Green

Sandra Sprott & Janice Deul

Co-collaborators on Little Black Hair Book, a lifestyle book on black hair, written from a European perspective.

This young 15-year old entrepreneur is a jack of all trades.

12 The Shop Boyz

The dynamic trio- “Meany”, “Fat”, and “Sheed” are back and better than ever!

18 Laura Canty-Samuel

Find out how the comedienne is bringing laughter to life.

BEAUTY

9 Luxury Foundations Find your perfect match!

FASHION EDITORIAL

13 NYFW is Here!

Urbanchic’s visionary designer/stylist Ayo Shittu celebrates the spirit of NYFW in this stylish photo shoot.

10


Entrepreneur Domonique Green’s Trippy Story by Snigdaa Sethuram

A

15-year old jack of all trades, Domonique Loryne Green, is currently a junior in a high school in Houston, Texas. The youngest of three children, she still strived to shine in her own way by furthering upon her many talents; she is a soccer player, basketball player, singer, has her own fashion line, and has created a start-up magazine. She has even received the Wunderlich Oscar for her PSA of the book, “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.” Her fashion line, Trippy Matrimony, was launched in the summer of 2014 and now has a successful website to showcase her creations. The business was inspired by the young woman’s goals of addressing positive self-esteem and confidence to stand out and be different. The urban boutique includes custom pillowcases, jewelry, coin purses, bucket hats, socks, phone cases, sweatshirts, and T-shirts. She has customers in several countries, and her success has inspired her to create a workshop called the Trippy Experience, a peer-to-peer experience to help teens uncover their own hidden talents as she has. 6  |  BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015


Green was also recognized as Houston’s Top 100 Young Professionals of 2015, which inspired her to begin her second company, called “The Young 22 Magazine.” As she discusses in this interview, the magazine was designed to showcase the talents of an age group that is often overlooked in most social media and news stories. The magazine shines a spotlight on talented individuals across the board—singers, dancers, rappers, models, entrepreneurs, advocates, actors, and more—as the magazine itself states on its website. All advertising and marketing venues for Green have been through social media—Facebook and Instagram, as well as through connections to universities across the country. Green utilized the free market that each of these social media provided in order to gain attention however she would like, without relying on ad agencies or investors. The motto that keeps her going? Listen. Green’s grandmother once said, “Everyone you will ever meet in your life will know at least one thing that you don’t know,” and Green always reminds herself to be open to constructive advice—and it’s worked out for her so far! Q: What, or who has been your inspiration to work so hard? Why? A: My parents (Craig Green & Danielle Hairston-Green) have always been a huge inspiration to me because they both have their own sense of creativity when it comes to entrepreneurship. Also, artists like Kanye West, Jay-Z, Erykah Badu & Solange Knowles are some inspirations of mine because they always send across a “be your own boss” message. Q: Being the youngest of three children, did you find it hard to be heard and inspire others, or did you experience a much more open environment? A: I definitely experienced a more open environment. My brothers have always encouraged me to follow my dreams and do what I feel is right. It’s funny because when I first wanted to start Trippy Matrimony I posted it on instagram what I wanted to do and I thought that people were just saying that they were inspired by me just because they knew who I was but over the past few months I started realizing that I actually inspire people not only in the youth but adults too. Almost everyday I get a long message on Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook or twitter saying how I’ve encouraged them to do what they’ve been dreaming to do. Q: You're successful in many different industries--sports, fashion, business ownership, writing, music--do you ever feel like you take on too much? Or are you always 100% confident in what you do? A: There’s always a time when I feel like I’ve taken on too much. Everyday I have a new idea whether its starting a new business, taking on a new hobby or an idea to improve one of my businesses. Most of the time I feel like I’ve taken on too much when something goes wrong, but when things clear up I go back to being 100% confident. Q: How long have you been singing? Playing soccer and basketball? Been into fashion? A: I’ve been singing since I was about 10 years old but I started using it around when I turned 12. I played soccer since I was 6 years old for CASA (Capital Area Soccer Association) and basketball since I was 8 at my after school program in Pennsylvania at the Salvation Army. I started getting into fashion when I was 14. I used polyvore a lot and putting together concert, date night, and party outfits then posting them on instagram. Q: In your school, are you ever considered the odd one out? If so, how do you deal with that? A: Definitely. I’ve always been looked at as a leader at school, whether it’s being the leader in a group project or the leader of the classroom. I don’t get bullied for it though; nobody teases me for doing what I do. Sometimes people turn against me because my teachers tend to favor me over others not only because of what I do but because I keep my academics up. Most of the time I just brush it off, no big deal. Q: For your magazine, why did you choose people that are under the age of 22? Why not 25, or 20, or 18? A: Whenever I heard of somebody being successful they were either incredibly young or 24-25 years old. I never heard big stories about people around the ages of 14-22 that were successful entrepreneurs, activists, dancers etc. yet I knew that I could think of a few people who’d fit that description. So I picked the age number 22 because it’s rare that you hear stories about talented people under that age since nobody really recognizes them like I do. Q: Since you are technically a minor, who is the one “running” the legal and technical aspects of your company? A: My parents. My Dad helps me out with my clothing line and my mom helps me out on my magazine. Q: Being so young, was it hard to garner professional interest across the nation regarding your fashion line and the magazine? A: It’s not as hard as I thought it would be. I think the most difficult thing for me was putting my bio together so that people knew everything that I did. Once I finished my bio (that my mom helped me on) and sent it out to people in the professional field they were more interested in what I had to offer because I had a more professional approach. Q: What are your aspirations beyond high school? Do you plan on going to college, and if so, which colleges are you currently interested in? continued on next page >> BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015

