Finch Files: JOSEPHINE'S FEAST

From start to finish, Josephine’s Feast at the Magic Theatre was a dream! Every single person who contributed to this vision holds a place in my heart—with the final piece being the audience(s) who showed up and showed out.

[images by Jay Yamada]

[images by: Allie Boland]

Director extraordinaire, Ellen Sebastian Chang, guided us out into the depths from Day 1. Everyone trusted her vision because she created a room in which we felt safe enough to place our private pain and fears in the center of the table. The payoff came in the many instances of Spirit making its presence felt in undeniable ways.

graphic design by Osige Creative

Josephine’s Feast By Star Finch Director: Ellen Sebastian Chang Scenic Design: Tanya Orellana Lighting Design: Russell Champa Video Design: Joan Osato Sound Design: Lana Palmer Props Design: Brittany White Costume Design: Kyo Yohena Stage Manager: Christina Hogan Cultural Consultant: AeJay Marquis Mitchell

Cast: Tierra Allen, Tre’Vonne Bell, Britney Frazier, Margo Hall, Donald E. Lacy, Jasmine Milan Williams.


Finch Files: Playwrights Foundation's Launch Award 2023

I was overjoyed to attend Playwrights Foundation’s 45th Birthday Benefit—what a deep history here in the Bay Area! In addition to being a Birthday party/fundraiser, playwrights were also honored with inaugural awards.

Lauren Gunderson received the Impact Award to recognize her deep contribution to the field, the Bay Area, and uplifting the next generation; Elana Dykewomon's creative life and legacy were honored posthumously; and I received the Launch Award to recognize my career’s liftoff here in San Francisco. The evening pulsated with the fierce embrace of community support.

Both Jessica Bird Beza and Sean San Jose presented my award through personal stories woven with love and humor. Plus seeing the faces of friends I didn’t know were coming was the cherry on top! It was an experience I’ll never forget.

Finch Files: Feast of Resilience (2021)

I was blessed to co-host a Feast of Resilience in June with Crowded Fire Theater and Campo Santo. The day was a beautiful celebration of Black artists in the Bay Area in the spirit of tenderness after over a year of isolation. We gathered on a rooftop in Oakland to harness our collective Light as a creative portal into a future we already carry on our tongues and in our hearts.

(photo: Adam Tolbert)

(photo: Adam Tolbert)

The afternoon was hosted by the radiant Ryan Nicole, and featured dazzling shares from: Tongo Eisen-Martin, OYSTERKNIFE (Chibueze Crouch & Gabriel Christian), Troy Rockett, RashadxSoulNubian, and Brittani Sensabaugh; with a testimonial blessing from Ellen Sebastian Chang.

(photos: Adam Tolbert)

Our gathering was small in number due to Covid restrictions, thus it goes without saying that the genius of Black creatives/theater folks in the Bay Area far exceeds the number of people we could invite.

I am deeply grateful to Mina Morita (Crowded Fire), Sean San Jose & Joan Osato (Campo Santo) for listening to my vision around having a Black Feast and then putting all of their energy towards making it happen. The day was literally a dream come true.

(photo: Joan Osato)

(photo: Joan Osato)

Campo Santo and Crowded Fire discussed and shared Star Finch's first curated event as part of the National Playwright Residency Program from the Andrew Mellon Foundation.

Finch Files: Bondage (2017/2018)

Bondage Directed by Elizabeth Carter

A.C.T. Costume Shop Theater San Francisco January 11th- 20th, 2018

Old photo used as inspiration for body language between the characters, Zuri and Emily..

Old photo used as inspiration for body language between the characters, Zuri and Emily..

Emily Serdahl (Emily) and Dezi Solèy (Zuri) in rehearsals.

Emily Serdahl (Emily) and Dezi Solèy (Zuri) in rehearsal.

“Finch’s dialogue is potent, beautifully expressed and mysterious, especially in its dreamlike mystical moments.” —Marin Independent Journal

Photo: David Allen

Photo: David Allen

“Finch does more than put lyrical words in the mouths of her richly rendered characters; she uses that language to create an atmosphere of off-kilter dreaminess…”—North Bay Stage and Screen

Photo: David Allen

Photo: David Allen

Closing night in San Francisco 2018 (L-R: Jen Brault, Shane Fahy, Star Finch, Frank Cardinale, Dezi Solèy, Emily Serdahl, Cathleen Riddley, Emilie Talbot, Margaret Belton, Jeanette Harrison.)

Closing night in San Francisco 2018 (L-R: Jen Brault, Shane Fahy, Star Finch, Frank Cardinale, Dezi Solèy, Emily Serdahl, Cathleen Riddley, Emilie Talbot, Margaret Belton, Jeanette Harrison.)

“…poetic, sly and courageous playwriting.” —San Francisco Chronicle

(L-R: Star Finch, Dezi Solèy, Emily Serdahl, Cathleen Riddley || San Francisco 2018)

(L-R: Star Finch, Dezi Solèy, Emily Serdahl, Cathleen Riddley || San Francisco 2018)

(Star Finch and Elizabeth Carter || Opening night in Marin 2017.)

(Star Finch and Elizabeth Carter || Opening night in Marin 2017.)

The altar our cast created for Bondage, led by Dezi Solèy and Elizabeth Carter. (2017)

The altar our cast created for Bondage, led by Dezi Solèy and Elizabeth Carter. (2017)