Hanae mason

Hanae Mason

Contributor

BSR Contributor Since December 31, 1969

A Montgomery, AL native, Hanae Victoria Mason (she/her) earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications from Hampton University and an MPA at the University of Pennsylvania. She works in community advocacy, organizing, and development, and is also a self-employed writer, consultant, creative, and activist based in West Philadelphia.

A Montgomery, AL native, Hanae Victoria Mason (she/her) earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications from Hampton University and an MPA at the University of Pennsylvania. After working in different capacities in the communications field, she was drawn to a new professional path: community advocacy, organizing, and development. Her public space advocacy work has been nationally recognized, and she was named an “Emerging Cities Champion” by the Knight Foundation and 8 80 Cities in 2018. Hanae is currently a self-employed writer, consultant, creative, and activist based in West Philadelphia.

By this Author

17 results
Page 1
A scene from Fat Ham. A close-up on two Black men, one tenderly holding the other's head on his shoulder.

The Wilma presents James Ijames’s ‘Fat Ham’

A story all its own
The ‘Hamlet’-inspired ‘Fat Ham,’ James Ijames’s latest Wilma premiere, could have gone the route of tragedy porn, but it doesn’t end the way you expect. Hanae Mason reviews.
Hanae Mason

Hanae Mason

Reviews 3 minute read
Intense and expressive: Caroline Clay in ‘Etta and Ella on the Upper West Side.’ (Image courtesy of Round House Theatre.)

Round House Theatre and McCarter present Adrienne Kennedy’s ‘Etta and Ella’

Missing Kennedy’s energy
Round House Theatre and McCarter’s Work of Adrienne Kennedy: Inspiration & Influence festival concludes with the stream of ‘Etta and Ella on the Upper West Side,’ a static production that undermines the playwright’s complex text. Hanae Mason reviews.
Hanae Mason

Hanae Mason

Reviews 3 minute read
‘Legendary’ marks the 30th anniversary of ballroom culture in Philadelphia. (Image courtesy of BlackStar.)

‘Legendary: 30 Years of Philly Ballroom’ at the BlackStar Film Festival

Queer history is American history
‘Legendary: 30 Years of Philly Ballroom,’ screened as part of this year’s BlackStar Film Festival, goes behind the fashion, flair, glitz, and glamour to elevate a vital origin story. Hanae Mason reviews.
Hanae Mason

Hanae Mason

Articles 3 minute read
‘Coded Bias’ explores the ways ubiquitous modern technology still carries out the prejudices of its makers. (Image courtesy of BlackStar.)

‘Coded Bias,’ ‘Unapologetic,’ and ‘Nationtime - Gary’ at the 2020 BlackStar Film Festival

Beyond ourselves
Three documentary features at the 2020 BlackStar Film Festival, highlighting activists from the 1970s to today, summarize the current political landscape in Black America. Hanae Mason reviews.
Hanae Mason

Hanae Mason

Articles 5 minute read
Glimmers of Ntozake Shange: the ensemble of ‘Renaissance’ at the Wilma. (Image courtesy of the Wilma.)

The Wilma Theater presents ‘Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale’

Over the rainbow
Sparked by a 2011 social-media post about gentrification, the Wilma’s ‘Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale’ forces you to listen. Hanae Mason reviews.
Hanae Mason

Hanae Mason

Articles 3 minute read
Stunning energy and emotion: Jessica Johnson as Rachel at Quintessence, with Walter DeShields as John Strong. (Photo by Linda Johnson.)

Quintessence Theatre Group presents Angelina Weld Grimké’s ‘Rachel’

An American disease
Angelina Weld Grimké’s 1916 play, ‘Rachel,’ a family drama written to combat the spread of racist US propaganda in the early 20th century, is as relevant today as it was a century ago. Hanae Mason reviews.
Hanae Mason

Hanae Mason

Articles 4 minute read
Big robes to fill: Johnnie Hobbs, Jr. as Thurgood Marshall. (Photo by Mark Garvin.)

The Walnut Street Theatre presents George Stevens Jr.’s ‘Thurgood’

Finding the humanity in our heroes
A recounting of Thurgood Marshall’s life, now onstage at the Walnut, raises important questions about how we measure our heroes’ greatness—and who’s watching. Hanae Mason reviews.
Hanae Mason

Hanae Mason

Articles 5 minute read
Aaron Pond created Sonic Sunsets to help grow an historic Philly neighborhood. (Photo by Jessica Brown)
'Complex[ion] Woman' asks the tough questions that still don't have the answers. (Photo courtesy of RunBoyRun Productions)
In one section of a white-walled gallery, six people with their backs to the camera examine several colorful artworks.

AAMP presents Vision & Spirit: African American Art

Quintessential American stories on loan from Bank of America
A spectacular collection of work is on display at AAMP, including Gordon Parks, Faith Ringgold, and Carrie Mae Weems, thanks to an exhibition loan from Bank of America. Hanae Mason reviews.
Hanae Mason

Hanae Mason

Reviews 5 minute read
Black and white portrait photos are lined up in two rows on a white wall in an exhibit hall

iMPeRFeCT Gallery presents Terrell Halsey's Ascend: Beyond the Veil

Portraiture on the rise
Terrell Halsey’s Ascend: Beyond the Veil is a breath of fresh air for “street portraits,” featuring a collection of photography of Center City Philadelphia from 2015-2020. Hanae Mason reviews.
Hanae Mason

Hanae Mason

Reviews 3 minute read
Gallery view: looking toward the end of a large room, set up as Mason describes in the text. Two people are sitting there.

ICA Philadelphia presents Carolyn Lazard’s Long Take

Somatic and spiritual
Carolyn Lazard examines accessibility, care, and interdependence, with an interdisciplinary installation at ICA that de-emphasizes sight in favor of many other senses. Hanae Mason reviews.
Hanae Mason

Hanae Mason

Reviews 4 minute read
View of Belle’s large video-projection piece, showing a silhouetted person watching a colorful sunset/sunrise over the sea

AAMP and PAFA present Rising Sun: Artists in an Uncertain America

The truth about the sun on America
A major joint exhibition, thanks to an unprecedented partnership between the African American Museum in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, asks whether the sun is rising or setting on American democracy. Hanae Mason reviews.
Hanae Mason

Hanae Mason

Reviews 7 minute read
Two stylistically rotund, relaxed but inquisitive limestone figures sit side by side with their hands on their knees.

The Barnes Foundation presents William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision

Still a fascinating figure
In its exhibition featuring sculptor William Edmondson, who blurred and subverted a lot of what institutions expect from great artists, the Barnes begins to grapple with ways of seeing the artist’s legacy. Hanae Mason reviews.
Hanae Mason

Hanae Mason

Reviews 6 minute read