The Table.

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Premieres Valentine’s Day on Black Oak TV Watch here

Seven years, two people, one life. The journey of London and Ed’s relationship is told over seven years at their dining room table.

Created, written and directed by award winning filmmaker Caralene Robinson, this eight episode digital series narrates the life of a modern day Black couple. Ed, raised in Newark, is an up and coming Wall Street trader who hustled his way from the mailroom to the trading floor. London, the product of a Black yogi and white physician from Sedona, Arizona, has an alternative view of the world. The two could not be more different, but embark on a shared journey of life and love.

"The Table" explores a range of themes, including the non-monolithic experience of Black people, privilege, impostor syndrome and education versus street experience. Each episode will showcase a snapshot of Ed and London's relationship over the seven year cycle. From their initial one night stand, marriage, family and challenges, we see the inner workings of a Black relationship in its most vulnerable place - the home.

Playing | London Alberty
Devin Nelson was born in NYC. As the daughter of a law enforcement officer and a librarian, Devin was taught to value discipline and storytelling. Her childhood was spent forcing playmates to act in sketches she authored, as well as creating her own original content. Growing up on MTV and SNL, it seemed natural for her to start studying dance and acting early on - performing in musicals at Gateway Playhouse in elementary school and ultimately earning a BFA in Acting at Marymount Manhattan College.
In addition to honorable achievements in acting, including a Breakthrough Performance Award at the International Filmmaker Festival of New York, Devin has experienced a slew of varied accolades. From performing in The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, to viral videos about dead pop stars, and a stint on $100,000 Pyramid opposite R&B legend Usher, her life has been a series of happy surprises.
A lifelong theatre geek, her most memorable roles include Juliet in a puppet-infused version of the Shakespeare classic, as well as Hermia in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." She also co-wrote and starred in the play "The Rare Upper Hand," which premiered at the Davenport Theatre. As for her work in film, it was Devin's star turn in the indie feature "One Bedroom" opposite Darien Sills-Evans that garnered her national and international festival attention. She is currently (as of Fall 2020) working on her own projects, which include a series based on her public transportation experiences in NYC and a one woman show inspired by her teenage social media exploits.

Playing | Edson Riggs
Brandon J. Shaw is an American film, television, and theatre actor who also dabbles in screenwriting. He has studied at various schools such as the Lee Strasberg Institute, William Esper Studio and the Susan Batson Studio . He was born in New York City. His mother is of Jamaican descent, Scottish and Irish descent and his father is American.
Lover of the arts from a very young age, always full of life and knows how to entertain a crowd; Brandon is the actor’s actor. Brandon acted in several school plays, a range of diverse roles, but it wasn’t until high school where he auditioned for Henrik Ibsen’s, “A Dolls House” where his acting prowess was first truly acknowledged. He secured the role of Nils Krogstad, and has flourished ever since. It was then that it had sparked even more interest in his abilities.
With his growing experiences he auditioned to compete with over 2000 promising actors to study at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. Brandon went on studying to harness his craft in Method Acting and Improvisation. He exceeded his acting skills by studying at the New York Film Academy. He is currently learning the Meisner technique. Brandon went on to acting in various independent shorts and features.
Always looking for a challenge and doing his best to convey the message of his roles and it goes without saying this professional talent is a successful seller of the arts.

Playing | Cornelius Blue
Alexander Manuel is a dynamic Dominican-Peruvian American actor based out of New York. Born in Queens and raised in the small town of Brentwood. Alex spent his youth playing basketball and writing music. His admiration of the arts and love for television and film laid the foundation for his pursuit of acting. Alex credits his attendance at a theatre rehearsal of his late friend as the motivation behind his passion. Alex's formal training includes an array of notable study at HB Studios, Stella Adler's Studio of Acting, and The Peoples Improv theater along with numerous workshops throughout New York City.
With impeccable talent and a knack for diversified abilities, Alex is a self-taught Editor and Producer with constant desire to enhance his skill-set, sharpen his acting persona, and self-publish content. Alex is a true believer in the positive influence that creativity and performance can have on our lives. He hopes that he can one day produce notable content that is relatable and timeless with the ability to inspire another to do something great and change the world.
In his private life, Alex enjoys spending time with his family, reading, writing, watching sports (basketball, football or boxing) dining out (Pizza, Seafood, anything off a grill) and if the weather permits going to the beach...he aspires to include all of the things he loves into a day's journey!

