# Event Details - **Event Name**: Mary Ann Byas Drake | "Aunt Pookie's Girls" - Stage Play Reading - **Event Start and End Date**: Sat, 23 May, 2026 at 04:30 pm – Sat, 23 May, 2026 at 06:45 pm (-04:00) - **Event Description**: Black women connected through memory & womanhood in this one-act inspired by the life and legacy of Marianne Bias Drake. By: Hettie BarnhillAbout this EventJoin Us for Mary Ann Byas Drake | "Aunt Pookie's Girls" - Stage Play Reading! Free with RSVP,An intimate, moving one-act play that celebrates legacy, love, and the power of Black womanhood.Inspired by Destined and Determined to Be a Nurse by Willis L. Drake, this heartfelt work follows a group of women in their thirties who reunite years after the passing of their beloved matriarch, Mary Ann Byas-Drake, affectionately known as “Aunt Pookie.” Once mentored and nurtured by her wisdom, discipline, and joy, these women gather again to honor a promise they made to one another: to stay connected and carry her lessons forward. Produced by Create A Space NOW, Written and Directed by: Hettie Barnhill, and Executive Producer: Willis L Drake - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/troy/mary-ann-byas-drake-|-aunt-pookies-girls-stage-play-reading/100001981601074156 - **Event Categories**: - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Troy - **state**: NY - **country**: United States - **location**: Arts Center of the Capital Region - **lat**: 42.7320477 - **long**: -73.6914676 - **full address**: Arts Center of the Capital Region, 265 River Street, Troy, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Mary Ann Byas Drake | "Aunt Pookie's Girls" - Stage Play Reading - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events4/banners/a586751bbd6a7f669372066395db01ff855ef7e16b3999821c138add6ab26a8c-rimg-w1200-h673-dc493427-gmir.jpg?v=1769602876 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Mary Ann Byas Drake | "Aunt Pookie's Girls" - Stage Play Reading being held? - **A:** Mary Ann Byas Drake | "Aunt Pookie's Girls" - Stage Play Reading takes place on Sat, 23 May, 2026 at 04:30 pm to Sat, 23 May, 2026 at 06:45 pm at Arts Center of the Capital Region, 265 River Street, Troy, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Mary Ann Byas Drake | "Aunt Pookie's Girls" - Stage Play Reading? - **A:** Mary Ann Byas Drake | "Aunt Pookie's Girls" - Stage Play Reading is organized by Create A Space NOW. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Mary Ann Byas Drake | "Aunt Pookie's Girls" - Stage Play Reading", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events4/banners/a586751bbd6a7f669372066395db01ff855ef7e16b3999821c138add6ab26a8c-rimg-w1200-h673-dc493427-gmir.jpg?v=1769602876", "startDate": "2026-05-23T16:30:00-04:00", "endDate": "2026-05-23T18:45:00-04:00", "url": "https://allevents.in/troy/mary-ann-byas-drake-|-aunt-pookies-girls-stage-play-reading/100001981601074156", "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Arts Center of the Capital Region", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "265 River Street", "postalCode": "12180", "addressLocality": "Troy", "addressRegion": "NY", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "42.7320477", "longitude": "-73.6914676" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Black women connected through memory & womanhood in this one-act inspired by the life and legacy of Marianne Bias Drake. 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We believe that dance, music, theater, spoken word, text, and film are powerful tools for communication that should not be for entertainment value only. We use these art forms to inspire change, educate, and activate.Founded by Hettie Barnhill a Broadway performer, director, dance practitioner, educator, and choreographer, Hettie has received awards for her outreach and service in communities, including Honored by the California Senate with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition, \"Using Film as a Vehicle For Community Engagement and Education\" by Congressman Ro Khanna and California Senator Bob Wieckowski for her direction and Create A Space NOW's production, A Love Letter To Brian, Lesley, and Michelle. She has also received the NAACP's \"Top 21 Leaders 40 & Under Award\" In The Fields Of Arts & Culture, Twice Honored As A \"Rising Star\" By The Young & Powerful For Obama Group, The Shirley Chisholm \"Women Of Excellence.\" Since 2006, Hettie has worked with A Long Walk Home Inc., a nonprofit organization that uses art therapy and the visual and performing arts to document, educate and bring about social change for survivors of rape and violence.As an educator, Hettie has taught at several Colleges and Universities, sharing her love for dance and exploring how to create spaces where form and technique are being learned, perspective is being shared, culture is being experienced, and history is being discussed. Hettie has performed nationally and internationally on television, Film, and Stage including on Broadway in the productions \"Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark,\" Tony Award-winning \"FELA!\" (original cast), and the Tony award-nominated \"Leap Of Faith\" (original cast)." } ] } ] ```