The Jasper Project has announced Chad Henderson as the winner of the 2024 Play Right Series for his play, “Let It Grow”.
Bakari was honored to be a judge for the 2024 Play Right Series held by The Jasper Project, alongside other esteemed theatre artists, Dewey Scott-Wiley, Libby Campbell, and Jon Tuttle.
Henderson’s winning work will be workshopped during the summer culminating in a staged reading!
More information can be found here at The Jasper Project’s website.
Kari is honored to have been asked to serve as the Master of Ceremonies at the Jasper Project's "Infamous Lovers" Valentine's Day event.
Tickets are still available through The Jasper Project.
The Jasper Project is excited to announce the second part of our Valentine’s Day series. Come to INFAMOUS LOVERS - a fantastic evening with entertainment, delicious food, live music, and a fun costume contest. Get ready to celebrate love and creativity at the best place in Columbia this Valentine’s Night!
The event will take place on Wednesday February 14th from 7 – 10 at the 701 Whaley Market Space.
Headlining the evening is BIG LOVE, a Fleetwood Mac cover band comprised of Columbia locals, Bekah Rice, Adam Corbett, Marshall Brown, Shane Sanders, and Sharon Gnanashekar.
More information is available at The Jasper Project’s website!
Last year, Bakari wrote and directed a music video for their recurring collaborator and nationally touring songwriter and musician, Mel Washington, to accompany the single, “Mad Love” from his then forthcoming full length album, “Feast or Famine”.
The highly anticipated album, “Feast or Famine” released on November 3, 2023, with the single, “Mad Love” releasing a few weeks earlier, on October 27.
Upon first seeing the final cut of the “Mad Love” video earlier this summer, Mel felt the need to give the video a bit of a separate release from the single, giving it a tad of space as its own work, while still fitting as a compliment to the single and album at whole.
(c) Dynes Media 2023
The video releases today on Mel’s VEVO page at 12:00 pm EST.
(c) Dynes Media 2023
I would love to hear your thoughts and would appreciate any and all sharing of the video. The entire creative crew put a ton of heart, time, and talent into this project. I am so thoroughly impressed with what we were able to achieve with the budget, time, and scope at hand! Thank you again to Mel, Bobby with Dynes Media, and my ride-or-die collaborator, Mandy Applegate, as well as the entire crew, and of course our EP, Bobby Schooler.
xo
— Kari, 12.22.2023
Tickets for “The Glass Menagerie” at Workshop Theatre are now available for sale online, in person, and via telephone: More information here.
Photography by Deon Turner | Design & Layout by Bakari Lebby
August Krickel wrote a preview interviewing members of the cast and creative team in preparation for opening night, September 14.
“The Glass Menagerie” is directed by Bakari Lebby and runs September 14 - 25 at Workshop Theatre of South Carolina.
Bakari has been hired to direct “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams as the season opener for Workshop Theatre this fall.
More information can be found at Workshop Theatre’s website.
Bakari will be performing and producing this event with Fork and Spoon Records in memory of co-founder and South Carolina musician and artist, Aaron Graves.
The event will take place at New Brookland Tavern, 122 State Street, West Columbia on June 2, 2023.
At 6:00 pm a potluck will precede the music portion of the event at 8:00 pm, featuring the members of Those Lavender Whales and many special guests from various Columbia bands, including Bakari.
Kari was interviewed recently in promotional material for “Hundred Days” by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher at Workshop Theatre of South Carolina.
“Hundred Days” runs from May 12-27 of 2023 at Workshop Theatre of South Carolina.
Tickets are available now at workshoptheatreofsc.com
Kari and part of the cast of “Hundred Days” performed “I Will Wait for You” live on April 16 as a preview of the upcoming production.
Video can be found below!
“Hundred Days” runs from May 12 - 27.
Tickets are available at workshoptheatreofsc.com
Bakari will be seen next on stage in Workshop Theatre’s production of “Hundred Days” in Columbia, South Carolina in its South Carolina premiere.
“Hundred Days”, an American musical with music and lyrics by Abigail Nessen-Bengson and Shaun Bengson, and book by Sarah Gancher, is an uncensored, exhilarating and heartrending true story about embracing uncertainty, taking a leap, and loving as if you only had 100 days to live. With magnetic chemistry and anthemic folk-punk music, creators and stars Abigail and Shaun Bengson explore a fundamental question: how do we make the most of the time that we have?
