Every Saturday at 5pm EST from 3^rd October till 31^st October, the new thought-provoking series Red Pilling America, hosted by TV and Broadway Star Ciara Renée, will be putting the spotlight on democracy, American politics and the current socio-economic climate through the lens of Tonya Pinkins’ new socio-political horror film, Red Pill. New guest stars will be featured each weekend while participants will be able to chime in on the live discussion, asking any and all questions.

RED PILL MOVIE 2020 LLC

Written, produced and directed by Pinkins herself, Red Pill is a progressive dystopian nightmare shot by cinematographer John Hudak Jr. and is set to be released this fall. The movie is a visually stunning metaphor for all our fears and a reminder that there are worse things than death. Cassandra (Pinkins), a Black American woman fearful for the fate of her country in the next election, reluctantly accompanies her best friend Rocky, a land preserver activist (Ruben Blades) and his wife Emelia (Luba Mason), her roommate Lily (Kathyrn Erbe), close friend Nick (Jake O’Flaherty), and her partner Bobby (Adesola Osakalumi) to canvas in newly blue Virginia. As the friends arrive at their “Super-Host” housing, they encounter signs that point to possible trouble and before the weekend is over, the fight for their country becomes a fight for their lives.

Pinkins: Red Pilling Of America will take place through Marissa Lynn Daniel Studios on Zoom. Proceeds will go towards the funding of Red Pill and to supporting actors during COVID-19.  For more information and to enrol, visit, www.marissalynnstudios.com.

TONYA PINKINS

Tonya Pinkins is a three-time Tony nominee for Caroline Or Change, Play On! and Tony winner for Jelly’s Last Jam. Author of Get Over Yourself: How To Drop The Drama And Claim The Life You Deserve, she is also the host of You Can’t Say That at www.bpn.fm/ycst and writer/director of Red Pill.

CIARA RENÉE

Ciara Renée‘s career includes Broadway’s Frozen, Big Fish, Pippin, and the world premiere of Disney’s The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. On television, she has starred in Facebook’s Strangers, Netflix’s Master Of None, CBS’s Big Bang Theory, CW’s Legends Of Tomorrow, Arrow, and Flash. She also played Peggy/Maria in the final lab of Hamilton and co-directed (with Michael Dallatorre) the short documentary, Beating The Odds: Children’s Defense Fund Of California. On top of that she is also a writer, EP, and co-director of the short film Reddy Records.

Guest Stars:

RASHAD ROBINSON

Rashad Robinson is an American civil rights leader and the president of Color Of Change. He has served as a board member of RaceForward, Demos, State Voices and currently sits on the board of the Hazen Foundation. Robinson has appeared in NPR, MSNBC, CNN, NPR, PBS, and BET and has a monthly column in the US edition of The Guardian. His editorials have been featured in New York Times, Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and USA Today.

JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON

Jay Armstrong Johnson, known as one of Broadway’s most versatile triple threats has appeared in FIVE Broadway shows including the Tony-Award winning revival of Hair, Catch Me If You Can, Hands On A Hardbody, On The Town, for which he won a Drama Desk Award and Phantom Of The Opera. Johnson also starred on TV in ABC Studios’ Quanitco.

NIK WALKER

Nik Walker led the Broadway cast of Ain’t Too Proud and starred in Hamilton, Motown The Musical, Peter And The Starcatcher and TV’s Law And Order Svu. Walker is also the playwright behind The Bloody Boston Trilogy and cohost of The Chaos Twins.

MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT

Michael James Scott starred in Disney’s Aladdin as the Genie, as well as Something Rotten, The Book Of Mormon, Mamma Mia, Tarzan, All Shook Up, The Pirate Queen, Elf and Hair.

TELLY LEUNG

Telly Leung, star of Broadway’s Aladdin, has been recognized for his notable work in Rent, Flower Drum Song, Pacific Overtures, Godspell, Allegiance and TV’s Glee.

JON RUA

Jon Rua originated roles in Hamilton, The Spongebob Musical and In The Heights and starred on screen in Blacklist, Blue Bloods and Law And Order. Rua is also a celebrated choreographer and founder of The Grit.

PAUL OAKLEY STOVALL

Hamilton star Paul Oakley Stovall, best known for Columbus (2020) Shortbus (2006) and Buffalo (2019), is an actor, activist, and president of KernoFortoProductions. Stovall was also a staff writer on season four of the critically acclaimed STARZ series, Survivor’s Remorse.

JOANNA CARPENTER

Joanna Carpenter is a New York City-based actor, singer and director who is best known for her work on The Lonely Cure (2014), Half a Dozen (2015) and Nevertheless, She Auditioned (2018)

YAEL SILVER, MARISSA LYNN DANIEL, WILL VAN MOSS

Marissa Lynn Daniel, along with Tony-Award winning producer Yael Silver and Will Van Moss will produce this event. Jordan Leigh Auriemma and Adriana Shaw will associate produce.