|

7


A: I definitely want to go to Penn State University they are the top school in forensics and that’s what I want to do (DNA Analysis, Fingerprint analysis & handwriting analysis). I’m also interested in Pitt University, Maryland University, Chicago State University, Harvard University & ALL HBCU’S. Q: Are people always giving you advice and trying to influence your decisions? If so, how do you deal with it? A: I do get a lot of advice. Most of the time I use their advice on a daily basis and sometimes I don’t just because it may not be helpful. Q: Are you currently focused more academically or toward this entrepreneurship? A: There has been times were I’ve been focused more on my entrepreneurship than my academics, but I’ve learned that academics always comes first and my entrepreneurship should only be focused on if I have my grades tight. So at this point I’m all for academics. Q: What was your inspiration to start a magazine in addition to everything you already do? A: I was featured in The Young Houston Magazine as one of Houston’s Top 100 Young Professionals and they had a whole red carpet event for the release of the issue. I invited everybody- my mom, dad, friends etc. We stood in that venue (because it was at the Mercedes Benz north Houston) for a good 3 hours before they said anything about the Young Professionals and the only thing they said was “If you’re one of the top 100 raise your hand. Everybody gave a round of applause and that was the only recognition we got. The rest of the event was a fashion show with different local brands with models walking down the runway for hours and then at the end they gave out the magazine. I was kind of hurt at the end because all the young professionals invited their family to this event and they had to pay to get in. I think it was around $18.00 and we didn’t get any recognition. There wasn’t even something that we had on our clothes that would let people know that we were a part of the top 100. It was especially difficult for me because I was the youngest young professional there, so nobody expected me to be a part of the 100 so it was hard to communicate with others. That’s when I felt the need to make my own magazine where we actually highlight talent of our youth. The Young Houston magazine’s mission is to “highlight the youth” but they never did. Only in that one issue that I was in. The rest of their issues were strictly fashion. Q: How did you come up with the name Trippy Matrimony? A: I had seen a lot of my peers at school starting to become too serious about fashion. They would try so hard to be like other fashion icons (like Kanye West) but they really didn’t know about fashion, only what they seen celebrities wearing. At one point they got so serious where if they had one wrinkle in their shirt or pants they would change their entire outfit because they always bring a backup outfit in their book bag. Being young is about having fun and experiencing life, so I wanted to bring humor to clothing. So Trippy means “crazy” and matrimony is “bringing two things together” so it’s a crazy “marriage” between humor and clothing. Q: Do you plan on furthering both the fashion line as well as the magazine? Or do you plan to focus on one over the other? If so, which one and why? A: I definitely want to push both of my companies as far as I can. Eventually having my own office building for both companies with staff. I also would like (in the future) for my office building to have a home environment. Nobody would have to wear suits ties and dresses, we would have people in their sweatpants and pajamas, that way whoever walks into our building won't feel like they have to act or be a certain way.

