Page 35 - Provoke Magazine Vol4

Andre Bradford is the perfect example of the talent hidden in the Lone Star State. Some would describe his journey as something straight out of a children’s book. A boyishly handsome young lad, originating from Ar- lington, Texas moves to Los Angeles, Califor- nia to fully discover and live out his dreams. Just like a beautiful movie on the big screen, Andre discovers an art form and outlet that will not only change his life but the lives of others forever!
Andre studied Theatre at the University of Southern California inspiring to become the next big thing. Fate had other plans. While in LA, Bradford would discover “Slam Poetry” and this type of performance art would start
him on a whole new journey with experiences and opportunities that are too numerous to count and to wonderful to
put into words.... but we will try! Andre Bradford:
WELCOME TO THE
STAGE!!!
- Vicci Plum
er and stress of keeping it a secret and empowered oth- er who wrestled with the same issues. I can’t tell you how many times people have approached me after a show and thanked me for saying what they couldn’t. My art was allowing people to feel connected and understood and was therapeutic for me. It took me a while to understand that there is no cure. I feel good some days and bad someday, but I am aware of my limits now and I can offer the same testimony to others who share my experience.
Slam Poetry is real and raw, so I am the most creative when discussing the hard stuff, and I do so carefully and respectfully. It is, in my opinion, important for us to take the time to just listen to each other and rec- ognize that beyond our physical differences we have a lot in common. On that stage, I don’t have to fit in or conform. I can be all of who I am and express my observation of the world. I think this is the art form that the world is really needing right now. I look for- ward to Slam Poetry becoming part of the mainstream and being recognized and spoken of as if it was a genre like country music or jazz. I believe it has a real power to make a difference and get people to see each other. I am really excited to be a part of that and I hope to shape it in some way.
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“I actually wanted to be an engineer prior to acting. When I started theater in high school, I fell in love with it. So, I went to LA to pursue film acting. I did a lot of theater at that time and I was dabbling in auditions too. I noticed there were a lot of movies and commercials be- ing recorded in Austin, Texas so I moved there to take advantage of the opportunities and to be closer to home. Austin was great however with my work schedule I didn’t have the time to pursue acting the way I wanted to. I did purse film acting as much as I could for a while, but I mainly did commercial acting. That’s when I started to notice that there is a certain type of energy you get when you’re on stage that you can’t get when you are filming on a set. I had to find my way back to the stage. I re- membered while at USC I met a man by the name of Javon Johnson who was well known amongst the slam poets. Until that point, I had never really seen that type of art form before. It intrigued me, I was blown away by the quality of work and the willingness to be vulnerable with complete strangers! At the time I had never really thought about it but now was my opportunity.
A friend of mine who lived in Austin invited me to The Austin Poetry Slam and of course, I was eager to go. For six months I didn’t miss a show. Then one day de- cided I have got to try this. So, I started writing. Slam poetry is written to be performed and it still possesses a competitive edge which made it the perfect outlet and platform for a person like myself who had a lot to share and heal from. I came out about my depression and dis- covered that expressing my struggles removed the pow-