Every Thursday at 3pm from 10 September – 31 October, Tony award-winning actress Tonya Pinkins and TV & Broadway star Ciara Renée will come together for exclusive, one-on-one conversations with new guest stars as Pinkins puts a horror-fying lens on the upcoming US election with her socio-political horror film Red Pill. Red Pilling of America will feature conversations with Chuck Cooper, Lilli Cooper, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Nik Walker, Jon Rua, Telly Leung, Michael James Scott, and more.

RED PILL MOVIE 2020 LLC

Written, produced and directed by Pinkins herself, Red Pill is a progressive dystopian nightmare shot by cinematographer John Hudak Jr. and is set to be released this fall. The movie is a visually stunning metaphor for all our fears and a reminder that there are worse things than death. Cassandra (Pinkins), a Black American woman fearful for the fate of her country in the next election, reluctantly accompanies her best friend Rocky, a land preserver activist (Ruben Blades) and his wife Emelia (Luba Mason), her roommate Lily (Kathyrn Erbe), close friend Nick (Jake O’Flaherty), and her partner Bobby (Adesola Osakalumi) to canvas in newly blue Virginia. As the friends arrive at their “Super-Host” housing, they encounter signs that point to possible trouble and before the weekend is over, the fight for their country becomes a fight for their lives.

Pinkins: Red Pilling Of America will take place through Marissa Lynn Daniel Studios on Zoom. Proceeds will go towards the funding of Red Pill and to supporting actors during COVID-19.  For more information and to enrol, visit, www.marissalynnstudios.com.

TONYA PINKINS

Tonya Pinkins is a three-time Tony nominee for Caroline Or Change, Play On! and Tony winner for Jelly’s Last Jam. Author of Get Over Yourself: How To Drop The Drama And Claim The Life You Deserve, she is also the host of You Can’t Say That at www.bpn.fm/ycst and writer/director of Red Pill.

CIARA RENÉE

Ciara Renée‘s career includes Broadway’s Frozen, Big Fish, Pippin, and the world premiere of Disney’s The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. On television, she has starred in Facebook’s Strangers, Netflix’s Master Of None, CBS’s Big Bang Theory, CW’s Legends Of Tomorrow, Arrow, and Flash. She also played Peggy/Maria in the final lab of Hamilton and co-directed (with Michael Dallatorre) the short documentary, Beating The Odds: Children’s Defense Fund Of California. On top of that she is also a writer, EP, and co-director of the short film Reddy Records.

Guest Stars:

CHUCK COOPER

Chuck Cooper is a Tony Award winner for THE LIFE and is best known for Amen Corner, Passion, Getting Away With Murder, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Chicago, Caroline, Or Change, Finian’s Rainbow and Amazing Grace.

LILLI COOPER

Lilli Cooper starred in Broadway’s Tootsie, for which she received a Tony Nomination, Spongebob Squarepants, Wicked, and Spring Awakening. On television, she has starred in Dynasty (The Cw), Bull, Instinct, Elementary, The Code and The Good Fight (CBS).

JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON

Jay Armstrong Johnson, known as one of Broadway’s most versatile triple threats has appeared in FIVE Broadway shows including the Tony-Award winning revival of Hair, Catch Me If You Can, Hands On A Hardbody, On The Town, for which he won a Drama Desk Award and Phantom Of The Opera. Johnson also starred on TV in ABC Studios’ Quanitco.

NIK WALKER

Nik Walker led the Broadway cast of Ain’t Too Proud and starred in Hamilton, Motown The Musical, Peter And The Starcatcher and TV’s Law And Order Svu. Walker is also the playwright behind The Bloody Boston Trilogy and cohost of The Chaos Twins.

MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT

Michael James Scott starred in Disney’s Aladdin as the Genie, as well as Something Rotten, The Book Of Mormon, Mamma Mia, Tarzan, All Shook Up, The Pirate Queen, Elf and Hair.

TELLY LEUNG

Telly Leung, star of Broadway’s Aladdin, has been recognized for his notable work in Rent, Flower Drum Song, Pacific Overtures, Godspell, Allegiance and TV’s Glee.

JON RUA

Jon Rua originated roles in Hamilton, The Spongebob Musical and In The Heights and starred on screen in Blacklist, Blue Bloods and Law And Order. Rua is also a celebrated choreographer and founder of The Grit.

PAUL OAKLEY STOVALL

Hamilton star Paul Oakley Stovall, best known for Columbus (2020) Shortbus (2006) and Buffalo (2019), is an actor, activist, and president of KernoFortoProductions. Stovall was also a staff writer on season four of the critically acclaimed STARZ series, Survivor’s Remorse.

