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What is The TE'A Project?
TE'A stands for Theatre, Engagement and Action.
The TE’A Project combines story collection, theatrical performance, and facilitated dialogue in a process that makes it possible for us to engage imaginatively with the barriers of social and cultural difference that divide us... deepen our insight into the clash of cares and threats that locks us into conflict with each other; and awaken our curiosity and concern to discover new possibilities for action to transform the way we treat and relate to each other.
The TE’A Project combines time-tested techniques of interactive, documentary-style theatre with the Insight Approach -a new breakthrough in the theory and practice of conflict resolution.
The TE’A Project builds peace by helping people cross the barriers of religious and cultural difference that divide them.
The TE’A Project plans to operate in communities across the United States and abroad. Wherever it operates, TE’A creates a Company of talented young artists who are committed enough to dedicate their artistic gifts to the challenge of building peace in their communities, and creative enough to employ cutting-edge developments in the theory and practice of conflict resolution to create a high quality, documentary-style performance piece.
Radha Kramer, Founding Director of The TE'A Project
Radha Kramer is the founder and director of the TE’A Project. In 2008, she founded Radha Productions with the mission of engaging interactive theatre and the performing arts in the service of peace building and conflict transformation.
Radha began her career in the arts with the NiteStar Program in NYC—a theatre-based HIV education and prevention program for urban youth—and served as NiteStar’s Assistant Artistic Director. She then joined the Peace Corps, where she continued her commitment to interactive theatre and HIV prevention as a Youth Development Volunteer in the Republic of Vanuatu. Upon returning to the U.S., Radha was awarded the Sargent Shriver Peaceworker Fellowship for graduate studies in public service.
Radha received her MS in Public Policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and elected to continue her studies at George Mason University, where she earned a second MS degree in the field of Conflict Analysis and Resolution.
Before launching Radha Productions and the TE’A Project, Radha worked with Search for Common Ground in Washington DC as the Program Assistant for the US/Iran and the US/Syria programs.
Kierra Parlagreco, Director of New Media
Kierra Parlagreco is a director, editor, and designer. In 2002 she co-founded Filmworks, a creative services company in New York City committed to unique methods of story-telling and image creation.
Over the past 17 years, Kierra’s career path has taken her from documentary film, to broadcast programming, to independent film production and digital motion graphics creation. Through all these changing tides it is the love of story that has remained constant. Be it a single graphic element, like a logo, or an HD video shot at 60 frames per second, every project begins with the unearthing of a narrative.
Prior to starting Filmworks, Kierra directed and/or edited television programs for MTV, NBC, ABC, Showtime, Fox Sports and the Disney Channel and has worked with a diversity of talent from Hayden Panettiere to Olympia Dukakis. In 2003 she co-produced and edited the documentary feature film, “Call Me Malcolm” which has been seen in 5 different countries and 45 cities and been featured in over a dozen film festivals.
Chukwuma Obasi, Director of TE'A NYC
A New York native, Chuk began to pursue the performing arts as a freshman at St. Raymond high school for Boys in Bronx, NY. After graduating from SUNY Geneseo in 2005 with a Bachelor’s Degree in communication (double minor in musical theatre and dance), he began his professional performing arts career with the Rochester Children's Theatre. Since then, he has performed in various regional, Off-off Broadway, touring, and film/television productions in Rochester, Syracuse, Washington DC, and New York City among other regions. At this point his resume includes work in acting, dance, choreography, slam poetry, music writing/performance, and so on… Chuk joined the TE’A NY Company as it began in 2009 and has since become the TE’A Artistic Coordinator.
Chuk also currently serves as the company choreographer for The NiteStar Program, and as the Director of the Dance Division for Mind the Art Entertainment.
Intersections
Intersections International is a New York-based global initiative dedicated to promoting justice, reconciliation and peace across lines of faith, culture, ideology, race, class, national borders and other boundaries that divide humanity. Founded in 2007, Intersections is a permanent multi-faith, multi-cultural effort of the Collegiate Churches of New York, the oldest corporation in North America, dating back to 1628.
Using arts immersion, social marketing, intentional dialogue and other innovative methods, Intersections' work includes projects that promote pluralism in emerging democracies, eradicate ignorance regarding Islam, nurture global peacemakers, dismantle systemic discrimination against the LGBT community and initiate conversation among disparate groups to develop new ways of problem solving for some of society's most intractable issues. Intersections' work lies in three programmatic areas: amplifying marginalized voices, interfaith dialogue and cooperation and addressing the consequences of conflict.
Intersections is dedicated to building respectful relationships among diverse individuals and communities to forge common ground and develop strategies that promote justice, reconciliation, and peace. We are a multi-cultural, multi-faith, global initiative of the Collegiate Church of New York, the oldest corporation in North America dating back to 1628.