O-LIVE! THEATRE

Twenty-five years ago, this budding playwright began honing her creative and innovative skills by directing plays written by other artists. After realizing that putting her own "spin" on those plays changed the artists' stories, she began writing, producing and directing her own plays.

Newman is no newcomer to the performing arts as she is multi-talented in music, dance and theater. Learning to play piano and organ at a young age, she became the church organist at age 10 and worked in that capacity until she was 27 years old. In high school, she was pianist for the school chorus all 4 years. As a teenager she started her own dance group The Daughter's of Miriam in 1989, teaching ballet and modern dance. The group continues to thrive today. Also involved in her community, from ages 16-25 she served her local church as Youth Activity Director. Ultimately she was voted in by her peers on a regional level as Youth Activity Director for the Mountain States Council Youth of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, and went on the serve on the national level in the same capacity. Becoming of age, she began to focus on theater and in 2000 she started the TGB Drama Theatre

This 47 year old visionary of African American and Latin descent, is one of the only female minority playwrights in her native Arizona. A performing arts aficionado, Newman soon realized that while her passion for the arts took her many interesting places, Phoenix's West Valley where she lives offered little if anything on the scale she experienced in her travels.  In 2010, Nicole followed up a successful advertising and marketing career at the largest newspaper in Phoenix (The Arizona Republic) and went full-time in the Christian Arts and Entertainment industry.

Nicole's lifelong dream of opening a Community Theatre came to fruition in 2011, but is second only to her vision of diversifying the arts not only in Phoenix but all of Arizona. When asked how the inspiration for this kind of venture came about, Newman stated that her parents Bishop Gregory and Mrs. Cynthia Newman, affluent members of the clergy and thriving pastors in West Phoenix over 40 years taught her to dream big.

A dreamer she is, Nicole also fulfilled her desire to unite faith-based artist and launched the Church Stars Network in July 2015. Church Stars is a digital TV network that showcases Christian entertainment from the stars in the church community. Gospel producers, playwrights and comedians join together in one place to feature their videos, comedies, talk, reality, food, and original shows on the Church Stars Network TV and Mobile App, motivating, uplifting and encouraging viewers everywhere!

Great things are on the horizion for this talented visionary.