The Young 22 Magazine http://theyoung22magazine.com/ Trippy Matrimony http://trippymatrimony.com/

8  |  BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015


Luxury Foundations with Range

by Rosalyn Robinson

We all seek to find that one foundation that we can go to no matter what the circumstances or conditions are. Trying to find the perfect shade can be challenging for many. We are often willing to splurge on one good foundation. Many times that means going beyond the drugstore to do so. Lately, many brands have been paying attention to critics for not having enough shades to suit all women especially as the skin tone deepens. Here’s a list of foundations with a great range of shades.

#BronzeBeauty

Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Face

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

Cover/FX Natural Finish

Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super-charged Foundation

Dermablend Professional Cover Cream

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24HR

BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015

|

9


Little Black Hair Book written by Deidra Brown

When we last spoke to Dutch natural hair blogger Sandra Sprott (pictured on right) a few years ago, she gave us an outlook on how she began her journey towards diving in to the complexity of natural hair. For Sandra, finding products and learning how to understand her curly hair was not an easy task, growing up in Europe. As a result, she began searching for answers and took it upon herself to create a blog for other girls and women who were once in her place. Her blog focuses on her interest in black hair care, trends, and products, which she began in July 2011. Today, Sandra has gone from natural hair blogger to natural hair writer with her lifestyle book on black hair written from a European perspective. Sandra recently collaborated with fellow Dutch lifestyle journalist and fashion activist, Janice Deul, to create a book titled the Little Black Hair Book (launched Sept. 14th) which celebrates black hair, its development and maintenance, and includes stories from over 35 Dutch men and women of all ages on their personal experiences with their own natural hair. The book sheds light on many unanswered questions including: Are there social consequences for choosing a natural hairstyle? Is wearing an afro an automatic sign of black consciousness? and Why is natural black hair often more than just hair? The Little Black Hair Book is beautifully designed by Skybox.org, and is introduced by Harriet Calo, popularly known as the ‘Dutch Anna Wintour.’ Calo is a highly respected magazine maker, fashionista, and the proud redheaded owner of an almost afro. Little Black Hair Book is available at www.deboekfabriek.nl

10  |  BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015


BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015

|

11


Little Black Hair Book

Click here backstage of t makin "Little Black


to watch a e glimpse the ng-of k Hair Book"


The Shop Boyz are Back !

by Deidra Brown Hip-Hop group, The Shop Boyz are back and better than ever! After taking a brief break, the Atlanta based trio is ready to get back into action with new music for their fans. The group, whose music ranges across Hip Hop, Rock, Country, EDM, and R&B, took a short hiatus from the limelight and now have new songs encompassing their unique style of music that focuses on various issues. The Shop Boyz currently have a song out titled “On & On” that focuses on the problem of being black in America. “This song is real and many black men can identify with the message because black men constantly experience the harassment from police, unfair treatment, and discrimination,” says group members Meany, Fat, and Sheed. They are also showing their versatility with a pop song they have released titled “Party All Night,” and a country song called “Country Girl. In addition, the group has a mixtape out titled “Gift and a Curse,” and an EP titled “Shop Boyz Reloaded,” where fans can enjoy the different things that they’ve been working on. The Shop Boyz were previously signed with Universal Republic Records but are now doing things the independent route. Though it provides less of a budget to invest in music related expenses, being independent artists has given them a little more creative freedom. However, being in a group and working independently can also be difficult at times when there are so many different ideas, but only one can be chosen at a time. Nonetheless, their main focus as a group is for the world to know and feel the beauty of the music that they produce. With the versatility of their music, The Shop Boyz are inspired by a number of artists. Fat says, “Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and a variety of other music inspires me.” Collaboratively, they would like to work with anybody who is willing to understand their message, take their craft as it is, and aim to make beautiful music. The trio is also inspired by each other, their kids, their families, their surroundings, and their fans. Being involved in the music industry, The Shop Boyz have learned to always be ready for whatever comes their way. “We have learned that you have to be up on your game at all times, stay educated on the industry, the changes, etc., and be prepared for opportunities.” Although the group does not put any pressure on themselves to reach the level of commercial success “Party Like a Rockstar” had back in 2007, they spent the last few years polishing their craft to top their Grammy nominated hit. As for the future, The Shop Boyz are currently planning a tour and are continuing to work on music, but they say, “Expect the unexpected.”

