Imani Arts Biz.com

Anne-Marie Woods

For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed Acting and Performing... I am also convinced that my life was meant to be a dramatic one from the womb. My mother was a nurse in England, and at that time, they did not want to hire nurses who were married. I am not sure of the reasoning behind this, but it seemed that they did not want their nurses to have to take maternity leave. So, my mother ( who was married ), you guessed it had to conceal me from the head nurse for months, until finally, she had to tell them the truth. I figure with a beginning like that, there could only be more drama to come, and there was. I love the stage, whether it's performing my own work, or the work of other amazing playwrights or writers. I remember my years in theatre school ( yes we did more than run around in tights )... I'd say they were my most challenging years. But some of my memories stem back to childhood. I was that child who could not sit still in class, the one with the vivid imagination, the one whose report card said "Anne-Marie Woods is too talkative". I believe creative children have a lot of extra energy like I did as a child, I loved reading, and writing, and the school concerts where I could perform, and these are the things I still love today as an adult. I am forever grateful to Ms. Muse my Sunday School Teacher, who nurtured my creativity in church, and Mrs. McInnes my music teacher in elementary school... And now I would like to thank the Academy for... ( Hey everybody deserves to dream right?)

Article from Montreal.com
African heartbeat (in Canada)
Afrika Solo
by Djanet Sears
directed by Alison Sealy-Smith
featuring Anne-Marie Woods
Montréal arts interculturels (MAI)

Afrika Solo gets off to a powerful start with the recognizable baritone of African rhythms and a rich landscape of sound. In fact, the talented musicians John Sadowy and Just Aïssi, though never overbearing, are very present, with the percussive music becoming another chameleon character in the piece.

Through the well-crafted text by Governor General Laureate Djanet Sears we all can relate to a sense of searching for a true self - the play becomes accessible to the human experience. But with a one-woman show at an hour and forty minutes, the evening would not be bearable without the engaging work of Anne-Marie Woods in the role of Djanet. You want to listen to her story, follow her journey, and be let in on her self-discovery.

Djanet's a TV addict - but her early connection to TV people with her skin colour didn't go beyond Tarzan natives, slaves, and the occasional Dorothy Dandridge movie. She also reminds us "We were coloured then, we weren't black yet."

Djanet sets off on a quest to Africa and her past. There are plenty of questions, starting with which passport to use. Through parents and circumstance she has one from Jamaica, Guyana, England, and Canada. It's not surprising that her favourite shows seem to be Star Trek, Lost in Space, and Dr. Who - covering themes of travel, heading far, far away, and alien cultures!

Woods is a talented storyteller and the transitions flow easily from country to country, and musically from style to style. I particularly enjoyed the tender, honest moments when she spoke to her African boyfriend Benoit. After singing her national anthem with some hospitable Pygmies, she talks about finding the "African heartbeat in a Canadian song" and you know she's ready to go home. Try to see this play before it too moves on.

Afrika Solo plays to October 28, 2001. Presented by the Black Theatre Workshop and MAI (Montréal arts interculturels), 3680 Jeanne Mance.

Box office: (514) 932-1104
E-mail: btw@globalserve.net

- Janis Kirshner

ARTIST CV

P.O Box 65150, RPO Chester Tel: 416-706-7694

Toronto, Ontario Email: imani@imaniartsbiz.com

M4K 3Z2

Highlights Of Qualifications

· Extensive knowledge of the theatre, television and music industry.

· Ability to develop proposals for programming

· Resourceful, self motivated and exceptional leadership qualities

· Active member of the professional artist community

· Actor, comedian, dancer, narrator, poet, singer and writer

Artistic Employment

Film Experience

Industrial-Maintenance Enforcement	Lead-Hostess	Dawn Windover-Communications NS
Skip To The Beat	Lead-Teacher	Lee Flemming - Independent
November 1946	Lead-Hope	Iain MacLeod - Independent
The Waiter	Lead-Rebecca	Walter Forsythe - Gorgeous Mistake Prod.

Television Experience

The Waiter	Lead-Rebecca	CBC- Walter Forsythe
Skylight	Solo Performance	Vision TV - Charles E. Doucet
New Music	Feature	Much Music - Toronto
Up On The Roof	Feature	CBC/Jack Keller
Adrienne Clarkson Presents	Feature	CBC/Diane Ngui- Yen

