What perspective do you bring to the artistic landscape?
I bring myself; my wholly unique self. I’m a multi-hyphenate; a creative; a storyteller across disciplines and mediums. I'm an optimist that loves the horror genre. Screams and laughter come from nearly the same place which is why I aim to create both horror and humor in my work. Messiness scares me, but that’s what I like to create—moments of messiness made beautiful (maybe). My parents have been together for nearly forty five years and maybe that makes me a hopeless romantic or maybe it’s why romance is rarely in what I write; maybe it intimidates me. But there’s a lot of love in what I write. I admire Flip Wilson, and I have a lot of aunts and maybe that’s why I have a female comedic persona named Sheryl. Sheryl is over 50 and doesn’t bite her tongue. I’m personally learning not to bite my tongue; it hurts.

I do Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion work and that often teaches me a lot about people’s resistance to change; and especially white people’s resistance to change. For me this makes me create work for my community, not with white people in mind, because that’s a necessary paradigm shift in our collective consciousness. Let’s decenter whiteness. Trans Black Lives Matter and need to be represented more on all platforms. I hope that in my being and in my business I make more room for them, my sisters and brothers.

I think very rhythmically, so rhythm is in what I create. I’m really particular about this, especially for my on-screen work. From sketch comedy to short films to fully staged productions, if the rhythm is on point, impact is inevitable. I performed at The People’s Improv Theater weekly doing musical improv for almost two years and so have built a deep belief in intense listening, “making it up as you go along” and the certainty of happy accidents.

I performed in Amateur Night at The Apollo when I was seven years old and won! This made me pretty dang popular in elementary school and even now I still have worries that my level of recognized success might have peaked at that very young age. I aspire to feel that popular again. LOL (I think I’m kidding . . . Eeek!) I deeply admire Wayne Brady, Dave Chapelle, Jordan Peele, and Jaleel White (aka Steve Urkel) and I hope to work with or perform as all of them.

As a podcast host I am passionate that everyone’s story of personal struggle and eventual triumph is a bridge to connect each and every one of us. It’s why I’m grateful for the platform of The 180. And ultimately I bring to the artistic landscape all the colors of my own joy, pain, sunshine, and rain as a rainbow that I’m hoping appears as a beautiful transparent bridge. Let’s connect.

How has your artistic credo evolved in the past year?
My artistic credo has consistently focused on compassion, joy, and magic as its foundation. I want whoever experiences my work to know that those three things are possible for them. 2020 has evolved that credo to include radical imagination and healing. Imagination was vital for getting through 2020. We've been re-imagining what the theatre industry can and should be for the BIPOC community, re-imagining a country that defunds the police and also imagining new worlds in media that's being consumed, like the HBOMax series Lovecraft Country. So my imagination has been sparked more, and I think additionally the need for escapism has felt more present since the pandemic hit. I've been fortunate enough to escape New York City and spend time in nature, seeing and experiencing new things, which I also know rekindled a passion for discovery that's inherent to imagination. Imagination requires belief; seeing the unseen, and right now I believe we need more of that. Healing has been added to my artistic credo simply because I know I've been hurt and I've experienced the collective blows of 2020 as an opportunity to prioritize healing as a necessity. I hope people can experience my work and see those elements at play: compassion, joy, magic, radical imagination, and healing.

How do you navigate working in a field where you are constantly subject to critique?

I have self-care practices that remind me that my worth lies in how I see myself and how I treat myself. These include meditation, working out, journaling, stating affirmations. These are things I do solely for myself and holding myself accountable to do them daily or weekly is more often how I measure success. Attention and moreover praise for my art is icing on the cake. As I'm in the process of creating anything, I know that whatever the project is, it's an outlet for me. Directly or indirectly I get to express my joy, dress my wounds, expose my hurts, offer a tribute, be messy, be unapologetic, and ultimately, be anyway I want. That is a special opportunity; that's sacred to get to express that in an artistic way. AFTER I've created that expression then if I decide to share it, then ultimately my goal is that it reaches someone and makes a difference for them, even if just for a moment. Beyond being able to express myself through my art, how it's received I can't control, so I can't place too much concern or value in that. But being brave enough to create the expression and then put it out there to be received is what I celebrate. There's great bravery in creating and sharing and knowing that simply because you shared, you made an impact.

How do you cultivate joy in your life when you’re not creating?
I personally think we're ALL creators and we're ALWAYS creating. We are constantly creating the lives we want to live with our mindset, our focus, our habits, our actions, and our intentions. Beyond that, what we decide to wear, how we wear our hair, the way we make our food or set up our desk, are all creative acts. I'm able to find joy in ALL of that—in my very being—because I'm constantly creating. When I'm outside the more traditional expectations of the creative process, I'm cultivating joy by dancing around my apartment, laughing with friends, grabbing tea or coffee from my favorite barista in Harlem, being silly with my brother, reading a book, Netflix (and chill), listening to new music or my fave 90's RnB, lighting candles (check out Jean Gray Candle Co.), strolling around Morningside Park, making travel plans (even just in my head), making up silly songs, encouraging my friends, leaving ridiculous voice mails, staring at my pet fish, writing affirmations, meditating, working out, and reminding myself to sometimes just be still and rest.

What do you want to bring to theatre when it returns?
I want to bring new genre-bending work that centers Black folx and expands our collective imagination. I want to bring new work to the theatre that also happens off the stage and maybe doesn’t even have a stage or building. I want to and will bring my community. I’ll bring new voices. I’ll bring better pay and a better environment that acknowledges the wholeness of our humanity even as artists. Artistry should not be defined by level of sacrifice or “starving.” I will change that in whatever ways big or small I can. I’ll bring more possibility and more awe and perhaps one day in the future someone will share with me how Sweet Chariot reassured them that they had a place in this industry; that their unique voice was necessary and welcome. That’d be nice. Even if that never happens I’m bringing more of me and mine once theatre returns!

You can follow Lockley on social media at @iamericlockley.