The

14  |  BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015


NYFW is HEre! September 10 - 17, 2015

Designer/stylist: Ayo Shittu Photographer: Falcone Reale Models: Jackie and Kaela of Couture Modeling Agency (Hudson Valley)

BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015

|

15


Designer/stylist: Ayo Shittu Photographer: Falcone Reale Models: Jackie and Kaela of Couture Modeling Agency (Hudson Valley)

Designer/stylist: Ayo Shittu Photographer: Falcone Reale Models: Jackie and Kaela of Couture Modeling Agency (Hudson Valley)

16  |  BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015


Designer/stylist: Ayo Shittu Photographer: Falcone Reale Models: Jackie and Kaela of Couture Modeling Agency (Hudson Valley)

BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015

|

17


Designer/stylist: Ayo Shittu Photographer: Falcone Reale Models: Jackie and Kaela of Couture Modeling Agency (Hudson Valley)

Designer/stylist: Ayo Shittu Photographer: Falcone Reale Models: Jackie and Kaela of Couture Modeling Agency (Hudson Valley)

18  |  BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015


BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM AUGUST 2015

|

19


The Story Behind the Stories of Laura Canty-Samuel

by Tanya Manning-Yarde, PhD

20  |  BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015


The

year 2015 has been very busy for Laura Canty-Samuel. Touring the comic circuit, she’s been making people laugh from Boston to New York. From featured shows to showcases, from stand up to children’s theatre, Laura is bringing laughter to life. Her brand of comedy is a combination of truth-telling, people observing, and personal introspection. As comedienne, dramatist, director and writer, this Philadelphia-born, Brooklyn-living dynamo takes on her rise in the comedy scene with humility. A strong grandmother, tough times, and life as a mother and wife converge and co-inform the rising comic who goes by the stage name L. Michelle. Laura’s way of telling stories has gotten her much acclaim. She was the winner of the 2012 Catch a Rising Star Stand-up Comedy Competition, and a finalist in the 2012 Ladies of Laughter Comedy Competition. In 2014 she performed at the Boston Women in Comedy Festival and Greenwich Village Comedy Club, as well as wrote and performed in an original sketch comedy (Black People Meet) at Urban Citizens Brigade. This year she is a finalist in the 2015 Devil Cup Comedy Competition. Laura also performs comedy for community initiatives. In June she performed as part of a Father’s Day Comedy show for families, as well as April to support the Boys’ Club of New York. Currently she is touring the comedy circle in venues throughout NYC, including Broadway Comedy, Comic Strip Live and The Creek and the Cave. Going to an L. Michelle show feels like sitting in your own living room. Not hostile, where to the chagrin of the audience the comic wouldn’t be embarrassed making fun of them. Instead, Laura has a knack for making an audience of perfect strangers feel welcomed, at home with her and one another. A skillful storyteller, she takes you on parade through different people, familial relationships and dynamics that feel all too familiar: shopping with teenage daughters, living with your mother-in-law, growing older with her husband, enjoying comfortable underwear. Yet while her stories can be humorously self-effacing, she exercises jocular agility and narrative dexterity. Her stories can run the gamut. Being stopped in a London airport for carrying knives (chef knives, that is, as Laura’s husband is a chef and restaurateur), the irony underlying the practice of “stop and frisk,” an