Joy C. Hooper is an, actress, teacher, and private coach. Joy has been studying acting since her early years in Community Theater.  She then went on to The Baltimore School for the Arts where her concentration was acting.  After receiving her BFA from Howard University she received her Masters in Fine Arts from Penn State University.  While at Penn State Joy taught fundamentals of theater on an undergraduate level for three years.  After graduate school, she then moved to New York City, and along with performing professionally in regional theater and television, Joy has been teaching with a program called ENACT for the last seven years, using creative drama techniques, including role-play, and participatory theater games as a tool for social reform, in all five boroughs of the New York City Public school system.  Joy also serves as Artisitic Director Artistictandard, and acting coach and teacher through her company ‘The Joy Between Us’. She has been seen regionally in such shows as, The African Company Presents Richard III, The Merchant of Venice,Wit, Jitney, Blues For an Alabama Sky , False Creeds, Doubt, and the world premiere of Walter Mosley's 'The Fall of Heaven' (Cincinnati Playhouse).  Joy has also appeared on “Cold Case”, “All My Children”, “As the World Turns” and is most proud of her adaptation of the novel Push, by Sapphire (a one woman show), performed at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland. Joy doesn’t believe in one approach to acting, but believes in tapping into the authenticity of the individual. She firmly agrees with David Cohen in that, ”Acting demands a combination of talent, intellect, imagination, freedom, physical dexterity, vocal strength and flexibility, emotional depth, and an ability to learn from mistakes, criticism, and observation.”

Herb Newsome was born and raised in Staten Island, NY and has been acting since he was a little boy appearing in the films "The Brother From Another Planet", "The Pick Up Artist" and the Off-Broadway play "Black Girl" at the Second Stage Theater. He received his MFA from Penn State and has appeared in a number of theatrical across the country including "Fences", "A Raisin In The Sun", "Jitney", "Oleon & On", "The Meeting", "God’s Trombones", "Revenge of a King", "Take Me Out" and "Macbeth" and "Richard III" at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Since graduate school he has added playwright and director to his resume as well. As a writer he has penned the solo shows "In Devil’s Heaven" which he performed at The Manhattan Theater Source in NYC, "Freeman In Paris" performed at the New Horizon Theater in Pittsburgh, PA and "Revenge of a King", a hip-hop musical based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet which has been produced multiple times including the New York International Fringe Festival and the National Black Theater Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C. and the Cincinnati Black Theater, Black Theater Troupe of Phoenix, and the Paul Robeson Theater in Buffalo NY. As a director, he had directed "Revenge of a King" for the NY International Fringe Festival, the national tour of "Roll of Thunder Hear, My Cry" for the National Theater of Arts and Education, "Forgivable Sins", a finalist at the Samuel French One Act Festival in NYC, "Sing Black Hammer" and "Journey of the Spirits" at the Kuntu Repertory Theater and "Topdog/Underdog" for New Horizon Theater. He has served as the managing director for Charles Dumas’ Loaves and Fish Repertory Theater company for a number of years, and is a founding member of the standard.

 








Nicoye Banks is a native of culturally rich New Orleans  who had the pleasure of connecting with his passion for acting at the early age of twelve. Participating in area poetry contests and highly competitive Speech and Debate Forensics competitions, ( click here to learn more about Forensic competitions )  both on the regional and national level, Nicoye began public speaking and mastering the art of words and soon became a crowd favorite. Most notable, his portrayal of Travis from  "Raisin in the Sun." These competitions afforded the young New Orlean many opportunities to exercise his creative muscles, including playing several diverse characters in George C. Wolfs remarkable  "Colored Museum" and his first film  "Heart of Stone",  working opposite Clifton Davis, in which Banks brilliantly inhabits the role of a defiant teen on the crossroads of life and death. Director, Tommye Myrick   (Southern University of New Orleans Theater/Tommye Myrick Info) encouraged Nicoye to take his undeniable talent to New York, study and pursue his dream.
It was not long after his arrival to New York that he began beating the pavement and started studying at the renowned Gene Frankel Theater. Exciting roles soon followed in theater and television.  "Zooman and The Sign" , "A Hatful of Rain", "Death of a Salesman", "Law and Order" and a recurring role on ABCs  "One Life To Live" to name a few. After continued study and diligent hard work this up and coming leading man began breaking ground in major motion pictures. Staring opposite Blair Underwood in  G  as the energetic and memorable B. Mo Smoov, "Invincible" opposite Mark Wahlberg, the soon to be released  "Green Zone"  with Matt Damon and  "Brooklyns Finest" with Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes. A dedicated father and member of the illustrious  Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Nicoye's plate is continuously full. He is also a founding member and Creative Director ofThe Standard an organization that seeks to empower artists to create and achieve to ones greatest potential. A creator by nature Nicoye intends to bring to the stage and screen an illuminated look at the historical expressions of African American culture unique to his native home, New Orleans,
where it all began. Nicoye is a dynamic, diverse, passionate and creative actor whos work ethics are admirable. He brings truth and authenticity to every role he portrays.





Azania Shange was born in a Brownstone apartment in Brooklyn, NY to parents Tsitriyah Heath and Muntu Shange;  Azania Shange is the middle child of three sisters. Always an attention getter, Azania is a natural performer.   Her early ambitions leaned toward dancing and singing which evolved into a love of writing and “creating".  Azania graduated with honors from Howard University with a degree in Communications as a TV Production Major, and Theater Arts Minor.  For a few years she interned and freelanced as a producer for television networks CBS (News), Fox News Channel, MTV, and BET but it wasn’t until a close friend was diagnosed with Cancer that Azania decided to challenge herself.  Friend and Acting Coach, Tracey Moore, encouraged Azania to enroll in The Spirited Actor (TSA) class and it was within those walls that Azania found her calling.  Azania trained with TSA for two years before joining forces with Tracey where she worked as a Creative Consultant.   In addition to her work as a consultant, Azania continued to act; landing roles on stage and in film.  Azania landed her first lead role as Rita in the independent student film, “FEET,” she starred as Jamie in the stage play “All About A Man,” and she appeared in the HBO Urban World Film Festival as Folade in “Striver’s Row” – just to name a few.  Following her work with TSA Azania continued her studies with Acting Coach Joy C. Hooper of “The Joy Between Us” where she served as, both, student and Teaching Assistant.   Joy’s mentor-ship eventually led to an invitation for Azania to join the artist collective, The Standard - founded by Joy C. Hooper, Nicoye Banks, Herb Newsome, and Danielle Davenport. In the spring of 2009 Azania Shange humbily accepted and officially joined The Standard family, an honor she shares with fellow members ChiChi Anyanwu and Thaddeus Daniels. 

Thaddeus Daniels hails from Wilmington, NC and is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill. Upon graduation he studied acting primarily with two people, Jeff Storer of Duke University and Manbites Dog Theater and black theater legend, Ernie McClintock. Once in New York, Thaddeus became a member of Circle Rep Lab wher he played the lead character, "Paul", in their critically acclaimed production of "God, the Crackhouse and the Devil by Lee Simon at La Mama Etc. With them he also helped develop the play, "Same Train" also by Lee Simon. Thaddeus has performed at the National Black Theater Festival in Ernie McClintock's production of Cheryl West's, "Before It Hits Home", playing lead character, Wendal. He has toured nationally with famed comedian/impersonator, Rich Little, in his production, "The Presidents". Television credits include the shows: 100 Centre Street, Third Watch, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, All My Children and One Life To Live. Film credits include: 27 Dresses and Half Nelson. Thaddeus is proud to be a member of The Standard as they promote the same values and goals under which he was groomed.