Marcy Thompson has been mixing things up in Maplewood as a producer, writer, and performer for a good long time.

“Headphones off. Surrounded by people. Live events are the stuff of being human. There’s no end to the amazements of live performance; every laugh or gasp is a thrill. I specialize in defying expectations.” — Marcy Thompson

#SOMACelebratesWomen

Autumn Jones is an accomplished singer-songwriter from Maplewood, New Jersey with a strong vocal technique and songwriting capabilities. The soulful r&b she creates is an expression of her life experiences as told through her stories expressed in each of her songs. Autumn’s music is therapy for the mind and soul'; her poetic lyricism has been compared to that of Maya Angelou.

Gregory Omar Osborne is a man on a mission! A mission to create a space for Black people and other minorities to share their truth artistically, without censorship. Within the MAPSO community and beyond, Gregory pushes the boundaries by bringing into the conversation important issues that Black people and minorities face.

Progressive Theater aims to tell culturally enriched stories that empower the misrepresented; people of color and women, and captivate all audiences with the focus on being the change we want to see in the theater community.

“My art is my highest and clearest expression of who and what I am. The bravery it provides is the bravery I attempt to inspire in my students and in those that share in my work. It is when we can channel who and what we are through our highest truth that we are our most vulnerable, powerful, and pure.” — Ras Heru Stewart

Color, line, pattern and shape are simple words that define Raymond Saa’s layered, stacked, and complex artwork. Raymond’s materials and tools are basic such as paper, canvas, paint, X-Acto knives and a sewing machine; his techniques intricate with cut-outs, sewn layers, and collages. His bold colors and large-scale format transforms spaces.

“I often refer to my work as building a composition by stacking pattern and color on top of one another.”
— Raymond Saá

Maplewood resident Eddie Bennett is a diverse and talented choreographer, dancer, and illustrator. Eddie has established himself as a professional international entertainer with over 20 years of working continuously in the theatre industry. Eddie is multifaceted, a true Renaissance man!