Vanguard Series
The Vanguard Series is a new program dedicated to supporting African-American playwrights in developing and presenting full-length works. This initiative provides playwrights with a platform to refine their scripts, collaborate with industry professionals, and bring complex stories to life on stage.
Our first celebrated work from the Vanguard Series is Bridge in the Distance, written by Clarence Holmes, Jr. and directed by Roshunda Jones-Koumba.
Bridge in the Distance, supported by the MAP Fund grant, delves into the African-American struggle for equality, telling the story of a Black preacher fighting to secure his right to vote in the aftermath of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama, 1966.
Premiere: October 31, 2024 - November 3, 2024
MATCH Houston, 3400 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002
Pictured here: Manuel Law (Sam), Terri Renee (Viola), Dellivon Frazier, Jr (Willie), James West III (Douglas), Iman Shakur (Tyler)
Photo Credit: Rudy Mui
About the Playwright: Clarence Holmes, Jr.
A native of New Orleans, Clarence is a former professor of English, specializing in composition and literature with a focus on American, African American, and world literature. Now fully committed to his lifelong passion for dramatic writing, Clarence's debut one-act play, Bridge in the Distance, won the prestigious Carol Sutton Memorial Grant, while his screenplay adaptation earned the Best Short Screenplay Award at the New York Screenwriting Competition.
Holmes’ accomplishments with Bridge in the Distance include receiving the 2024 Carol Sutton Memorial Grant, which honors impactful contributions to theater. He also adapted the play into a screenplay, earning the Best Short Screenplay Award at the New York Screenwriting Competition. These accolades highlight his exceptional ability to craft narratives that deeply resonate with audiences while addressing pivotal moments in history.
Holmes is dedicated to telling stories that explore the African-American experience, striving to preserve its legacy and struggles. He envisions establishing a production company to bring these powerful narratives to life on stage and film, with aspirations to create a modern film adaptation of Alex Haley’s Roots.
Clarence Holmes, Jr., says: "My goal as a writer (stage and screen) is to entertain, but along with that, to tell stories of how African Americans have struggled in the past and struggle even now to gain equity and personhood."