Meet Summer Dawn | Founder & Director, In Full Color

We had the good fortune of connecting with Summer Dawn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Summer, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
As an actress in the early 2010s, it was hard finding Asian or Hispanic roles that were fleshed out and interesting — and honestly, that weren’t stereotypical or problematic! I started writing my own monologues, one-woman shows and plays so I could share my story in my voice. It was so liberating being able to create and play characters that shared my experiences and dreams. I knew other women of color needed to feel this incredible feeling too, so I partnered with a local arts organization to stage the first In Full Color, a theatrical showcase with about a dozen women from various backgrounds sharing their stories in their voices. The show was an instant hit and people began asking us to perform at schools, universities, corporate events and more. We made our theatrical showcase an annual event and started doing all sort of other projects throughout the year. Over time, we started working with creators from other art forms and have been expanding and evolving as a full-fledged business ever since.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve always been super creative. Back when I was growing up in Colorado Springs, I would use interfolded printer paper to create picture books or a karaoke machine with a built-in cassette recorder to document the characters, worlds and dramas I was creating. My brain spun faster than my little hands could write! Eventually, I learned how to type and once I got consistent access to word processing and the Internet, it was over! I wrote short stories and (attempted) novels and eventually, plays. I really found my footing in the world of theater, and discovered that I loved performing almost as much as I did writing.

It definitely hasn’t been easy establishing myself as an artist, especially because I grew up very poor and was raised mostly alone by an abusive, chronically ill mother whom I also had to care for from an early age. I did really well in school and was supposed to go to Duke University, but I ended up not going to college as I had to start working and taking care of her. Fortunately, I was able to get work as a journalist pretty quickly by the merits of my writing alone, and eventually became a local arts reporter in Hudson County, N.J. I was able to learn from other folx who were creating the kind of work I wanted to create, and eventually, I began writing, directing and producing my own work too. Today, I’m coming up on 10 years of freedom from my mother, and am pleased to say I’ve used the past decade to not only advance my work as an artist, but also to help others.

Through In Full Color, I’ve been able to work with about 300 artists from all over the U.S. — and even a few countries overseas! Creating a platform for BIPOC artists of all backgrounds and art forms has been by far the most immensely rewarding thing I’ve done in my art career. In our play development series The Nest, we help playwrights find actors and audiences for their new scripts so they can get valuable feedback and even production aid. We have visited universities, libraries and schools across the countries to share monologues, songs and poems by diverse voices so that students of all genders and colors can learn more about people who are not like them — or, see themselves represented on stage! We’ve published books, organized public concerts, held diversity trainings, raised money for activist groups, created a comedy series and more. It feels like every day we’re meeting more artists who need our support and new audiences hungry for these authentic stories.

The best part is knowing that art creates empathy, and empathy creates change. By sharing the experiences of women of color, and of trans and gender non-conforming folx of color, we are helping all people better understand each other. And when you better understand each other, it’s easier to cultivate empathy and love. We hope that connection carries through to the polls, to the legislative seats, to the board rooms, to the dean’s offices — that every place of power can be penetrated with compassion, advocacy and a passion for justice that uplifts marginalized people of all backgrounds. We believe that our art is more than art; our creativity and our stories can help make the world a better place.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ahh, sorry, I am not from Denver, so I’m unsure how to answer this question! I would love to be that visiting best friend, though 😉

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We’ve been supported and uplifted by so many other creators in our area like Art House Productions and Nimbus, and we’ve also been growing our international base rapidly thanks to our partners at Visit.org. They helped us pivot online and begin doing more virtual artist showcase for corporate clients, which helped us weather and survive — nay, thrive! — during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Website: infullcolor.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infullcolorus_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/in-full-color/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/infullcolorus

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/infullcolorus

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@infullcolor

Image Credits
Dan Joseph, AcidTest Photography, Brooklyn Art Book Fair