LICENSE TO THRILL: A Conversation with Concord Theatricals • THE ‘HAM & EGG SHOW’ DECENTERED PLAYWRITING: Book Review • EXPANDING THE CANON: An Educator’s Toolbox
Outside the Box: Design & Tech Solutions Using MIDI to troubleshoot sound design challenges by Theo Metz
Expanding the Canon Diversifying the Theatre Education Curriculum by
Tiffany Gilly-Forrer
Now What a Time A New Play Explores the Ham and Egg Show Tradition at Fort Valley State University by Maisha
S. Akbar
A Conversation with Concord Theatricals Behind the Scenes of the Theatre Licensing Process interview by Tom Alsip
Charles M. Getchell Award 2023 Getchell Award winner Cris Eli Blak discusses his play Between Dog and Wolf interview by Ricky Ramón
Decentered Playwriting: Alternative Techniques for the Stage by Becky K. Becker
Clemson University’s production of The Niceties, by Eleanor Burgess, featuring actors TeAnna Flynn-Brown and Charis Tefft. Guest Director, Darnelle Pierre Benjamin. Photo by Ken Scar.
SETC College, University & Training Program Directory page 31
FROM THE EDITOR
Lean into joy, wonderment, and progress this fall. Fall brings about a change of the seasons, the opportunity to vet various institutions for those headed to college, and a time to reflect on all that has been accomplished this year. Living with a sense of joy is paramount to continued growth as an artist. Stay in awe of the universe’s unending gifts and nurturing — for it will help propel you to new heights. And keep putting one foot in front of the other as you walk in your purpose. In this issue, the contributors are, no doubt, walking in their purpose as they remain curious about theatre history and theatre futures. Within these pages you can learn about a once popular Fort Valley State University folk show situated at the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance. You can discover more ways to diversify your curriculum canon and you can hear about how Concord Theatricals updates and augments their plays to suit contemporary audiences. Along with a play excerpt from Getchell Award winner Cris Eli Blak, we’ve included the popular College Directory to help prospective students narrow down their choices for continued education. As SETC continues to flourish, we always welcome you along for the ride. Grab your coffee or tea and enjoy.
Sharrell aka Dr. L. Editor-in-Chief @sdluckett
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sharrell D. Luckett, PhD
SETC PRESIDENT
Jeremy Kisling
SETC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Toni Simmons Henson
ADVERTISING
Thomas Pinckney, thomas@setc.org
BUSINESS & ADVERTISING OFFICE
Southeastern Theatre Conference
5710 W. Gate City Blvd., Suite K, Box 186 Greensboro, NC 27407 info@setc.org
PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
Becky Becker, Clemson University (SC)
Ricky Ramón, Howard University (DC)
EDITORIAL BOARD
Tom Alsip, University of New Hampshire
Keith Arthur Bolden, Spelman College (GA)
Amy Cuomo, University of West Georgia
Caroline Jane Davis, Furman University (SC)
David Glenn, Samford University (AL)
Kyla Kazuschyk, Louisiana State University
Sarah McCarroll, Georgia Southern University
Tiffany Dupont Novak, Actors Theatre of Louisville (KY)
Thomas Rodman, Alabama State University
Jonathon Taylor, East Tennessee State University
Chalethia Williams, Miles College (AL)
OUTSIDE THE BOX EDITOR
David Glenn, Samford University (AL)
THEATRE ON THE PAGE EDITOR
Sarah McCarroll, Georgia Southern University (GA) COLUMNISTS
Jonathan M. Lassiter, PhD, Lassiter Health Initiatives
Frederick Marte, B.A.M. Studio Ambassador
LAYOUT EDITOR
Scott Snyder, Muhlenberg College (PA)
ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Nikki Baldwin
NOTE ON SUBMISSIONS
Southern Theatre welcomes submissions of articles pertaining to all aspects of theatre. Preference will be given to subject matter linked to theatre activity in the Southeastern United States. Articles are evaluated by the editor and members of the Editorial Board. Criteria for evaluation include: suitability, clarity, significance, depth of treatment and accuracy. Please query the editor via email before sending articles. Stories should not exceed 3,000 words. Color photos (300 dpi in .jpeg or .tiff format) and a brief identification of the author should accompany all articles. Send queries and stories to: nikki@setc.org.
