Our Story
Empowering teenage girls* nationally through the performing arts, since 2002!
*girls, young women and TGNC (trans & gender non-conforming) youth of color
The seeds of viBe Theater Experience were planted when 8 girls came together to perform “Say It How It Is!” Since this first performance on August 17, 2002, viBe has grown, expanded in New York City and to a national scale, and risen to the occasion on and off stage, time and time again!
Directed by Columbia University graduate students and Co-Founders Dana Edell and chandra thomas, the originally written play addressed issues most important to the teens: misogynoir, domestic & state violence, homophobia, social & economic justice, teen pregnancy, and more. It’s from this seed that viBe has flourished into a nationally-recognized, high-impact performing arts nonprofit that is youth-led and youth-centered.
MISSION
viBe Theater Experience is a Brooklyn-based performing arts nonprofit that provides free theater and music arts education, academic and wellness support services, youth leadership and workforce development opportunities to girls, young women, trans and gender-expansive youth of color ages 13-26 throughout New York City and nation-wide. viBe’s intensive programming engages, inspires, and empowers young people to write, publish, direct, and perform personal and collaborative performance art based on their lived experiences.
Our Team
Administrative Staff
Michelan “Mimi” Le’Monier
Co-Executive Director and Artistic Director
Beryl Briane Ford
Co-Executive Director and Development Director
Kayla (Cabbage) Lewis
Operations Assistant
Marketing & Communications Assistant
Brianna Harrison
Teaching Artists
Alicia Pilgrim
Christina “Titi” Akinsanya
Geanina “Nina” Riley
Kenya Lewis
Lei’anna Gladden
Marcela “Be Uniq” Carbajal
Murphy Lorenzo Applin Jr.
Phanésia Pharel
Safa Ishmel-Muhammad