Theatre Experience

Afrika Solo	Djanet/Janet	Black Theatre Workshop-Alison Sealy-Smith
Waiting To Explode	8 Characters	NC National Black Theatre Festival-Larry Leon Hamlin
Adventures of a Black Girl	Chorus	Du Maurier Theatre - Djanet Sears
Harlem Duet	Amah	Neptune Theatre - Alison Sealy-Smith
Whylah Falls	Selah	Eastern Front and National Arts Centre
Consecrated Ground	Groovey	Eastern Front Theatre- Richard Donat
Whylah Falls	Amarantha	Eastern Front Theatre - Paula Dankert
Gospel At Colonus	Ismene Back Up	Neptune Theatre - Linda Moore
The Piano Lesson	Bernice	Freedom Theatre - Johnnie Hobbs
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom	Dussie Mae	Freedom Theatre - Johnnie Hobbs

Entertainment Experience

Member of “Four The Moment “ Acapella Quartet Since 1988- 2000

Vancouver Folk Festival (Vancouver, British Columbia), East Coast Music Awards ( Newfoundland, Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, and Halifax Nova Scotia), Royal Alexandra Theatre (Toronto, Ontario), Women In E Motion Festival (Germany), Maya Angelou Speaker Series (Roy Thompson Hall), Lincoln Centre Concert Series (New York)

Individual Performances:

I Am Canadian Harry Jerome Awards (Toronto, Ontario), Juneteenth Festival (Philadelphia PA), Women of Excellence Conference International Conference (Halifax, NS), Jubalee ( Halifax, NS)

Broadcast Experience

Commentator/Resident Artist - CBC’s Metro Morning , Flat Belly Blues, CBC Toronto OutFront, Host of CBC Live Poets Society (Halifax- Peggy Hemsworth)Atlantic Airwaves, Information Morning, The Entertainers, Day Shift, Swinging On a Star (CBC Radio), Burden of Desire, Historical Vignettes, Black Women’s Review (WDAS Philadelphia - Nicole Tucker)

Training

Dalhousie University Department of Theatre:
Scene Study/Character Mask	Patrick Christopher
Voice and Speech	Kim Collins
Ballet	Clare Bader
Jazz Technique	Kathryn Edgett
Voice	Mary McMurray/Lisa St. Clair/Gwen Dawson
Maritime Conservatory of Music
Voice	Mary McMurray
Freedom Theatre/Philadelphia PA
Movement Technique	Patricia Hobbs/Christina Pier-Angelie
Directing	Walter Dallas/Mo Beasley
Scene Study	John Hobbs

Artistic Interests

Acting, directing, producing, dancing, choreography, singing, playwriting, narration, poetry

Professional Associations

Alliance Of Canadian Cinema Television and Radio Artists (A.C.T.R.A.)

Black Artist Network (B.A.N.N.S.)

Canadian Actor’s Equity Association (C.A.E.A.)

East Coast Music Awards Association (E.C.M.A.)

Imani Women’s Artistic Project (I.W.A.P.)

Just A Minute Productions (J.A.M.)

Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia (M.I.A.N.S.)

Playwrights Guild of Canada (P.G.C.)

Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (S.O.C.A.N.)

Published Material

Three Four The Moment CD’s

1995 In My Soul

1992 Four The Moment Live

1987 We’re Still Standing

2001 And I Will Paint The Sky ( anthology of autobiographies )

2000-2001 Column On My Mind ( Todays Canadian Black Woman Newsletter)

Credits

1989 Rap Song “Girls To Girls” Featured in dependent film “Girls to Girls”

1994 Rap Song “Voices In The Dark” featured on Four The Moment CD “In My Soul”

1990 Rap Song “Active Living” featured in Participation Week for Nova Scotia Department

of Health

2000 Spoken Word and Song “ Mother Africa “ Vision TV Skylight

2003 Song “I’m Too Old To Be A Canadian Idol” featured on CBC Radio’s The Content Factor

2004 Spoken Word Piece “I Want To Vote” featured on CBC National News Show Spin Off

Special Skills

African, Jazz, Hip Hop Dance Styles, Improv, Singer, Storyteller, Writer, British Dialect Caribbean Dialect, Whistling Kettle, Dolphin Sounds, Crowing Rooster, Bart Simpson Impersonations, Children’s Voices

Artistic Awards/Grants/Scholarships

· 2000 Canada Council Grants to Individuals/Playwright In Residence

· 2000 African Nova Scotia Music Assoc. Pioneer Artist Award

· 2004 Canada Council Grants to Individuals/Storytelling & Spoken Word

· 1999 African Nova Scotia Music Assoc. Artist Of The Year Award

· 1998 East Coast Music Award for African Canadian Artist of the Year

· 1998 Rebels With A Cause Community Activism Award

· 1997 Nova Scotia Talent Trust (scholarship)

· 1997 Canada Council Long Term Grants to Individuals /Theatre Arts

· 1994 YTV Vocal Spotlight first place award winner

· 1992 Vocal Scholarship for Maritime Conservatory of Music

· 1987 Twin City Motors Talent Contest first place award winner