Subscription: Included in SETC membership. Join at setc.org
Single copies: $12 plus shipping
EIC Photo: Tracie Jean Photography
We are so excited you’re a part of the Southeastern Theatre Conference! We hope you find our organization a space where you feel you belong. We are working hard to make SETC an inclusive and accessible organization. To accomplish this goal, I would like you to remember that we must experience the following principles to create a community where everyone feels welcome.
All voices are valuable: Everyone’s ideas, personality, and creativity are essential to our community. SETC, as the largest theatre organization in the country, thrives on uplifting one another’s contributions and supporting each other through the networks and collaborations fostered at the conference. We encourage all members to share their thoughts and ideas. Growth occurs through the exchange and examination of fresh ideas. Respecting and listening to each other is vital to our collective development.
Psychological safety is important: We aim to cultivate an environment where everyone can be themselves without fear, fostering security and confidence in expressing their true selves. People feel comfortable taking risks and sharing new ideas in a brave space.
Fairness and respect are essential: Equitable treatment is critical to building an organization we can all be proud of. Ensuring fairness and inclusivity for all members strengthens the foundation of our community. Respect for the feelings, wishes, rights, and traditions of others is paramount. While we may hold opposing views or divergent ideas, listening with an open mind and heart is essential. We must treat each other as compassionate humans, not adversarial foes. Human dignity is integral to our collective success.
By embracing these principles, SETC can continue to be a thriving, inclusive community where everyone feels empowered to contribute and grow. I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming conference in Baltimore, where we can exchange ideas, share stories, and create memories.
Jeremy Kisling (he/him), SETC President Producing Artistic Director, Lexington Children’s Theatre
From the SETC Executive Director
As an avid traveler, I have visited 38 countries and regions, and I have been privileged to experience diverse forms of theatre, from the grandeur of Broadway to vibrant, all-encompassing performances in West Africa. Through these experiences, I have come to understand that art is a divine and deeply personal expression, touching each of us in unique ways that defy judgment.
As technology and theatre continue integrating in more ways than imaginable, we must embrace new and innovative storytelling methods. The traditional confines of theatre — four walls, specific stage types, and regimented seating — are evolving, and new audiences will be open to this transformation.
I once believed in the necessity of mastering the rules before breaking them. However, this new generation of artists are creating their own rules, challenging the status quo. As seasoned practitioners, who are we to impose our dimensions on their creativity?
In West Africa, I have witnessed storytelling that transcends words. The fusion of song, dialogue, lighting, and movement creates an immersive experience unlike any Western tradition. Here, art flourishes without conventional constraints, offering audiences a profound appreciation of the performance’s uniqueness.
Reflecting on my audience experiences and after attending 14 plays in Edinburgh with my daughter in 2009, I realized I harbored theatre elitism, believing there was only one “correct” way to present theatre. Having spent my formative years in New Jersey, the backyard of Broadway, I was accustomed to a particular style, but these global encounters taught me the value of diverse artistic expressions.
Theatre elitism has long excluded creatives from different cultures by enforcing arbitrary rules. Art, a divine gift, should be free from judgment and just experienced. It is shaped by cultural differences, environments, traditions, and values, making it as individual as we are. Embracing this diversity enriches our understanding and appreciation of the performing arts.
Your Arts Advocate, Toni Simmons Henson (she/her), SETC Executive Director Co-Founder, Atlanta Black Theatre Festival
OUTSIDE THE BOX
by
Theo Metz
Troubleshooting Tech in Theatre
How MIDI Simplified My Sound Cue Workflow
Tech week in live theatre can be one of the most challenging phases for any sound designer. Constantly shifting cues, unexpected changes, and the need for rapid adjustments make troubleshooting a daunting task. Over the years, I’ve learned that no show adheres strictly to the script, and no amount of preparation can fully anticipate the audio changes required during rehearsals. My early method of managing these changes using “scenes” to mute and unmute microphones became cumbersome and inefficient during tech week, leading me to search for a better solution.
