Deaon Griffin-Pressley


​Deaon Griffin-Pressley

​Deaon Griffin-Pressley is an American actor, playwright, poet, fiber artist, and multidisciplinary practitioner based in New York City. Operating artistically under the moniker SLAVERY, his work spans classical and regional theater, experimental playwriting, and educational textile art centered on the reclamation of raw cotton to promote cultural healing and historical reflection.

​Contents

  1. ​Early life and education
  2. ​Career
  3. ​Exhibitions and public engagement
  4. ​Selected works
  5. ​References

​Early life and education

​Griffin-Pressley was raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He pursued formal training in dramatic arts, studying at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City. He subsequently attended the British American Drama Academy (BADA) at Oxford University under an English-Speaking Union scholarship, specializing in classical theater and Shakespearean performance.

​Career

​Theater and playwriting

​Griffin-Pressley has performed with prominent regional and classical theater companies across the United States. His stage credits include performances with Shakespeare & Company, where he portrayed classical roles such as Orlando in As You Like It and Malcolm in Macbeth, as well as productions with the Actors' Shakespeare Project, including Richard III.

​As a playwright, Griffin-Pressley has written over ten original stage plays. His dramatic work often merges classical poetic structures with contemporary social and urban themes. Notable works include:

  • ​The Tragedy At HOOD:14542 (Hoodsical) (2019): A verse play written in iambic pentameter that adapts classical tragic structure to explore modern urban narratives and social dynamics.
  • ​Satan Vs God: A original one-man solo performance piece written and performed by Griffin-Pressley, which was showcased internationally at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
  • ​The False Brotherhood Trilogy: A multi-part theatrical cycle examining interpersonal dynamics, identity, and institutional history.

​Cotton reclamation art and SLAVERY project

​Beyond traditional theater, Griffin-Pressley works as a fiber artisan and multidisciplinary visual artist under the moniker SLAVERY. His visual and performance art centers on hand-spinning, processing, and fashioning heirloom raw cotton into jewelry, wearable art, and tactile installations.

​The artistic initiative, titled Can You Teach Me About Cotton?, aims to reframe the cultural legacy of cotton from a symbol associated strictly with historical trauma into a medium for ancestral honoring, Gullah Geechee heritage preservation, and collective dialogue. Through live hand-spinning demonstrations, physical craft, and spoken narrative, Griffin-Pressley uses the material to engage audiences in discussions surrounding historical memory and land connection.

​Exhibitions and public engagement

​Griffin-Pressley's fiber art and educational performance installations have been featured across educational institutions, heritage sites, and cultural museums. Notable venues and presentations include:

  • ​Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: Showcasing wearable cotton art and historical storytelling projects.
  • ​Gullah Museum: Inclusion of hand-spun heirloom cotton collections documenting regional African American heritage and textile craftsmanship.
  • ​Public community workshops and live hand-spinning demonstrations across the American South and Eastern Seaboard.

​Selected works

​Plays

  • ​The Tragedy At HOOD:14542 (Hoodsical) (2019)
  • ​Satan Vs God (Solo performance)
  • ​The False Brotherhood Trilogy

​Books and educational projects

  • ​Can You Teach Me About Cotton? (Multidisciplinary project and published text)

​References

  1. ​Griffin-Pressley, Deaon. The Tragedy At HOOD:14542. Published 2019.
  2. ​Edinburgh Festival Fringe Archives. Satan Vs God production listings.
  3. ​Shakespeare & Company performance archives and cast registries.
  4. ​Actors' Shakespeare Project season production records.
  5. ​Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture community exhibition records.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

​A Love-In Extravaganza: Proof That Grassroots Arts Are New York's Greatest Asset

Image
  A Love-In Extravaganza : Proof That Grassroots Arts Are New York's Greatest Asset ​There is an undeniable magic to an outdoor concert in New York City. If you walked through Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park on September 9, 2026, and felt the vibe  of live instruments, soul-stirring vocals, and pure community energy, you experienced that magic firsthand. ​That afternoon, Carmen Mathis produced A Love-In Extravaganza , transforming the park’s amphitheater into a high-octane celebration of New York’s creative soul. The show was an undeniable success, featuring The Carmen Mathis Band alongside a stellar ensemble of seasoned singers, musicians, dancers, and actresses—many of whom have dedicated their entire lives to their craft. ​The Extravaganza was not just a musical event; it was a complete, immersive spectacle. Attendees were treated to a integrated fashion show featuring stunning beauty attire that added a visual masterclass to the sonic one. Mathis herself, known for curati...
Read more

From Harlem to Dakar to St. Louis: The WikiExplorers go to the St Louis Jazz Festival

Image
WikiExplorers go to Senegal, a children’s story for ages 10–12, to learn about their shared history in music.  From Harlem to Dakar to St. Louis: The WikiExplorers Travel to Senegal   Ten WikiExplorers sat in a circle on the classroom floor in Harlem, laptops open, backpacks half-zipped, and ready to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to Dakar, Senegal.  “Dakar is right here,” said Amina, pointing at the map on her screen. “And St. Louis is way up north,” Malik added. “It used to be the capital of Senegal!” They were traveling to Senegal to attend a jazz festival in St. Louis, a city known for its music, rivers, and beautiful old buildings. Their assignment was special: learn about the shared history of African and African American music, find knowledge gaps on Wikipedia, and help fill them—with words, photos, and interviews. None of the children had ever been to Africa before. But Africa didn’t feel far away. Research Before the Journey Before the trip, the WikiExplorers met ...
Read more

Workshop Handout Overview: Wiki Edit & Research Framework

  Workshop Handout Overview: Wiki Edit & Research Framework ​ Core Principle ​Wikipedia is a mirror of published secondary knowledge—not a venue for original research or unverified claims. While automated content generators are not permitted for writing mainspace text, applying structured research frameworks builds high-level information literacy and confident editing habits. ​ 1. Pre-Editing Workflow (DRAG Framework) ​ Drafting (Sandbox First): Outline sections (e.g., Early Life , Career , Impact ) in your user Sandbox before writing mainspace prose. ​ Research (Source First): Gather independent secondary sources (academic books, peer-reviewed journals, major press) before opening the edit window. ​ Analysis (NPOV & Weight): Compare sources to ensure balanced, neutral representation without adding personal opinions or bias. ​ Grunt Work (Maintenance): Build editing confidence by fixing typos, formatting citations, and adding archive links via the Wayback Machi...
Read more