awkward conversation she had with a homeless man about why she needs to carry money at all times, are some of the slices of life she explores together with her audience. “I have a mind that sees humor in things people may not normally see humor in. I can’t say [directly] everything I think, but comedy allows me to do that.” Laura is inspired by the sensory, familial and historical nuances of day to day living; whether witnessing attendees at a funeral outcry one another at a funeral, or happenstance events while commuting on the train, just about anything can become comedic fodder. “Learning to look at things and learning to look at people, my inspiration can come from anything and anywhere.” At her husband’s recommendation, Laura wrote and starred in a highly acclaimed one-woman show, Sunday Best, a play about the African-American tradition of wearing hats to church, which she performed for the first time shortly after 9/11. The characters were based on “people I have come across while on my Christian walk.” Not simply left to talking about head adornment, Laura explores the tradition of African American women wearing hats to church metaphorically. The play “grew into talking about various issues, and a lot of it had to do with how we adorn ourselves…not just outward adornment but our spiritual adornment. What is it that we carry within us that we try to show, and what we kind of hide, and see in others.” Since then, performances of the play include the renowned New York International Fringe Festival. During childhood is when Laura’s comic roots began to sprout and take hold while living in Southwest Philadelphia with her mother and grandmother. “My earliest inspiration, in regards to loving comedy, comic language [and] comic stories came from my grandmother. Because she was a great storyteller.” She was “quick-witted” and “could always find the funny in people and situations.” Whether telling about growing up in the south, her siblings, or the severely off-key choir that practiced weekly next door, Laura “look[ed] forward to going to bed so I could hear her wonderful stories. That stuck with me.” For Laura, “It was like I was learning at the feet of a master.” She “was no great scholar in terms of books and Shakespeare and those things, but she just had an innate genius when it came to humor.” Growing up in Philadelphia, Laura credits several people with influencing her decision to pursue a career in the arts. “I was lucky enough to have so many people that wanted to see me share the gifts that I had.” Her choir director from her elementary school years instilled within her that she could harmonize her creativity and expressiveness on stage and in life. Laura gained an audition for a group called Encore Productions, a touring children’s performance group, through a music teacher who formerly worked with Duke Ellington. People “identified something and were willing, and were excited, to work with me.” But while experiencing so much inspiration and investment, challenges would inform Laura’s creative evolution. At times Laura would miss drama and movement classes at New Freedom Theatre, unable to afford the weekly cost. “There were many weeks that I did not have the seven dollars. There were days that I would just stand [looking] in the window, and I know they didn’t want to tell me but would say, ‘you have to tell your mother that she’s gonna have to send a payment.’ It was tough.” Yet Laura holds NFT fondly in her heart because despite the economic hardship, they continued to be supportive of her. “It was a wonderful place to learn my craft.” continued on next page >> BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015