The Limitations of Scene-Based Audio Control
When I first started in theatrical sound design, I relied on scenes for precise control over muting and unmuting microphones. While this approach was more efficient than manual muting and more precise than mute groups, it quickly became overwhelming. I often found myself scrambling to create new scenes, inserting them between existing ones, and documenting changes—hoping I didn’t overwrite something crucial. This added unnecessary stress, and I frequently stayed late after rehearsals, manually programming the adjustments I’d jotted down during
the day. It was clear that the traditional scene-based approach wasn’t sustainable for large-scale productions.
That realization hit hardest in 2018 while working on the sound design for Children of Eden at Samford University. The show was a massive undertaking, featuring 32 lavaliers, a full pit orchestra, in-ear monitoring, stage monitors, choir mics, sound effects on QLab, and a guest performance by American songwriter David Phelps. The complexity of the production made programming scenes on the console a monumental task. I needed a more efficient way to manage the show’s intricate audio requirements.
Discovering MIDI as a Solution
Determined to find a better workflow, I began researching how other sound
However, I quickly realized that MIDI was the solution I had been looking for. Every digital audio console manual includes a section on MIDI, which details how the protocol can control various parameters. Design
designers tackled similar challenges. That’s when I stumbled upon the idea of using MIDI to control all my muting and unmuting. MIDI, or Musical Instrument Digital Interface, is a communication protocol developed in the 1980s to control parameters on synthesizers. Over time, it was adapted for use in digital audio workstations, lighting systems, sound consoles, and video systems. Despite having worked with digital consoles for years, I had never given much thought to the MIDI ports on the back of the console. I assumed they were just another feature manufacturers added to pad their product specs.
While MIDI can automate fader levels, effects, and more, I personally prefer to mix live as part of my performance. Instead, I focused on using MIDI to handle muting, allowing me to concentrate on mixing without worrying about mic management.
Setting Up MIDI with QLab
To get started, you’ll need a USB to MIDI Y cable (and a backup), which connects your computer to the console. Once the physical setup is complete, the next step is programming QLab to send MIDI commands to the console. I created a template in the Cues column of QLab, labeling each mic with the character’s name and corresponding channel. For each mic, I set up both mute and unmute commands, including spares in case of mic failures during the performance.
The technical side of MIDI might seem intimidating at first, but it’s relatively simple once you get started. In QLab, you set the command type to “Control Change,” the numerical channel to 1, and the control number to the channel number. Be sure to check your console’s manual, as some start their numbering at 0 rather than 1. The control value determines whether the mic is muted (0) or unmuted (127). (Refer to the “mute” and “unmute” images, bottom of p. 6.) This system allowed me to program all the mics in one session, ensuring that I wouldn’t have to type the same commands repeatedly throughout tech week.
Grouping Mics for Flexibility
Once the individual mics were set up, I moved on to creating groups in QLab. Grouping mics is similar to using a DCA (Digital Control Amplifier) on a console — it simplifies control over multiple mics that need to come on or off stage together. For example, I grouped the pit orchestra, choir mics, and actors who entered the stage as a unit. (Refer to the “Groups” image, above.) This approach saved time during setup and gave me flexibility for last-minute changes. If an actor’s mic failed, switching to a spare was seamless.
With all mics programmed in QLab, I was able to run the entire show with just one scene on the console. This simplified my workflow and allowed me to focus on mixing, rather than constantly updating scenes.
The Benefits of a MIDI Workflow
The real test came during tech week. With my new MIDI-controlled setup, I was able to adjust quickly to the demands of the production. Didn’t need that actor in Scene 56? No problem. Want the entire cast on stage during the lead’s solo? Easy. These adjustments were made in seconds, and during performances, I could focus entirely on mixing while simply pressing “go” at the right moments. We even integrated MIDI with the lighting system for some of the more complex cues.
This new workflow not only reduced
Do you have a design/tech solution that would make a great Outside the Box column? Send a brief summary of your idea to Outside the Box Editor David Glenn at djglenn@samford.edu
stress but also allowed me to be more creative during rehearsals. Instead of worrying about technical details, I could concentrate on perfecting the sound mix. I believe this change in my approach was a key factor in winning the “Sound Designer of the Decade” award from Broadway World after the production.
