ABOUT MAGALY
ACTRESS.WRITER.PRODUCER.DIRECTOR.
Acting and writing are my primary creative mediums. Acting is my pathway to continued growth, self awareness, and re-examining the complexities of human interaction. Writing allows me to be a conduit for perspectives and truths waiting to be revealed.
I write screenplays and plays from a viewpoint heavily influenced by the complexities and wonders of Haitian culture and history, family stories, as well as my experiences as a born-and-bred New Yorker.
As the Founder/Producing Artistic Director of Conch Shell Productions my mission is to be instrumental in the development, production, and showcasing of new works by Caribbean Diaspora & Caribbean writers in order to infuse American theatre and film with unique, diverse stories that inspires social change.
I received my B.A. from Columbia University, MBA from Binghamton University, and MFA in Acting from Geffen School of Drama at Yale.
2023 works-in-progress
access granted
I am honored to announce that I am the recipient of the 2023 Queens Arts Fund (QAF) New Work Grant in support of the development of her new play Access Granted, a mixed-media play with music that will explore a Haitian American woman's quest to heal generational trauma and the impact of immigration.
About the October 18th Workshop Reading
Access Granted is a mixed-media play with music that explores a Haitian American woman's quest to heal generational trauma. The work explores the impact of immigration on the spirit of Haitian people of the diaspora - from the historic Haitian Elite Exodus which took place during Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier’s terrifying rule (1957-1971) to the 1991 migration by boat. It also explores the impact of family separation which impacted thousands of Haitian families who left their offspring in Haiti with caretakers as they sought to create a stable home for them in the United States.
Thanks to the QAF New Work Grant, this is the first time that I will be sharing this play with the public. I will be collaborating with director Aixa Kendrick, sound designer Oja Vincent and our talented cast to explore the soundscapes, movements and interactions that bring to life a nonlinear, intergenerational magical play.
Play synopsis
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Haitian American Marie calls upon her Haitian ancestors to help her daughter Grace free her mind from the grip of negativity, the cancel culture, and the digital world to find her way to her predestined spiritual path. Both figuratively and literally trapped by the effects of spiritual toxicity and social alienation, Grace is taken on a multidimensional journey to find her spirit's song. Can a community of ancestors help Marie guide and save her daughter?
CAST INFO COMING SOON
re-enacted testimonials from the people of Haiti.
This series features separate standalone re-enactments of adapted/translated testimonials from people living in Haiti today. The identity of each Haitian person who contributed their stories is anonymous.
The goal is to awaken the awareness of the international community to the courage and strength of the Haitian people, and to help end the inhumane conditions of their existence. The film will feature subtitles in Dutch, English, French, Haitian Creole, Papiamentu, and Spanish (the languages spoken in the Caribbean).
In response to the daily injustice and violence in my ancestral lands, I have begun shooting rough cuts of this project and sharing them via social media as a public service. Can art affect social change? Did Picasso’s “Guerina” help raise awareness of the war and raise necessary funds? Yes. Just as the image of women and children make Guernica the image of innocent, defenseless humanity victimized, I hope this anthology will do the same for the plight of Haitians who choose to stay in their homeland.
You may wonder “Is there a war being waged in Haiti?” There is an undeclared war occurring in Haiti - a war of the wealthy ravaging the middle class and the poor. May this anthology universalize the story and the struggle of Haiti’s people to attain autonomy and liberty.
I am currently raising funds to fully produced this film as a Conch Shell Productions project.
Contact me if you would like to make a tax deductible donation to support this project.
grants & awards
