Black Women-Led Improv, Story-sharing, and Laughter
Black Anthology Project
Who We Are
The Black Improv Anthology Project (B.A.P.) was founded by Mary C. Parker, Blue Cavell-Allette, and Tashika Campbell, who connected through their shared experiences of being a Black woman performing Improv in predominately white-led theater spaces. With a combined twenty-one years of performing experience, this multi-faceted group of movement builders has performed in over 500 in-person shows, in 20+ cities, spanning 6 countries, with several independently produced shows with over 50k online streams. Mary, Blue, and Tashika are currently working on the first documentary, which captures the history and contributions of Black artists across the globe.
Meet the B.A.P. Team
-
Tashika Campbell
PRODUCER
Tashika is a veteran Improviser from North Carolina living in Baltimore, Maryland. Her Improv career started at the Baltimore Improv Group in 2017, where she was a member of the conservatory teams. Tashika is a sought-after facilitator, having worked with Bird City Improv, Improv MKE, Queen City Improv, Highwire Improv, and Improv Utopia(East). She has performed in festivals across the north-east region and globally. She currently serves as the festival coordinator of the "From Another Mother Festival" (F.A.M Fest) and is a co-founder of the award-winning troupe, Cake Walk.
-
Blue Cavell-Allette
PRODUCER
Based out of Charm City, Blue Cavell-Allette is a founding member of two critically acclaimed teams Casually Dope and Cakewalk and one of the founders of From Another Mother Festival (F.A.M.) festival, a celebration of black improv. Winner of the 2021 Globehead (Bad Dog Theater, Toronto CA), Blue has been invited to perform all over the world and has taught at many institutions including The Improv College (Montreal), Bird City Improv (Baltimore) and Camp Utopia East. Blue, who has provided corporate training for companies including Youtube and S.C. Johnson is passionate about advocating and adapting teaching techniques to empower people such as herself, who are neurodivergent. Blue is currently a professor of improv at her beloved HBCU Morgan State University and a co-facilitator for the Social Justice Fellowship with Wooly Mammoth Theater and Strathmore out of Washington, D.C.
-
Mary C. Parker
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Mary C. Parker (she/her) is an international performer and has played with Pittsburgh, London, and Portland improv teams. As a published scholar, Mary has been on the Faculty at Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama and Point Park Conservatory of Performing Arts. In 2022, she was awarded a Frank-Ratchye Fund For Art @ the Frontier Grant to document and research the history of Black improv. In 2023, Mary was awarded the Regional Arts and Culture Council Arts3c grant to continue working on capturing Black Improv stories in Portland, OR. She is based in Seattle, WA on the stolen land of the Coast Salish and Duwamish peoples, and teaches with Kickstand Comedy. More at www.marycparker.com.
Bring B.A.P. to Your City!
We want to grow the anthology and partner with local improv theatres to bring the Black Anthology Project to you. We offer a three-prong approach through services of a documented anthology capturing local Black improv voices, master-level courses taught by B.A.P, founders Mary, Blue, and Tashika, and high-energy shows partnering with local Black improv troupes for a night of Black improv comedy.
Let’s connect about how we can partner to uplift Black voices in your city.