Final Thoughts: Advice for Sound Designers
If you’re a sound designer feeling overwhelmed by tech week’s constant changes and troubleshooting demands, integrating MIDI into your workflow could be a game-changer. Take the time to experiment with setting up QLab to control your mics, and you’ll likely find yourself with more time and energy to focus on the creative aspects of sound design. For me, what started as a solution for a single production has now become an integral part of my process for all shows, both in theatre and music.
By adopting MIDI as part of your setup, you’ll not only streamline your work but also give yourself the flexibility to handle the unexpected — because as we all know, no show goes exactly as planned. n
Theo Metz (he/him) is an assistant professor of commercial music at Samford University. He has served as audio engineer and sound designer for such artists as Kronos Quartet and David Phelps, as well as for films, museum exhibits, and numerous theatre productions. He is also a touring musician and award-winning composer in sound design and electro-acoustic music.
WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? Moving Past Regret
Mental Wellness & the Artist
by Jonathan Mathias Lassiter, PhD
Submit your mental wellness questions for Dr. Lassiter. Questions from students, theatre professionals, and educators are all welcome, and you can request to remain anonymous or not, it’s up to you. Follow the link at solo.to/setc
Dear Dr. Lassiter,
I unintentionally made a biased comment during class. Many of my students are upset with me. My apologies have seemed to fall flat. How do I continue to express my sincere regret while also maintaining my mental health? It just seems like the dynamic of my classroom continues to change for the worse since that incident.
Hi, Reader —
Thank you for writing in with this concern. First, I want to acknowledge that the advice I am going to offer is based on limited information. For example, I do not know the specifics of the biased comment you made. I do not know the power dynamics between you and your students, nor do I know the sociocultural demographics of all those in your classroom. With that said, my advice below should be adapted and modified as appropriate to account for the particularities of your situation.
I first want to encourage you to let go of the “regret” that you are carrying around. Regret is often linked to guilt. Guilt is too often a stagnating emotion and keeps us from moving forward. So, unburden yourself of the guilt. We all are biased in some way or another due to the ways in which our parents and society conditions us. We hold some level of bias towards ourselves, others who share sociocultural characteristics with us, and others who do not share sociocultural characteristics with us. Most of us misspeak out of our bias at one point or another. What matters most is how we respond to critique
afterward and take action to heal. It sounds like you have sincerely apologized to your students. That’s the most critical step. However, an apology does not mean that others will accept it right away or at all. It may just be that your students need more time to process the event for themselves and will eventually come around. It may also be that some of them are never able to forgive you. Regardless of your students’ response to your apology, your job is to now forgive yourself and let go of the rest. Letting go of the “regret” will allow you to open up space for more action.
The next action that I encourage you to do is to re-establish order. According to the principle of Ma’at, order consists of aligning with the flow of nature and the universe. Part of flowing with nature and the universe is understanding appropriate time, place, and season. Just as the sun knows when to set, the moon knows when to rise. They each have a part to play in the holistic well-being of the planet, but they do not fuse. It sounds like you are fusing with your students’ unhealthy energy and cannot seem to shift it. One way to shift the energy so that you may all heal is to set energetic boundaries. You can do this
by asking yourself:
• What emotional energy is in the room?
• What emotional energy am I feeling right now?
• Where am I feeling this energy in my body?
• Is this emotional energy coming from me?
• Is this emotional energy mine to hold
• Where did it come from?
• Whose is it?
If it is not yours, say to yourself: “I acknowledge this emotional energy. I honor this emotional energy. Knowing that this is not my emotional energy to hold, I send this energy and the feelings it’s causing in my body back to its appropriate place in the universe.” Doing this will allow you to get more information about the emotional energy in the space and separate yourself from the unhelpful energy you are holding. Once you have space between you and that energy, you can then move from a place of clarity.
Next, I encourage you to take action to educate yourself about your biases so that you do not make the same mistake again. Bring in books, play excerpts, music, film, and other sources that illustrate and address the bias. Open up a brave, ordered space for discussing the impact of bias and how to decrease it. Implement rules and procedures in your classroom for how to engage in respectful, healing conversations about biases when they come up again.
