BODYCOUNT
amani meliyah & Maleek Rae
CREATIVE TEAM
Director, Co-Creator - amani meliyah
Writer, Co-Creator, Featured Performer - Maleek Rae
Intimacy Coordinator: Carlton V Bell II "cj"
Lighting Designer: Amara Payton McNeil
Sound Designer: LeiOra Hughes
Stage Manager: Deletris Bryant
Production Assistant: Donovan Rogers
CAST
Taj Burroughs, Murphy Lorenzo Applin, UGBA, Valentina Johnson, Graciella Ye' Tsunami, and Maleek Rae
Find them: amanimeliyah.com @amanimeliyah maleekrae.univer.se @maleekrae
You dug a hole, now lie in it. BODYCOUNT is a raw, visceral exploration of what it takes to rise from the depths of our own making. Set in a cruising park, this play delves into the simplest, most primal truth—sometimes all we really want is a little connection and to feel held. It follows Gatekeeper, an aspiring photographer yearning to craft a world where large Black queer bodies can simply exist, and be embraced in gardens. The story whispers of longing, vulnerability, and the fierceness of reclaiming space in a world that too often deems that those who are fat and black are of less worth.
Written by Maleek Rae and directed by amani meliyah, BODYCOUNT combines their unique talents in a collaborative, community-driven experience that explores vulnerability, healing, and the human need for intimacy.
The show is 100 minutes.