“I need to concentrate on tales, actually about Black folks and BIPOC folks, but additionally tales of highly effective ladies basically and highly effective households,” says “Claws” showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois — and to that finish, she has launched a brand new manufacturing banner, Folding Chair Prods., at Warner Bros. Tv Group. Selection broke the information.
The author-producer, whose showrunner credit additionally embody “The Kings of Napa” and “Self Made: Impressed by the Lifetime of Madam CJ Walker,” took the title from certainly one of her favourite quotes, by the late congresswoman and presidential candidate Shirley Chisholm: “In the event that they don’t offer you a seat on the desk, carry a folding chair.”
“I need the spirit of the ‘folding chair,’ of taking down the glass ceiling and discovering your individual place — not ready for the trade to do it for you — to return by in the entire initiatives that we do, and with the entire writers we work with,” Sherman Barrois defined.
She additionally shared that within the early days of her tv profession, she had not realized the extent of the shortage of alternatives for Black ladies writers till she met different writers of colour “who would say to me, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve by no means been in a author’s room with one other Black individual — I didn’t even know there have been this many individuals of colour wanting to jot down tv!’”
Whereas she acknowledges that extra alternatives have arisen up to now couple a long time, she is aware of there may be nonetheless loads of room for enchancment. “There are numerous artists and writers and administrators on this city and elsewhere that simply want a champion. I need to champion the voices that different folks is perhaps overlooking for no matter cause.” With that in thoughts, Folding Chair seeks to develop thought-provoking, inclusive initiatives with each established and up-and-coming expertise.
The brand new association is a continuation of an ongoing relationship with Warner Bros. TV the place Sherman Barrois has held a number of general offers. Nikita S. Adams, a former agent at Paradigm Expertise Company and A3 Artists Company, will function head of tv.
Sherman Barrois’ earlier credit embody “ER,” “Felony Minds,” and “The Jamie Foxx Present.”
Supply: Women And Hollywood