Finally, remember that healing takes time. A mistake was made. It will take time for both you and your students to learn, do better, and move forward. These timelines may be different for everyone involved. Give grace to yourself and your students. n
Dr. Jonathan M. Lassiter (he/him) is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice, certified in Optimal Conceptual Theory/Belief Systems Analysis — an African-centered psychotherapy. His memoir, Why We’re All Crazy: A Memoir of a Frustrated Black Psychologist in a White World, will be published in 2025. @lassiterhealth
Frederick Marte
Theatre Pros: Keep On Learning
In each edition of H@ndle Your Business, Frederick will tell you about online resources that performers and theatre professionals need, and showcase theatre companies and organizations that want to connect with YOU online.
Saludo, buenas! As an artist, you must constantly acquire skills and knowledge to put in your toolbox. This doesn’t end with formal education, as there are countless ways to engage with other artists, organizations and professionals through their social media platforms. Connecting with one or multiple opportunities that can provide you with needed experience is what makes the difference between being an artist and dreaming of being one.
When considering what may be beneficial to you, do not limit yourself to what is expected or deemed to be the “right” path. Any chance you get to be in a room or online platform with other creatives will provide you with insight about yourself and your abilities as an artist. To become more experienced and to diversify yourself from others hoping to accomplish similar goals, you must be open to receiving opportunities that may not be traditional especially if already planned opportunities are not yet available.
The importance of internships, fellowships, and other learning experiences is emphasized by the two handles being spotlighted in this edition. Of course, you want experiences that align closely to the kind of artist you want to be, but allowing yourself to participate in unfamiliar or just fun experiences can also provide muchneeded understanding about the role of an artist. Understandably, not everyone has the financial means to commit to three months or more for an unpaid learning role. Still, many organizations are willing to pay you, even if it’s a small fee, to invest in your potential.
The Black Theatre Network and New
York Theatre Workshop are great en la creación de experiencias para * artists like you! Both of these institutions have multiple options for artists looking to expand on their artistry, both artistically and administratively. Being an artist is a business, so you must understand yourself and the industry to succeed within it. The Black Theatre Network provides opportunities specifically to artists who identify as Black, to engage with other artists and professionals who look like them and may have useful tactics for navigating the job market — as there continue to be positive changes in diversifying the theatre world. The New York Theatre Workshop, one of the United States’ leading not-for-profit theatres, is invested in artists expanding their skillset both on and off the stage through their 2050 Artistic Fellowship and 2050 Administrative Fellowship.
As an artist, you must continue to learn, because practice does not make perfect, but it does strengthen your abilities.
* en la creación de experiencias para: in creating experiences for written & curated by
“BTN’s ongoing drive is to collect, process and distribute information that supports the professional and personal development of its members and therefore nurtures the growth of Black Theatre. To meet its goals, BTN has developed programs that target specific sectors of its constituency while operating under the conviction that we are all in this continuum together, and
therefore, we are to help each other. The network provides for the development of excellence and the growth of new, visionary theatre professionals through its student design and writing competitions. Through Recognition Awards, BTN acknowledges exceptional accomplishments and participation in workshops designed to help others develop skills specific to Black Theatre.”
New York Theatre Workshop
Instagram: @nytw79
www.nytw.org
At New York Theatre Workshop, “artists are free to explore boldly; to create fiercely; to plumb the depths and push the boundaries of what theatre can be and what it can do.” This is done by providing residencies, fellowships, and workshops to provide the encouragement and resources they need to make work that is unique and unforgettable.
NYTW thinks of the rehearsal space as a laboratory, and is dedicated to giving theatre-makers everything they need to experiment. At NYTW, they believe the Artist has something unique to offer — a perspective as valuable as the Scientist, the Philosopher, and the Theologian. n
Frederick Marte (he/him) is an Official Ambassador for the Black Acting Methods Studio. He teaches theatre in NYC, and was the 2022 Programming Intern with the Black Theatre Network. @fredericktalks
Expanding the Canon
by Tiffany Gilly-Forrer
Diversifying the Theatre Education Curriculum
From Western Europe to North America, theatre training programs have traditionally centered on a specific set of Eurocentric playwrights, plays, and approaches to both performance and theory. The canon, or the “essential plays” that many educational theatre programs teach, predominantly include works by white, cis-gendered men such as William Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, Oscar Wilde, Arthur Miller, Sophocles, Sam Shepard, Anton Chekhov, and Samuel Beckett. These playwrights and their plays are often celebrated for their poetic use of language, innovative play structures, excellent use of comedy, dialogue, timing, compelling characters, surprising twists and story arcs. For decades, an increasing number of theatre-makers across the United States and beyond have been seeking companions or alternatives to these beloved stories, to expand the canon without losing the important qualities of these popular texts, and the exciting reality is that there is a vast wealth of options available.
