NEAL DOWN PRODUCTIONS
NEAL DOWN PRODUCTIONS
Quality Theater.....With A Message
Who Is Lavell Neal Anyway?
Lavell L. Neal is an Actor, Writer, Director, and Producer out of
Detroit, Michigan and has been a part of many productions, both locally and nationally. Lavell has been acting for almost 25 years. He has been
a part of the longest running Gospel Play in Detroit History,
TJ Hemphill's Perilous Times, for over 15 years. Lavell received his
Bachelor’s Degree in Acting and Theater from the prestigious
Wayne State University Theater Program in 2010, but has been acting since 1990 when he got his first acting gig playing the son of a white plantation owner in Ossie Davis' Purlie Victorious at Southeastern High School.
The very next year (his senior year) he was offered the role of
Ebenezer Scrooge, without audition!
After that, he began getting small acting jobs around the city of Detroit and made connections with some great people. One of his greatest moments was meeting Eric L. Walker, and joining ELW Productions' Comedy Group, later becoming The Men of Improv and The Doctors of Comedy, which ran from 2004 to 2012! Lavell was brought on to Christian Tabernacles' production of Angels On Assignment in which he played the main
character Joseph, with his wife Mary being played by none other than
Robin Givens! He also had the honor of playing Laurence Fishburne’s Stand-In in the 2011 Hallmark Movie Have A Little Faith and was featured on the second season of the hit game show The American Bible Challenge with hosts Jeff Foxworthy and Kirk Franklin. Lavell played Pastor Wright in Phelicia and Darcel Brown’s very first production of The Power of Passion (then called Satan, We Declare War) back in 2001 and has worked with
them in many capacities ever since.
Being trained for ministry under the late Apostle V. Benjamin Washington, he is also an ordained minister at the Trinity Deliverance Church, in Detroit (www.TrinityDeliverance.org) under the leadership of Apostle Diane Washington. Lavell launched his production company, Neal Down Productions, this year, and has written and is producing & directing his first full theatrical presentation, Issues of Blood, this fall (click on the Issues of Blood link at the top of the page for more information). Stay on the look out and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at Lavell Neal and follow Neal Down Productions Group Page on Facebook.
Directed the music video "Heaven Only Knows" for Christian Rapper JWilMusic
The Improv Game entitled "The ABC Game" with ELW Productions!
The Doctors of Comedy skit, "An Ode To Mothers" featuring their real-life Moms!
A Word from Lavell
I have had the opportunity to work with some amazing people and talents from my friend Bishop William Murphy, III, to the late Tommy Ford, Carl Payne, Lisa Page-Brooks, Tasha Lockhart, Christopher Williams, The Famous Peggy James, Jay & Jay Soul, Leon, Lawrence Fishburne, Robin Givens, JWilMusic, Pastor Derrick Brinkley, Earnest Pugh, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and many, many others.
Although I'm grateful for those experiences, I've also had some major challenges. Being on the road with Gospel Stage Plays, I've seen my share of questionable behavior and ungodly activity (both on stage and off) which, in my opinion, affects the quality of the production.
That's what prompted me to start Neal Down Productions: to display "quality theater.....with a message"!
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