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Web Series Transforms Bed-Stuy Stoop into Artists' Stage

By Camille Bautista | August 25, 2015 10:54am
 Web series
Web series "STOOP55" showcases emerging artists through interviews and performances on a Bed-Stuy stoop.
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JD Malone

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — The greatest stories are those told from the steps of your neighborhood stoop, according to two local filmmakers. 

Director Stephen Small-Warner and producer Gavin Webb created "STOOP55," a documentary-style web series showcasing the tales of emerging artists, ranging from comedians to musicians based everywhere from Brooklyn to Sweden.

Each episode features an interview with individuals on the stoop of 55 Herkimer St., delving into the artists' personal journeys and motivation.

“We actually came up with the idea on those steps,” said Small-Warner, who added that his family has lived in the Bed-Stuy brownstone since 1980.

“We always had a bunch of friends and artists coming to our home to talk on the stoop and we thought we could get to know them on a deeper level and have a platform where they could be known.” 

The series first debuted in the summer of 2014, telling the stories of entertainers like RAII and Whitney Keaton, singers with the Alicia Keys band.

Now in its second season, the latest episodes spotlight Marr, a masked Swedish graffiti artist, along with violinist Joya Bravo, who played with The Roots, and comedian Rallo Boykins.

The new episodes were first reported by Brooklyn Magazine.

STOOP55 is as much about the community as it is about the individual, the creators said.

Prior to filming the recent installments, Small-Warner and Webb said they realized the Herkimer Street block association had been inactive.

The duo reignited interest in the Herkimer United Block Association as part of STOOP55’s second annual premiere, and Small-Warner took stewardship as the group’s president.

“I’ve been on this block my whole life, watching everything changing,” Small-Warner said.

“One of the things we’re very adamant about is people coming to the community and understanding the rich culture that’s here, and STOOP55 is embedded in that.”

For each season premiere, the creators host a block party featuring performances on the brownstone’s steps.

The release of new episodes every two weeks also coincides with a viewing event and appearance by the highlighted artist.

In between seasons, the director and producer team provide a platform for budding emcees with FIVE ON 55, a rap series spinoff at 55 Herkimer.

“For us, it’s kind of like a cheat code —  we get to hear the process of these artists and, soon, people will recognize them as the greatest of our time,” Small-Warner said.

“It’s humbling to listen to these artists at their start. New York City and Brooklyn is really a hub for them right now.”

The STOOP55 team will continue to put out new episodes through the end of October. For more information, check out the show’s website here.