Syracuse Stage’s 2022 production of Yoga Play, by Dipika Guha, directed by Melissa Crespo.
Pictured: Octavia Chavez-Richmond, Rishan Dhamija, and Ricky Pak. Photo by Ron Heerkens,Jr.
In recent years, theatre educators in the United States have been significantly influenced by the civil unrest and ongoing oppression of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) citizens, as well as other marginalized groups such as members of the LGBTQIA+ community, people with varying physical abilities and neurodivergence, as well as folks who have layers of intersectional identities that experience marginalization. Many educators and artists have responded to this increase in discord and awareness of these groups’ experiences in the theatre, specifically with an array of reactions, ranging from severe guilt to impassioned collaboration and even on to systemic action after sincere self-reflection and growth. One such reaction includes a passionate and detailed letter titled “Dear White American Theater,” authored by a collective of BIPOC theatre makers that includes multi-generational, multi-disciplinary, early career, emerging, and established artists, theatre managers, executives, students, administrators, dramaturges, and producers. In 2024, as the theatre industry continues to find its footing in American society after the COVID pandemic, many theatre programs are being cut, teachers reassigned or juggling more than they bargained for, and classrooms, departments, and entire colleges are struggling to stay afloat.
We See You, White American Theatre
Despite the uncertainty of the future of western theatre, this tumultuous period presents an opportunity for systemic change, recognizing that new growth often requires starting anew and a time of upheaval could be the perfect chance to rebuild on a foundation that is stale, outdated, and increasingly in need of restorative attention. This article focuses on one critical task that educators can do to expand the canon and address the historical marginalization of people of the global majority: decentering whiteness that has long dominated theatre curricula. By re-examining what plays are considered “essential” and part of the so-called “canon,” we can collectively discover new and old, classical and contemporary plays that diversify our lesson plans and enrich our understanding of theatre from artists with different cultural backgrounds and perspectives.
“To address the scope and pervasiveness of antiBlackness and racism in the American theatre,” as stated in “We See You, White American Theater,” theatre-makers can take a wide variety of actions, such as developing cultural competency by recogniz-
ing the history and land on which Americans stand and creating inclusive, anti-racist environments that reject ideas and tools of white supremacy. American theatre-makers don’t have to look far for guidance on how to tackle these issues. “We See You, White American Theater” includes highly detailed demands that offer specific actions with bullet points to make structural and meaningful change. Educators and teaching artists have the unique task in all their work to research and share knowledge, which can start here or continue in both reading and applying the tools offered in this resource-dense article, curated bi-annual magazine, and the Southeastern Theatre Conference organization as a whole.
As an important disclaimer, this article is written by a cis-white woman who received a Eurocentric theatre education until graduate school from mostly white professors at predominantly white institutions (PWIs), and therefore should be seen as a starting point, not a singular resource. The author recognizes their experience and knowledge has its limits and biases, so another perspective has been consulted for this article, that being Ricky Pak, Assistant Professor of Acting at Syracuse University. Professor Pak prioritizes increasing representation of performers from diverse, “non-traditional” backgrounds on stage and in front of the camera. He has collaborated with industry professionals at Disney/ABC Creative Talent Development and Inclusion to develop pilots written by culturally and ethnically diverse writers.
Show-Swappers
In a workshop at 2024’s SETC convention, Jacqueline Springfield, Assistant Professor of Voice, Speech, and Acting at Kennesaw State University,
The BIPOCSwap List offers inspiring alternatives foreducators who want to diversifytheir curricula.
Link, page 18.
“ ”
As an educator, I feel pressured to be an expert in everything theatre. I’m not, but I am an expert learner, so that’s where I’m going to start.
