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Fairfax Academy,
It was wonderful to see so many of you last week at our Back to School Night! If you were unable to join us, consider logging into Schoology to check out videos created by each of our faculty members.
This week students will begin receiving information for our 4th annual Career Experience Expo. Students are encouraged to join us for the entire day where they will have the opportunity to hear from our fantastic Keynote Speaker, CB Murray. As well as, to select from 4 additional workshops to attend where they will learn from current industry professionals. If you have any questions, please contact me or the Academy office at 703-219-2226.
A reminder that there are no Academy classes on October 13th due to the PSAT/SAT being administered throughout the county. There will also be no Midday (5th period) or PM (7th period) Academy classes on Friday, October 29th due to the end of the quarter.
We are looking forward to hosting our first Musical Theatre and Actor's Studio Showcase in two years on October 26. Please join us here at Fairfax High School to see our fabulous students!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Cook
Mr. Charles “CB” Murray, a producer, artist, composer, writer, choreographer, and performer who is currently living in New York City who will be our Keynote Speaker at this year's Career Experience Expo.
CB has a BA in Theatre for Creative Writing with a Concentration in Social Justice from SUNY Empire State College. While in high school CB got a job at the Haymarket Dinner Theater, in Richmond Virginia, performing in Purlie and Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope during his junior and senior years. He started my professional career in New York City at age nineteen working with the A.M.A.S. Repertory Company under Rosette LeNoire.
Within six months of arriving in New York City, he got his first Actors Equity union job singing and dancing in Storyville, directed by Arthur Faria. In 1981, Michael Bennett hired CB for the Workshop of Dreamgirls, which became his Broadway Debut. He has performed in numerous ‘off Broadway’ shows and twice on Broadway, and has made a living for over two decades composing and producing contemporary music. CB is currently writing, directing and producing original theater works. His original musical Children of God received six nominations from the Midtown International Theatre Festival. CB’s original musical PEARL, based on the life of Pearl Bailey, received five ADULCO nominations while still in development.
CB has directed and choreographed the ‘off Broadway’ hit Film Noir Musical “Wicked City Blues” currently running at The Actors Temple. Additionally, he directed numerous shows around New York City in theaters including CAP 21, Roy Arias Theater, The Producer’s Club, National Black Theater, the Shabazz Center, The Broadway Comedy Club and HERE. He also ran the arts program for the Abundant Water’s Afterschool Program at PS111 in Manhattan for over ten years. CB directed the Arts Department, producing countless productions and CD’s, for the Unbroken Chain Arts Ministry in NYC from 1985 till 2005. He received awards as a teaching artist from the SMPS (Society of Marketing Professionals Services) in 2003 and the US Army Corps of Engineers in 2005, and was ordained through the Apostolic Denomination, by Kingdom Churches Worldwide in 2007. CB received the Union City, New Jersey, Artist of the Year Award from the mayor Bryan Stack and the Board of Commissioners in 2015. In February 2020, CB won The Players Theatre Short Play Festival, his short “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was honored in the 2020 Teaneck International Film Festival, and his screenplay “Ambassador of Love '' won the 2020 Harlem Film Festival for best screenplay.
CB says that he has always found his greatest joy of expression through the arts, and it is his personal goal to continue to create and help produce meaningful works of artistic expression that not only entertain but cause the audience to ponder the idea of doing whatever they can to make this world a better place.
If you have any questions about the Career Experience Expo, please contact Andrea Cook (amcook@fcps.edu) or call the Academy office at 703-219-2226.
If you have any questions about the MTAS Showcase, please contact MTAS Director, Erich DiCenzo (erdicenzo@fcps.edu/703-219-2345).
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