Aayisha Ruby Humphrey, an award-winning Chicago actor and acting teacher, will be the director for the 2nd Act Players’ #MeToo Play Festival May 19-20 and May 26-27.
The festival presents six 10-minute plays from emerging playwrights dealing with issues such as sexual harassment in the workplace, sexual abuse, gender-stereotyping and bullying.
“Aayisha was assistant director of our production last fall and so impressed me with her creativity and love of acting that I couldn’t see anyone else directing this festival,” says 2nd Act Players’ founder John N. Frank. “I know she is going to create a show people will be talking about for a long, long time.”
Humphrey in 2017 won the Black Theater Alliance’s Phylicia Rashad Award for Most Promising Actress for the title role in ‘A Hedda Gabler’ (Red Tape Theatre). She has been appearing in roles on-stage and on-camera since appearing in Candyman (1992) at the age of six.
She earned her bachelors degree from the Columbia College (Chicago) Theater Program in 2013 and has trained with Joyce Piven since 2003 at her Piven Theatre Workshop.
Aayisha has appeared on the Piven stage in roles such as Sasha in the late Sheldon Patinkin’s adaptation of Ivanov, and multiple roles in the The Good Doctor as well as in Tim Robbins’ exclusive adaptation of Dead Man Walking.
Aayisha is an instructor at Off the Street Club in Garfield Park, was a dramatic arts program director at the Piven Theatre Cook County Prison Program, and is a teacher at Piven Theatre Workshop. In her downtime, she enjoys writing, chess, and is still trying to master the violin. She is proudly represented by Stewart Talent.
Tickets for the festival, which takes place May 10-20 and May 26-27, are available by clicking here. Advance sale tickets are only $17 online, tickets at the door are $20.