This Webseries Turns a Bed-Stuy Stoop Into a Stage
All the stoop’s a stage in documentary web series Stoop55. Directed by artist Stephen Small-Warner, it’s a series of short video portraits of local musicians, comedians, and artists, who perform and tell their stories from the stoop of a Bed-Stuy brownstone. It’s a little like a Brooklyn version of Sesame Street classic “Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?” except with humans instead of muppets.
The cast of characters includes Marr, a masked graffiti artist from South Sweden; Joya Bravo, a singer and violinist who plays with The Roots; The Smiths, a husband and wife singer/music producer duo; and comedian Rallo Boykins, who talks about conning pizza deliverymen. They talk about lessons learned while trying to make careers in the arts, all with the quintessentially Brooklyn backdrop of a brownstone stoop.
Here, some highlight episodes from Stoop55’s second season, released this summer.
Rallo Boykins
Rallo Boykins talks devising a scheme for getting an infinite supply of free pizza at Howard University and turning the “struggle” of his collegiate years into comedy despite self-doubt.
Marr
A masked South Swedish graffiti artist talks working incognito and not being too precious about his painting.
Joya Bravo
A vocalist and violinist from Atlanta and New York talks maintaining a healthy lifestyle while pursuing her dreams and playing with the Roots.
The Smiths
Husband and wife singer-songwriter-producer duo talk touring and give an epic stoop performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWAsRsSM3fM
Stephen Small-Warner and Gavin Webb
The creators of Stoop55 talk making Season 2 and how being on the other side of the camera is weird.
See more episodes of Stoop55 here.