From a profile in the Daily News, August 15, 2012
When Khadim Diop performs “Frankenstein” — a monologue that chronicles the challenges specific to young minorities — people take notice.
The Harlem teen emerges from the group, approaches an audience member and looks him in the eyes while reciting the lyrical verses and gesticulating wildly with his hands. The traits he showcases are more closely associated with a seasoned performer than a high school student who is about to turn 15.
Diop says that merely three years ago, things were drastically different.
“I didn’t want to do anything at all,” he said. “I just wanted to stay closed up and shy.”
Now, the charismatic Diop is gearing up to perform in “Children of Killers,” a play by Katori Hall that depicts the Rwandan massacre and will open next month at the Castillo Theatre on 42nd St.
Diop is one of 50 young Harlemites who have found their calling at the IMPACT Repertory Theatre program, a nonprofit that seeks to give 12- to 19-year-olds their own channels for expression.
“I am so thankful for them,” Diop said of the program, founded in 1997, which includes workshops, performances and community service. “I owe this program so much.”
IMPACT was the brainchild of Jamal Joseph, his wife Joyce and legendary producer Voza Rivers.
This year the program is celebrating its 15th anniversary; in those years, they have served more than 300 teenagers.
The group meets at the Dwyer Cultural Center on St. Nicholas Ave. and for six hours each Saturday at the School of the Arts at Columbia University, where Joseph is a professor in the film division.
As co-founder and artistic director, Joseph, 59, is the face of the program. In the late 1970s, he served 5 1/2 years of a 12-year sentence in federal prison in Leavenworth, Kan., for his involvement in the Black Panther Party.
There, he earned two degrees and directed his first play. It was an experience, he said, that helped shape his vision for IMPACT.
“During the plays, I saw that these different criminals were engaged and talking to each other,” Joseph said.
“From there I discovered the importance of theater and how it promotes social change.”
The program, which is funded primarily through private donations and a handful of corporate sponsors, is run under a core philosophy
: By helping Harlem teens to create socially conscious art and developing their leadership skills, they believe they can have a substantial effect.
So far, 20 IMPACT members have graduated from college while 40 are currently enrolled in colleges and universities that include Fordham, Brown and Yale.
Interested students may audition in either spring or fall; upon acceptance, they participate in a mandatory three-month boot camp that teaches leadership skills and civic engagement.
The program experienced its landmark in 2008, when IMPACT was nominated for an Academy Award for “Raise it up,” an original song performed by members in the movie “August Rush.” The group of 30 flew to Los Angeles, where they performed at the Kodak Theatre in front of Hollywood’s elite.
A week later, they were back in the city, performing at a homeless shelter.
“They were even better back home,” Joseph said. “They understood the importance of helping the homeless and giving them hope.”
| Credit Type | Production | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Actor | In the Wine Time | 2013-14 Season |