Marie Poncé

Marie Poncé /Conch Woman (Lucayo-Taino/Cherokee), has lived in 8 countries and 7 states, including Burma, Paris, Hong Kong, Israel, Egypt, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, North Carolina, Boston, Westchester, NY, Washington, DC, among others. Growing up the daughter of Danforth Fellow, professor and pioneer of international education, Dr. Theophilus E. McKinney. Her first language was Burmese before English. W. E. B. and Shirley Dubois are Marie Poncé's god-parents.. Marie grew up around noted civil rights activists and artists: Vernon Jordan, Sidney Poitier and Juanita Poitier , Betty Shabazz, Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis and Guy Davis, Earl Graves, among others, and her grandfather and uncles built most of the landmark columned houses in Key West, Florida including the Audubon House renovation Marie is an award winning actor of stage, film, television and voiceover, published writer, a lifetime member, Singer, Shawl and Hoop Dancer for The Thunderbird American Indian Dancers, university professor, singer with Heyna Second Sons Drum Circle, costume designer/ bead and regalia crafts person, administrator, arts instructor and program developer and cater-waiter.She was awarded The Field Residency from The Field NY in spring 2013 and continued to write, compose and choreograph original works in two subsequent Fieldwork residencies in 2014 with performance artist, James Scruggs. She co-produced healing structured improvisation and educational programs for over 300 survivors of civil war and sexual abuse with Restoration and Healing Inc. in Monrovia, Liberia in 2010 and 2012. In collaboration with NMAI and The Jewish Museum, Marie Poncé's solo performance in the Almost Summer Celebration Wagner Park and starring role in SummerStage's Harlem Caravan, Dir. George Faison kept her busy in 2014. Marie Poncé is producer of documentary film on The Thunderbirds in their 50th year and was featured in indie documentary film" Native New Yorkers. She originated the role of Nellie Monk in Monk Laurence Holder Dir. Jasper McGruder featured at the Cairo Opera House during the International Festival for Experimental Theater, Egypt; Theater for the New City and The Gilded Balloon Scotland, winner of Edinburgh, Scotland's Pick of the Fringe and Audelco Award. She is founder of Open Artist NYC openartistnyc.org necartz.com and The NEC Monthly Meets, providing artists and arts organizations with resources to create their art as thriving artists. November, 2014 at Screen Actor's Guild she gave a presentation called: Arts, Grants, Resources and Opportunities and is professor of Character and Atmosphere classes at SAG Conservatory, NYU/Stella Adler Studio of Acting Director and The Negro Ensemble Company's Actor's Training Program after founding and directing The NEC's Arts-in-Education Program. Switching from a Psychology /Pre-Med major, she created her own double major B.A. in English and Theatre with mentoring professor Robin Hunt, Marie graduated from College of the Holy Cross. and went on to study and receive an MA (equivalent) in acting and dramaturgy in the last class of Phillip Meister and Mario Silletti, taught at National Shakespeare Company Conservatory. Peter Lobdell, coach for the original Equus and Elephant Man on Broadway, Robert Perillo, Joan Evans, Jim Tripp of Royal Shakespeare Lomdon and Lisa Jacobson were her teachers on 51st Street, while Linda Hunt was a company member in the Cubiculo, and Tom Oppenheim and Miguel Perez were students. She was then hired by Stephanie Hughley at The Negro Ensemble Company as Wardrobe Supervisor for A Puppet Play by Pearl Cleage creating an 8ft puppet for Brad Brewerlater of the Muppets, which followed A Soldier's Story through Split Second when NEC closed. She then returned to partner with O.L. Duke in 2001 producing The Negro Ensemble Company's Tea, Taxes and Shakespeare, playing multiple roles while managing quick changes in Lou Myers Just A Little Bit of Somethin'. At The World Trade Center, Marie (aka Marmarra McKinney) was a Course Supervisor and Introduction Leader managing production of courses at Landmark Education helping to hold the organization together while hotel hopping with supplies in the wake of 9/11. Donald W King gave her the role of Rose Lee in Fences, which saved her from the fall of building 1 WTC. Marie Poncé developed arts education programs for:Tony Randall's National Actor's Theatre, Learning Through Expanded Arts Program, Phyllis Rose Dance Company, Theatre in Motion and Tony Randall s National Actors Theatre, impacting the lives of thousands of NYC students (pre-K to college). Marie is the writer and traditional arts and accent coach of her play, The Roots of Rap . She was taught by Master Lu Dian Wah of Beijing and Master Edward Aguirre to Martial Arts Coach in Chinese Sword, Tai Chi, Nan Chuan and Wu Shu. Marie Poncé 's Performing Artist Roles Include, TV: helped write, create and perform AWOL the TV pilot for Mad TV with 'Debra Wilson', Tamara Tunie and Carl Kissin, still worker in Martin Scorsese's Boardwalk Empire; Carmen, the waitress on ABC's One Life to Live, Law and Order and NY Undercover, Fed Ex Woman' for Fed Ex Southern Hemisphere at The Hilton Las Vegas, Salt 'n' Peppa's Express Yourself Video, Sesame Street. Film: featured in Steven Spielberg's new Russian Spy Movie St James Place with Tom Hanks, Science Teacher in Matthew Broderick s Stranger's with Candy, Players Wife in For Love of the Game, Robin in Rye Psychiatric Hospital's The Gathering, 'Fed Ex Woman' for Fed Ex Southern Hemisphere (Chicago City Limits), Salt 'n' Pepa's "Express Yourself" Video, Sesame Street, Blue Steel, White Girl, several Spike Lee Joints. Other Theatre: Her in Through Her Eyes "Africa" in Cornbury: The Queen's Governor, "Griot" in Lola Louis's The Children's Legacy. Singer: Adiva, Marvelettes, Funk Guru, Heyna Second Sons. She held 7th place as Miss Delaware in The Miss Black USA Contest, and now lives in Harlem marieponce.com. [email protected]