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WHAT IS REGION 8?

Region 8 is a television pilot, written by TLU Professor  Shannon Ivey and television star Windell Middlebrooks, based on the true stories collected from hundreds of interviews from one of South Texas' worst foster regions.  "Region 8" is a powerful look into the lives of 3 people who are brave enough to endure the heartbreak, and rejoice in the triumphs of working as an advocate, a foster parent, and a CPS investigator in a system that is seemingly broken from the inside out.


Region 8 Foster System
"Region 8" is named after The Department of Family and Protective Services Region 8 Foster System.
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Shannon Ivey is the Founder of Theatre For Change and President of the Executive Board.  Shannon is a Child Advocate, Actor, Director, Writer, Assistant Professor at Texas Lutheran University, a foster mother, and an active proponent for Theatre for Social Change.  Her life's passion is connecting the stories inherent within theatre, film, and new media to the messages of non-profit organizations.

Shannon holds a double B.A. from The University of the Incarnate Word and a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from University of California, Irvine.  She has worked professionally as an actress and writer in Texas, New York and Los Angeles for ABC, CBS, CW, Showtime, WB and Equity Houses all over the country. Shannon most recently Wrote/Directed/Produced the short film La Llorona.    
Shannon is a proud member of SAG, AFTRA and AEA.

For more information on Shannon Ivey, please visit her website:  http://shannonivey.com/
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WINDELL MIDDLEBROOKS

Windell appeared as a series regular on ABC's Body of Proof, but he is already one of the most recognized faces on television, portraying the genial and beloved Miller High Life Delivery Man in their national advertisements. Born and raised in Ft. Worth, Texas, Middlebrooks embodies the spirit of the hardworking Everyman -- his inspirations for this role are his grandfather and his uncles, lifelong role models. 
 
The classically trained actor concurrently focused on his acting career.  Before “Body of Proof,” Middlebrooks had recurring roles on a number of TV shows, including “Scrubs,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” Disney Channel’s “Suite Life on Deck” and Comedy Central’s “Weekends at the D.L.” The busy actor has also guest-starred on such series as “Entourage” and “Parks and Recreation.”