Playing | Dolores Riggs
Quintessential Harlem girl, Gracie Award winner, and life-long New Yorker, Bevy Smith is the host of Sirius XM’s “Bevelations” on Radio Andy. Once a wildly successful luxury fashion publishing exec, Bevy shifted her professional goals over a decade ago to pursue a life in front of the camera. A pop culture aficionado and fashion expert, Bevy served as moderator of Bravo TV’s revolutionary “Fashion Queens," and was a former co-host on the nationally syndicated “Page Six TV.” Bevy continues to be part of “The Wendy Williams Show’s Style Squad.” Smith’s debut book, “Bevelations: Lessons from a Mutha, Auntie, Bestie,” which details her transition from a fashion advertising executive into a media personality was published through Andy Cohen Books, the new eponymous imprint at Henry Holt and Company, on January 12, 2021.
For the past five years, Bevy has hosted “Fashion for Action,” an annual fundraiser for Housing Works, a New York-based thrift store chain and advocacy group that helps find appropriate housing for people living with HIV and AIDS. In 2017, Smith was named Community Champion of AIDS Organization Harlem United. Additionally, Bevy is on the board of Cool Culture, a charity devoted to raising awareness among underprivileged children. Bevy is also both a formal and informal mentor to many, she takes great pride in being a part of WEEN (Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network).

Playing | Allegra Alberty
Yvette Ganier, currently starring in Ms/Manage on Black Oak TV as LaDonna Gooden and recurring on New Amsterdam as Nurse Linda Weber, Yvette is well known for her work with August Wilson having created both the roles of Rena in Jitney and Black Mary in Gem of the Ocean.

Playing | Twin
I do the stuff that takes no talent to do: arrive on time, get the job done, listen, learn and influence. I'm the kid that sat in the back of the class and aced everything in high school, only to find out that the real world is much, much harder. I’ve stepped up to the plate and hit home runs ever since. I am result-driven and resourceful, which makes me a valued leader. I am consistent and disciplined, which makes me a valued team member. At the end of the day, I'm just looking to grow. I'll never stop doing that. Along the way, I'm going to have as much fun possible. Let's work together.

Creator / Director
Caralene Robinson is a producer, director, writer, and marketer. Her work focuses on the self- actualization of women and underrepresented groups.
Her work as a producer includes four time Emmy nominated “King Ester” (Issa Rae Presents), “Versailles '73: American Runway Revolution” (Prime Video), and “Sauce” (BRIC TV), “Any Given Night”, and feature documentary “The Sound She Saw” premiering at 2022 Urbanworld. Her award-winning body of work as a writer/director includes short films “Reopening” (Allblk) and “Disordher” (Prime Video). She is the creator and showrunner of the digital series “Ms/Manage” (Black Oak), and director of “The Hotline” (BETHer). Brand campaigns include Dove, AARP, Compass, Shea Moisture and The City of Newark.
Caralene’s projects have premiered at Berlin, Outfest, Chicago International, ABFF, New Orleans International, Raindance, Frameline, Newfest and Pan African film festivals.
Her marketing experience includes roles at Viacom and Global Citizen.

Director / Story Editor
JAMAL HODGE is a multi-award-winning filmmaker and writer from Queens NYC who has won over 80 awards with screenings at Tribeca Film Festival, Sundance, Cannes, and others. He directed the entire first season of Investigation Discovery Channel's 'Primal Instinct' and is a Producer on the Animated feature film 'Pierre The Pigeon Hawk' (starring Jennifer Hudson, Snoop Dog, and Whoopi Goldberg). Hodge is also directing the PBS docuseries, 'Southern Storytellers' (2022). As a writer, Jamal is an active member of The Horror Writer's Association and the SFPA, being nominated for the 2021 & 2022 Rhysling Awards. While his poem 'Colony' placed 2nd at the 2022 Dwarf Stars, making him the first Black poet to place in the history of the competition. His work is featured in the Anthology 'Chiral Mad 5' alongside such legends as Stephen King, Josh Malerman, and Langston Hughes.

Writer
Nina Simone Moore is a Writer / Producer based in Brooklyn. Using various mediums to create and relay narratives, she identifies as a storyteller. Simone hails from Atlanta, GA and graduated from Wesleyan University with a Bachelors of Arts in English - Creative Writing concentration. She then spent time in LA producing her own short films and plays. Amassing experience on both coasts, Simone has been a Production Coordinator and Producer in New York since 2016. She remains enamored with the script to screen process, and looks forward to bringing this story to life.

Supervising Producer / Director
Crystal Whaley is a 3x EMMY Award winning creative producer, ep, director/writer and development executive in film/TV and digital. She’s developed, supervised produced and executive produced award winning scripted and non-scripted TV series, commercials, music videos and premium nationally syndicated and Peabody nominated documentaries for TLC, Showtime, MSNBC, Discovery +, Netflix as well as the 2022 EMMY award winning and 2023 Peabody nominated digital series, Un(re)solved for Frontlines/PBS currently streaming.
Also a photographer and an independent museum and art gallery curator, her projects have been featured at: Urbanworld, BronzeLens, St. Louis International Film Festival, Reel Sisters of the Diaspora & Tribeca film festivals along with the Brooklyn Museum, Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD), Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) with upcoming dates at Pérez Art Museum (PAMM) and The National Portrait Gallery / Smithsonian Institution.
Crystal's personal creative work, places Black women and girls at the center.