YAEL SILVER, MARISSA LYNN DANIEL, WILL VAN MOSS

Marissa Lynn Daniel, along with Tony-Award winning producer Yael Silver and Will Van Moss will produce this event. Jordan Leigh Auriemma and Adriana Shaw will associate produce.

Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins will come together with Frozen star Ciara Renée for an exclusive one-on-one discussion about Tonya’s upcoming socio-political horror film Red Pill.

Red Pill is Pinkins’ first feature film, which she has written, directed and produced. The television, film and Broadway star decided to step behind the camera and use her voice as an artist and storyteller to paint a vivid picture of the grave repercussions that the current political climate in America has on the country’s people.

The film features the work of a talented cast and crew, including eight-time Grammy award winning Latin music star Rubén Blades (Fear the Walking Dead), Catherine Curtain (Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things, Homeland), Kathryn Erbe (Law & Order: Criminal Intent), Tonya Pinkins (Fear The Walking Dead, Madame Secretary), Colby Minifie (The Boys, Fear the Walking Dead), Luba Mason (Person of Interest, NYPD Blue), Jake O’Flaherty (Criminal Minds, Shameless) and Adesola Osakalumi (Sex & The City 2, Ice).

‘It’s Halloween weekend just days before the 2020 election. An intersectional posse of progressive canvassers drive to Virginia to get out the vote. As soon as they cross the state line it is clear they are not welcome. Distressing clues indicate that they should get out of their rental house while the getting is good. They decide to stay, armed with their heart, humor and naiveté. But what they really need is heavy artillery.’ – Red Pill 2020

KATHRYN ERBE, TONYA PINKINS AND LUBA MASON IN ‘RED PILL’. © GREG NANAMURA

Pinkins explains, ‘I wrote my own personal Get Out. #Uprising2020 is White people waking up to the world Black and Brown folks have always known. Black women are intimately familiar with Becky and Karen, White women, who on the low end of the spectrum treat us as invisible, and on the high end weaponize their whiteness and sometimes cost us our lives. Red Pill‘s #Karengonewild is a dose of what’s coming to America if liberal Whites don’t wake up.’

Red Pill is currently in post-production and is set for release this autumn.

For more information, visit: http://redpillmovie2020.com/

Marissa Lynn Daniel, along with producing partner Jordan Leigh Auriemma, will produce this event with the support of Brielle Dulce Perez, Adriana Miriah Shaw, Grace Elizabeth Antinori, Shane Glenn Vickers, Christopher Ryan Quiroz and James Rushin.

The event will take place on the 1^st of August, 3PM EST.

Tickets cost $15 and proceeds will go towards the funding of Red Pill.

Register now at marissalynnstudios.com

Bridge to Broadway has announced their next line-up of industry superstars who will mentor students and young professionals during the June masterclasses.

TONYA PINKINS, DONNA MURPHY, CHUCK COOPER AND LILLI COOPER

Actress Ciara Renée (‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, ‘Frozen’, ‘Big Fish’) will join Tony winners Tonya Pinkins and Donna Murphy who will lead a joint master class (available as a bonus class for June ClassPass holders only), Tony winner Chuck Cooper and nominee Lilli Cooper who will lead a father-daughter master class, Two-time Tony-winning composer and lyricist Adam Guettel (who is also the grandson of legendary musical theatre composer Richard Rodgers), Emmy winning casting director Jeff Greenberg (‘Modern Family’, ‘Frasier’, ‘Cheers’), Tony, Drama Desk and Grammy nominee Joshua Henry, Drama Desk Nominee Stephanie Hsu (‘Be More Chill’, ‘The Marvelous Mrs Maisel’, ‘The Path’), internationally acclaimed audiobook narrator Edoardo Ballerini (‘The Sopranos’, ‘Boardwalk Empire’, ‘Dinner Rush’), and master on-camera acting teacher Gary Perez (‘When They See Us’, ‘13 Reasons Why’, ‘The Blacklist’). Mickey Rowe of ‘Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’, who is the founder and Artistic Director of National Disability Theatre, will also be among the guests on Bridge to Broadway in the following weeks.

JOSHUA HENRY AND ADAM GUETTEL

Bridge to Broadway matches emerging artists with seasoned pros in live conversations and Q&As supporting The Actors Fund. Actor and author Erik Liberman teaches master classes around the country and is a recent inductee into the National Alliance of Acting Teachers. Marissa Lynn Daniel produces this series. Director Dan Fishbach associate produces.

Readers of The Cinematic Journal receive 25% off all classes and class passes in May and June. Just use the code TTEP74GF during checkout.

For more information, visit www.bridgetobroadwayonline.com/.