Plays for Progress

Plays for Progress is a new division of Art For Progress (AFP), a New York City-based 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization committed to the cultivation and support of emerging artists working in diverse genres: the visual arts, fashion, digital multimedia, music, new media and theater. Based in New York, AFP seeks to increase the visibility of talented artists, to raise awareness of the importance of arts education in public schools, and to support those same arts through our comprehensive arts education program.

Since its inception in early 2004, Art For Progress has had a growing impact within the New York arts community. AFP continues to host enriching, culturally diverse events featuring a variety of visual art, music, fashion and new media. Through these events, the organization has raised funds for various arts education charities and programs, such as Art Start and the New York City Department of Education’s music education program. NBC4 devoted a news item to AFP, click here to watch. For more information about AFP please visit: www.artforprogress.org.

Plays for Progress is committed to producing plays that matter, plays that are relevant in today's society. We are putting up our first play in October 2007. The actors Annie Branson and Peter Schoenaerts are producing the play with the help of AFP. They will be performing as well.

They all thought I was going to die.

Everyone started showing up again.

Did you notice that?

They were all crowding around for my last breath.

I wasn’t left alone for a second.

Day and night someone was at my bedside.

And all of them wanted to talk about saying goodbye and accepting and dying peacefully.

I didn’t want to die peacefully.

I didn’t want to die at all.

And the last thing I wanted was to talk about it.

from 'Dossier: Ronald Akkerman' by Suzanne van Lohuizen