Line Producer
Christine Shaw is a Brooklyn born Filmmaker and Producer who’s capable of overseeing a project from beginning to end. She and her partner, Artie Shaw, Jr., run Drop40 Productions, where they focus on creating socially relevant content that uplifts communities of color.
Her documentary From Prison to NYU was featured in the 2012 African American Women in Cinema Festival. The Ghost in the Shell PSA, a short she directed, filmed and edited, was an official selection for the 2017 Women of the Lens festival. Her feature length documentary, Panorama: Jamming to the Top, which follows the journey of several steel bands in Brooklyn and their journey to compete in the annual Panorama competition, won Best Director at the 2019 Caribe Film Fest and Best Music Documentary at the 2019 People’s Film Festival.
For Christine, her camera is a tool that allows her to enter into new worlds and bridge understanding.

Production Designer
Yulanda Yo-Rong Shieh is a production and scenic designer based in New York.
Her love of listening to stories as a kid has grown into a passion for visual storytelling.
Born and raised in Taiwan, she has her BA in theatre and has designed sets for many features produced in Asia, including Black and White II (Yueh-Hsun Tsai), Journey to the West II (Hark Tsui), Bleeding Steel (Leo Zhang), and The Taste of Rice Flower (Peng-Fei Song). Her production design work has been seen in festivals such as Palm Spring Film Festival, HollyShorts Film Festival, Los Angeles International Film Festivals and many more.
She received her MFA in Design for Stage and Film at NYU, Tisch School of the Arts.
In addition to her film credits, her set design for the opera Elektra was exhibited in Prague Quadrennial in 2011.

Hair & Make-up Department Head
Paula Salas Bloise is the owner and creative director of La Bloise ART and La Bloise photography a pre, post and production company with 10 years of professional experience, Colombian/Italian backgrounds based in New York. La Bloise's projects rotate between entertainment, film, fashion and beauty Industry.
Paula is an integral artist who was born in Bogotá, Colombia. La Bloise is capable of providing artistic work, since fashion editorial and advertising work to brand consulting, product development and establishment.
Creative and beauty director, color theory and color psychology, professional makeup, key/hair&makeup department, sfx makeup, artistic photography, portrait photography, street photography, set/bts/still photography, scouting location, casting, casting assistant, magazine content, music videos, TV shows, film and video, theater, shows and performances, commercials, documentaries, interviews, corporative and personal images. Attention to details, creative visions and authentic, communication with clients, a developed sense of individual work, and team work are part of her strong capacities. Sensitive, and an excellent communicator, able to handle pressure under tight deadlines with multitasking abilities, spanish, english and Italian speaker.
Paula (aka La Bloise) started developing her artistic skills at an early age, while she was still in school. Her inspirations for Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, Klim, Kandinsky, Frida K, and others encouraged her to focus to be an artist and full time creator. Thanks to this and to her endless curiosity in life, she started trying to translate her visions in her world between painting, toying and recycled with colors and textures, learning and communicating and embracing her vision through her own vocabulary.
Years after she studied visual arts, where she got deeply involved with painting, toying and recycling techniques, colors, film photography, black and withe laboratory, witch she studied straight after for 4 years. To broaden her knowledge, Paula traveled to Cuba and Europe, where she collaborate as a photographer capturing street photography, portraits and fashion photography, landscape, portraiture and spaces. She collaborate on her first editorial as a fashion photographer and makeup artist in Cuba, La Habana in 2009.

Costume Designer
Helen Nurse, curator, costume designer and founder of TracyChambers Vintage had the curated eye for vintage and fashion as early as she could remember. After graduating from Howard University Helen started her career running across stages and in front of the camera, however, she quickly found herself spending more time in the wardrobe department. She also spent her time shopping at vintage stores all over the world collecting timeless pieces with an interesting history that tell a story of their own. It’s these pieces that inspire her to bring characters to life and tell their stories through clothing. When she is not designing costumes you can find Helen styling and interpreting vintage pieces to give them modern life.

Production Sound
Ruben D. Morales is a New York city based Sound Mixer and TV/Film Producer.
Ruben started in Commercial TV production as 3D computer animation artist back in the 90's while studying Computer Science Engineering. Over time his career changed to the different positions as editor, sound mixer, camera operator and producer.
By 1997 with colleagues and partners he started his own production company, Grafex.TV. He continued traveling around the Americas hired by US companies such as Nat Geo, AE Entertainment, and RichField Productions among others, providing services for filming documentaries in the Galapagos Islands as well as working extensively with advertising agencies producing TV Commercials, Corporate documentaries, and music videos.
Ruben was part of the Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency, as member of the board and PR Director and mission specialist, participating in several missions for Zero Gravity projects with the Ecuadorian Air Force as Photographer and Videographer in 0G.
By 2012, moved to the USA, funding EzzyShot Studios based in South Florida until 2014, then traveling and filming around the country and Mexico, and entering into the USA film industry as Production Sound Mixer and Producer for short and feature films.