Vintage Soul Productions ™
TM
Vintage Soul Productions LLC TM
ARTS & HEALTH
The performing arts are transformative using movement, storytelling, and expression to create catharsis, build empathy, and support healing and recovery.
All of art is a search for ways of being, of living life more fully.
—August Wilson
ARTS, ETHICS, & ACTION
ORS Brings Silence on the Streets to the University of Rhode Island
A week-long residency at the University of Rhode Island brought together public health leaders, law enforcement, and artist Sharece Sellem-Hannah to reimagine overdose prevention through storytelling.
Engaging over 500 participants, the initiative demonstrated how creative expression can break down stigma, humanize data, and inspire real-world prevention efforts across campuses and communities.
I truly appreciate the talk around art and rehabilitation.
When I was 17 yrs old, I was in rehab and the art therapy during the program was truly the only thing that kept me going.
—Undergrad Student, University of Rhode Island
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!
Deadline: June 30, 2026
THE HUMAN SIDE OF HEALTH
Sponsored by:
THE HUMAN SIDE OF HEALTH, A Virtual Public Health Play Series
Season One
​
We are seeking submissions for the inaugural season of The Human Side of Health, a virtual play series that uses theatre to humanize the data behind today's public health challenges. Through storytelling, this series aims to raise awareness, educate the public, reduce stigma, and spark meaningful conversations about issues affecting individuals, families, and communities.
Three plays will be selected for Season One.
​
THEMES
We are seeking 10-minute plays that explore one or more of the following topics:
​
• Substance Use/Recovery
• Depression/Mental Health
• Diabetes
​
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
​
• Maximum 10 pages
• Written in standard play format (include page numbers)
• 2–3 characters only
• No monologues
• IMPORTANT: For your play to be considered, it must be written specifically for a virtual platform as the setting in the script. Virtual format = Zoom, FaceTime video call or similar using a virtual modality as the setting.
Any work submitted that does not incorporate use of a virtual platform will not be considered.
​
• Artificial Intelligence Disclaimer: Plays must be original.
Plays written with artificial intelligence will be automatically disqualified.​
​
• Plays must be written primarily in English. The use of words or brief passages in another language is welcome; however, the majority of the script must be in English.
​
Examples of virtual settings include:
​
• Telehealth appointments
• Virtual support groups
• Zoom meetings
• FaceTime conversations
• Video calls between a case manager and client
• Online recovery meetings
• Virtual family conversations
• Other stories that naturally unfold through technology and virtual communication
​
ELIGIBILITY
​
• New, unproduced, some development history and world-premiered plays are welcome.
• Diverse characters and perspectives are encouraged.
• Playwrights with educational, professional, and/or lived experience in a health-related field, such as public health, healthcare, behavioral health, mental health, recovery services, human services, social work, community health, disability services, caregiving, or related areas preferred.
• Playwrights must have access to Zoom and be able to participate virtually.
• Playwrights must be available to participate in a live post-show discussion following the presentation of their play.
• U.S. based playwrights
​
SELECTED PLAYWRIGHTS WILL RECEIVE
​
• $100 honorarium
• A virtual performance of their play
• Participation in a live discussion about the public health themes explored in their work
• Public presentation on YouTube as part of The Human Side of Health
​
*Please note that all recorded readings and discussions will remain publicly available on YouTube as part of the series archive.
HOW TO SUBMIT
Complete the submission form and upload:
• Play script (PDF)
• Brief playwright bio
• Current CV or résumé
​
SELECTION
If your play is selected, you will receive an email confirming the selection by mid-July 2026.
​
Submission Period:
June 7–30, 2026
Selected plays will be presented in the Fall of 2026.
MERGING PUBLIC HEALTH
Pandemics & Performing Arts Mini-Documentary
STROKE IS NO JOKE
Short PSA Stroke Awareness Documentary
PERFORMING ARTS HEALS THE SOUL
Creates deep catharsis, allowing safe release and processing of emotion
Builds empathy and perspective-taking through lived and shared stories
Supports recovery by providing meaning, identity, and
emotional expression
Regulates the nervous system, reducing stress and promoting stability
Strengthens self-awareness, confidence, and authentic voice
Fosters connection, belonging, and collective healing
"Theatre was not just
something I enjoyed.
It was medicine.
Creating, performing, and even watching theatre and film became a form of catharsis.
It helped me process, understand, and move through experiences that
I didn’t yet have language for. It supported my mental health.
It supported my physical health. It helped me become more whole."
QUICK QUARANTINED
PLAY FESTIVAL (2020)
Created in the wake of COVID-19, the Quick Quarantined Play Festival was a virtual initiative that brought together playwrights and actors to create bold, original work under tight timelines.
​
Designed as a voluntary, artist-led collaboration, the festival invited participants to connect, experiment, and produce new work in real time—fostering creativity, adaptability, and community during a time of isolation.
​
What made the festival uniquely dynamic was its collaborative structure: monologues were written within 24 hours for specific actors, with the actor serving as the muse. Each round moved rapidly—from virtual meet-and-greet, to writing and rehearsal, to final performance culminating in the release of original work within days.
​
Powered by a small but deeply committed team of theatre-makers, the festival created space for creative risk-taking, artistic growth, and meaningful connection across a global community of performers and writers.​
The story behind the development of this festival has been archived at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
THE IMPACT & EXPERIENCE
30+ playwrights & 80+ actors participated across festival rounds
Rapid creation and performance of original work within
24-hour cycles, virtually
Collaborative development between playwrights and actors
Strengthened creative agility, voice, and performance skills
Built artistic community and connection during a
time of isolation
Expanded networks across a virtual, international theatre space
FEATURED WORK FROM THE FESTIVAL
Emerging from this period of rapid, collaborative creation, Sharece developed additional virtual work including Behind the Curtain of COVID-19, a virtual showcase produced and directed by Coalescence Theatre Project that captures the emotional and social realities of 2020.