|

21


22  |  BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015


Laura’s performances in high school and college also furthered the development of her craft. She credits the experiences of a fellow actress intentionally slapping her harder than necessary during a performance (and slapping her back), being brought to tears by a drama teacher, and performing in a role especially written for her in a play set in Nazi Germany as helping her reach the next level in her artistic development. Such experiences “opened me up to being where I needed to be in order to be a real actress.” She became “more willing to be open,” to be both authentic and in the moment all while onstage. Such experiences she likens to “peeling the layers of an onion” where she began to see what she is made of. When she became a mother, Laura decided to get involved in the Children’s Theatre Company, as part of the Philadelphia Theatre Caravan. She says, “I want her [Laura’s daughter] to have a mom who she could look up and say, ‘My mother followed her dreams. My mother found a way to do what she loves.’ And I wanted her to follow her dreams.” After moving to NYC with her husband and young child, Laura became active in theater throughout the metro area. She performed multiple characters in the Off-Broadway gospel musical Sweet Daddy and Amazing Grace. Her next performance was in New Jersey touring production of How I Made it Through High School. “It was a very rewarding experience going to various audiences” throughout different high schools. In one school Laura recounts how the audience became noticeably upset during one of the vignettes where she, the only cast member of color, was playing the girlfriend of a white teenage guy. “So much so that they were calling things out, and even threw batteries at us on the stage.” Reflecting on that moment, “It was eye opening to me as a performer.” Her next performance was in Slave’s Freedom Train based upon the Civil Rights Movement. As performer and now mother of two, Laura became intentional in decisions about the type of work she was going to do. “I made a decision that I primarily wanted to do work that I would feel comfortable with my family, primarily my oldest daughter Tiara, that I wouldn’t feel bad bringing my daughter to see. Or come to rehearsals with me.” She joined The Paperbag Players, an-NYC based children’s performance group, becoming both performer and writer. As fodder for content and performance, Laura returned to her experiences of rearing her girls when young, going “back to all of those moments and plug[ging] into that,” remembering and excavating what was it that made them laugh. “What were all the things I used to do for great fun when I was entertaining them? How can I bring that energy and those characters to the stage to share with other children?” Balancing career aspirations and family became a constant negotiation, yet it was a conversation with a fellow actress about her own regrets as a mother that compelled Laura to make careful decisions about remaining a performer while being a parent. “For me, though I wanted to pursue my art, I never wanted to feel that I was not the parent that I should have been to my kids.There has to be a way for me to balance both.” So Laura made a lot of career sacrifices. “I didn’t make a lot of sacrifices in terms of giving my family the short end of the stick. I always gave them the longer end.” Consequently, there were several roles and long-term touring opportunities she did not pursue in the name of the familial greater good. “Even if this is a make or break opportunity for my career, oh well, that’s unfortunate if my whole life hinges on this one thing.” for Laura, “It was important for me to maintain some sense of normalcy in my family. Sometimes you give and you take.” But it would be the chance experience of coming across a Groupon that would change Laura’s life and return her to the stage. “I had been wanting to do comedy for a long time, but I just didn’t know how to get in, where you start…I got a Groupon for a comedy class [in stand up]…I was horrible for the first half, feeling like ‘Oh my God, I will never do this.’ Second half of class, I rallied, and I was AMAZING! I said to myself ‘I can do this!’” Nowadays Laura also makes time for talking about dramatic and comedic writing with others. Now “I am just happy that I am in a place where I can marry the two.” As part of 2015 Street Smart Guide’s celebration of Women’s History Month (an organization that spotlights urban artists), Laura divulged her process in developing material. “I come from this place of writing. And with writing these characters, it’s much different than stand up, it’s not the same rate of laughter you’re expecting, however, I try to punctuate many things within each monologue with humor and laughter.” Her approach to comedy is one that is character driven, illuminating on a character’s experiences and using the stage as a place of examination and excavation. “I pare it down to what the essence was of these people, to get at the crux of what makes them funny.” As to performance, she admonished the importance of creating an impactful first impression. “You’re creating a picture, you’re painting a picture on stage…so you need to paint with large paintbrushes,” meaning to take into account the different experiences the audience may have both in life and with comedy. A caveat she intimated was being mindful of resonance, of maintaining an effective stage presence, taking into consideration “how we are being perceived and what we want the audience to walk away with.” And with Laura, they always walk away laughing. For more information about her upcoming shows and projects, follow Laura on Twitter at @LMichelleComedy, also her Youtube channel L Michelle (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRCf4GbZUY1ks3HuckZcOcQ).

BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM SEPT/OCT 2015

|

23


“Celebrate and embrace th

Photographer: Amina Touray Photography Makeup Artist: Crystal Watana Models (from left to right): Krystal Willis, Alicia Erby, Linda Walton, Angela Meryl, and Chelsy Gantt


he beauty of women of color�

Follow Us


Stay Inspired! Visit our website

www.bronzemagonline.com

Like us on facebook

https://facebook.com/bronzemag

Follow us on twitter @bronzemagazine

Follow us on Pinterest

http://pinterest.com/bronzemagazine

Follow us on Instagram

http://instagram.com/bronzemagazine

Search our job board

http://jobs.bronzemagonline.com

To advertise or for questions/comments info@bronzemagonline.com


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.