2018 Lucille Lortel & Drama League Nominee for Outstanding Musical
Under the Direction of Chad Henderson (2018 SC Theatre Association Founders Award Winner) and Music Director Tom Beard (Too Many Credits to List), the Workshop production of this multimedia musical features an amazing cast of Columbia musicians: Katie Leitner (Guitar/Synth/Vox) from local band Say Femme, Catherine Hunsinger (Cello/Vox) from local band Rex Darling, Taylor Diveley (Guitar/Vox) from recent productions Kinky Boots/ A Chorus Line, Kari Lebby (Bass/Vox) from local band sandcastles. and Columbia percussionist Seth Brock. If you're craving a truly exhilarating theatre event this season in Columbia, you don't want to miss HUNDRED DAYS.
Ticketing and More information available at workshoptheatreofsc.com
IS GOD IS directed by Bakari Lebby
Part of New Visions Directors Festival
RSVP here for in-person performances
RSVP here for on-demand performances
In this new epic, Anaia and Racine, are black twin sisters sent on a revenge mission from God. The task: to deliver justice to the Man who tried to kill them all eighteen years ago. Join Anaia and Racine on their journey across America to meet their father.
MFA CoLab New Play Festival
Friday, December 3– Saturday, December 4
On-demand: RSVP
School of Drama is proud to present a special opportunity to stream the MFA CoLab New Play Festival.
ISABEL
written by alum Ruth Tang (MFA '20)
directed by I-Chen Wang
BLOOD ON THESE HANDS
written by Luis Herrera
directed by Colin Wilson
THE LAST AISLE
written by Rebecca Ford
directed by Jane Skapek
WORLDS MELT
written by Preston Crowder
directed by Kari Lebby
Bakari is working as Assistant Director on “spell #7 : geechee jibara quik magic trance manual for technologically stressed third world people” by Ntozake Shange, directed and choreographed by Nigel Semaj. The production features dramaturgy by Calley Anderson and choreography by assistant choreographers Rebecca Ford and Sabira Jade.
Presented by The New School College of Performing Arts, “spell #7” will run from March 11-14 at 151 Bank Street in Manhattan. Ticket reservations and more information are available here at the official website for The New School.
Bakari is assistant directing “Young Gods” written and directed by Diane Machin.
The play is a part of the MFA New Visions Festival presented by The New School.
Performances will take place on November 15 and 16 at 7pm and November 16 at 2pm at the Performance Garage.
The Performance Garage is located at 33 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10013.
Ticket reservations and more information are available here.
Bakari is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in Drama for Directing at The New School of Performing Arts this August.
They completed their Bachelor’s degree in Theatre with a minor in Sport and Entertainment Management at The University of South Carolina school of Arts & Sciences in May of 2013.
Bakari has also received the President’s Scholarship and Drama Supplemental Award for the 2019-2020 Academic Year.
More information on The New School of Drama can be found here.
The Trustus Theatre production of “Sunset Baby”, directed by Bakari Lebby, has been nominated for Best Local Theatre Production by the readers of the Free Times!
The Voting period is from June 6 to June 30. More information can be found here at the Free Times’ website.
“Sunset Baby”, directed by Bakari Lebby, ran at Trustus Theatre from February 23 to March 3, 2018.
The Jasper Project announced Bakari as the recipient of their Theatre Artist of the Year Award on December 5, 2017!
Photo by Forrest Clonts
More information can be found here, at The Jasper Project's website!
Bakari is currently directing a production of Dominique Morriesau's "Sunset Baby", running February 23 through March 3 at Trustus Theatre.
More information and tickets can be found here, at Trustus's website!
Kari was voted the runner-up in the Best Local Tweeter category of the Free Times Best of Columbia 2017 poll by the readers of the Free Times!
Kari has been a finalist in this category since its inception in 2014!
Their Twitter account can be found here!
Sid and Nancy was also a winner, with the recognition of Best Alternative Clothing Store!
Photo by John Carlos II
Bakari is directing a new 10 minute play by Jon Tuttle and Cindy Turner entitled "Another One".
The cast includes Trustus Theatre company members Avery Bateman and Jason Stokes.
The play, along with five other Eclipse Plays, is produced by The Jasper Project and runs twice on August 17, 2017 at 7pm and 10pm at Tapp's Arts Center.
An interview with Bakari is available at The Jasper Project.
Tickets and further information are available from Tapp's Arts Center.
Trustus has announced their 33rd season, and Bakari is directing "Sunset Baby" by Dominique Morrisseau in the Cohn Side Door Theatre.
The play runs February 23 - March 3, 2018.
The rest of Trustus's season can be seen here!