— Ricky Pak
shared the BIPOCSwap List, compiled by Pak. “The BIPOCSwap List came about after a faculty meeting here at Syracuse University Drama,” Pak explained. “There were a number of older faculty who expressed a willingness to revitalize their curricula but didn’t know where to start. We started talking about current plays that “Were like…” and I wondered why there wasn’t already a resource where we could go to find this kind of information. So, I took it upon myself to start this spreadsheet and spread it as far and as wide as I could.”
The BIPOCSwap List (link shared at the end of this article) matches plays from the “canon” with those by historically marginalized playwrights, including adaptations and commentaries. For example, Antigone, by Sophocles; Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller; and The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams are paired with Woman on Fire, by Marisela Treviño Orta; Kill Move Paradise, by James Ijames; and
Traveling Skin , by John Belluso. “These works provide a richer understanding of theatre history by showing different historical, social, and political contexts,” Pak stated.
When it comes to Shakespeare, swapping out plays may seem daunting, but it is feasible with modern adaptations and lesser-popularized historical poetic playwrights. According to the BIPOCSwap List, alternatives include Father Comes Home from the Wars, Parts 1, 2 & 3, by Suzan-Lori Parks, or Do It For Umma, by Seayoung Yim, instead of Hamlet; Peerless, by Jiehae Park instead of Macbeth; The Masks of Othello, by Carlyle Brown, instead of Othello; and Teenage Dick, by Mike Lew, or The African Company Presents Richard III, by Carlyle Brown, instead of Richard III
Pak emphasizes the importance of including plays “beyond the canon” in theatre education, stating, “It brings in a variety of perspectives, letting students experience different cultures and view-
points, which helps them understand the world better, and ensuring everyone, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, sees their stories reflected.” He adds, “For BIPOC performance students, it provides opportunities to play characters from their own backgrounds rather than ‘white’ characters in ‘color-blind’ casting of canonical plays. Many non-canonical plays tackle contemporary issues, making theatre more relevant today and preparing students to create performances that resonate with modern audiences.”
Beyond Shakespeare, titles like Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett, Our Town, by Thornton Wilder, or Hedda Gabler, by Henrik Ibsen are staples in U.S. theatre education, but there are alternatives to these plays too, such as Pass Over, by Antoinette Nwandu, The Wind Cries Mary, by Philip Kan Gotanda, and Landless , by Larissa FastHorse, Corktown , by Jeff Augustin, or Water by the Spoonful and Eliot: A Soldier’s Play, both by Quiara
Alegría Hudes. Pak notes, “For a play to one day be included in the canon, it must be studied, written about, and performed far and wide.”
Fresh Perspectives on Acting
This list is just a starting point, revealing the wealth of diverse plays available with some research. Many have been accessible longer than some United States theatre educators have known. “I know it can be daunting to think about revamping a whole curriculum,” Pak says. “What if I just start with one or two plays this upcoming semester? Then add a couple more the semester after that.” Speaking of his own experience, Pak added, “I went through my young adult life being taught a particular set of ‘important’ plays, the ‘canon.’ Most of the BIPOCSwap List plays are new to me. I need to be patient, read, and re-read to get familiar with them. But it’s exciting to see theatre with a fresh perspective. That’s such a privilege.”
Actorand theatre educatorRicky Pak, originatorofthe BIPOCSwap List
The BIPOCSwap List also includes substitutes for musicals, acting techniques, and plays suitable for PWIs. Educators can expand their training beyond Eurocentric methods by exploring works like Black Acting Methods: Critical Approaches , by Sharrell D. Luckett with Tia M. Shaffer, and learning about diverse methodologies. Those seeking to move beyond books like Stanislavsky’s An Actor Prepares , could consider Letters to a Young Artist, by Anna Deavere Smith, an inspiring guide for aspiring and established artists alike, or Theatre of the Sphere: The Vibrant Being, a book and acting approach written by Luis Valdez. After learning these different methodologies, including scenes for classes is a great next step. “I love Luis Alfaro’s work, Larissa FastHorse,” Pak says, “and my go to for introductory scene study classes [is] Diana Son’s Stop Kiss.”
knows something; together we know a lot.” Educators must consider and meditate on this statement, recognizing that they do not need to have all the answers and honoring the collective wisdom that exists in a space of more than one learner, thinker, or scholar.
