One woman is on a mission to help break the cycle of poverty in the City of Camden, New Jersey, and she is doing it through performing arts and creative playwriting. Desi P. Shelton, a Camden, New Jersey native, is the founder and artistic director of the Camden Repertory Theater, which sits in the heart of Camden’s Downtown neighborhood. Shelton, who received her Masters of Fine Arts in Acting (MFA) from Sarah Lawrence College, launched Camden Rep in 2006 after seeing a void for urban female voices within live theater. She then transformed her former home into a live performing arts theater for the public.
Camden Rep is a community-focused theater company that educates, inspires, and provides local artists with a space to create and produce new work that speaks to the real-life experiences of those living within the inner city. For Shelton, the driving force behind the theater company is her desire to create a safe space where Black women can have real conversations. “When you come to Camden Rep, you should feel like you’re going to your girlfriend’s house to hang out,” says Shelton, “as women, we need spaces to laugh, cry, and simply know that somebody gets us and understands what we’re going through.”
Many of the actors, designers, and playwrights in the theater’s various productions are students or alumni of Camden Rep’s Preparing Artists for College Entrance (P.A.C.E.) program. P.A.C.E., a yearlong high school program, uses the arts as a stepping stone to increase high school graduation rates and provide students with the educational, financial, and emotional support they need to transition into college. Shelton, a self-proclaimed stickler for education, says, “Poverty doesn’t just happen, it’s intentional, and I’m passionate about helping students get into college; so they can experience a different side of life throughout those four years.” She believes that obtaining a quality education is one of the cornerstones for strengthening Black women’s economics and breaking the generational cycle of poverty.
For much of this year’s Black History Month and Women’s History Month, Camden Rep hosted a live production of Aishah Rahman’s underground classic play Unfinished Women Cry in No Man’s Land While a Bird Dies in a Gilded Cage alongside a live jazz band and a host of local talent. J’lynn Henry, a junior at In addition to learning about live acting and performing, P.A.C.E. is also teaching students the technical aspects of creating a quality stage production. “I was able to try directing!” says Janiyah-Rae Houston excitedly. Houston, a high school junior, enjoys the behind-the-scenes work that goes into producing a stage play, “Since I’ve joined, I’ve started reading on producing too! We are learning about light and costume design as well.” For Alani Burke, a high school senior and one of the actors in Unfinished Women, Camden Rep is helping her to learn more about her college options upon graduation. “I didn’t really know about HBCUs before P.A.C.E, but now, in my third year, being a part of this has helped me become more educated about my college options and find schools that match my interest areas,” says Burke.
Shelton, who is also a high school theater teacher in Camden, is currently finalizing her newest production, Child Support, which will open to the public this Fall. The play is a sequel to her first stage play and chronicles the difficulties of navigating life without a present father.
For more information on Camden Rep Theater or to stay updated on upcoming shows, visit their website at: www.camdenrep.com. Camden High School, enjoyed playing Mattie in the most recent stage play and feels that Camden Rep is providing her an outlet to positively showcase her extroverted side. Prior to joining P.A.C.E. a year ago, Henry never participated in theater but now views the arts as something larger than an extracurricular activity. According to Henry, “Theater isn’t just about art, it’s about the lessons it teaches us, and I’m gaining more knowledge on something that I love to do.”
This story was produced as part of the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University’s South Jersey Information Equity Project fellowship and supported with funding from the Independence Public Media Foundation.