Resources Are Available
Decolonizing our education systems is a long-term, collective effort.
Pak advises educators wanting to expand their resources, “The most important first step is to admit that I don’t know everything, and that’s okay. As an educator, I feel pressured to be an expert in everything theatre. I’m not, but I am an expert learner, so that’s where I’m going to start. I need to humble myself, be okay with not knowing, and ask for suggestions from colleagues, librarians, and students.” Many groups of theatremakers use “community agreements” in meetings and classrooms of today in order to create a collective understanding of agreed-upon expectations for the time spent in class, meeting, or collaboration. Used in several virtual sessions devoted to Decolonizing the Classroom, led by Joy Vandervort-Cobb and Margaret Kemp with students at Louisiana State University during the 2020 pandemic, one of these community agreements was the acknowledgement of collective wisdom. “Nobody knows everything; everyone
Another valuable resource, compiled by the author of this article, is the Anti-racist Theatre Artist Reading Grid , a PDF of 45 plays by 45 Black playwrights, with the link also shared at the end of this article. This grid is a visually aesthetic checkerboard of different plays from different time periods that span the theatrical African Diaspora. Becoming knowledgeable of plays by a diverse list of playwrights is also very doable now with tools like New Play Exchange (NPX). There are a plethora of options that explore contemporary themes and issues with playwrights from a wide range of heritages. Mentioned earlier in this article as a substitute for Shakespeare’s Hamlet , Do It For Umma , by Seayoung Yim, is available on New Play Exchange. According to the show’s description on New Play Exchange, it is a “surreal comedic detective story” in which “the ghost of Hannah’s recently deceased mother returns to haunt the Korean convenience store she once ran with an iron fist, shaming, cajoling, and needling her daughter into avenging her extremely suspicious death.” The play is described on NPX as an “absurd tragicomedy about a young woman trying to gain her mother’s approval and protect her family’s honor in the strangest of circumstances.”
Plays like Yoga Play, by Dipika Guha, American Hunger, by Nikhil Mahapatra, and At The Barre, by SMJ, can also be found on New Play Exchange, alongside hundreds
of thousands of other new plays, ripe and ready to be read, taught, produced, and published. With filters available for searching for the perfect play that suits almost any theatre company, program, or production on a global scale, New Play Exchange is the perfect next stop for theatre educators looking for something new, fresh, and/or just digitally accessible. Educators must launch from these starting points in order to transform classrooms across the country beyond Eurocentric education system and beyond the canon. For those eager to diversify the canon who aren’t necessarily in charge or may want to help their department do so, Pak suggests, “Offer your assistance in integrating new works. For example, ‘You have such a great way of teaching Hamlet. Have you read Do It for Umma, by Seayoung Yim, yet? I’d love to co-teach a unit on it with you.’”
Decolonizing our education systems and dismantling oppressive structures created by colonization and predominantly white institutions is a long-term, collective effort. With resources like the BIPOCSwap List, The Anti-Racist Theatre Artist Reading
Grid , New Play Exchange, and educators who are seeking to both grow their own pool of resources and share it with others, this effort is far easier than it ever has been. These collective efforts and resources continue to grow, making the future of a truly equitable theatre industry a foreseeable reality. But progress depends on collaboration. More hands, minds, and forward-moving artists will make real justice, diversity, and inclusion the norm and shift the narrative from a symbolic fighting fist to a celebratory open hand. The more who join in to undo the damage that has been done for centuries, the sooner our collective theatre community and industry can reach our goals. It has not always been easy, and it will continue to be a challenge, but it is possible, together. n
The Ham and Egg Show
by Maisha S. Akbar
A new play celebrates a groundbreaking moment in HBCU theatre history
On April 18, 2024, Fort Valley State University’s (FVSU) Department of Arts and Communications staged a reading of Now What a Time: A FVSU Ham and Egg Show Play
Now What a Time (NWAT ), a one act play, commemorates Fort Valley State University’s Ham and Egg Show (1916-1966) by adapting archival materials into a historical production. NWAT narrates the Ham and Egg Show ’s development as well as the event’s groundbreaking impact as a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) production. NWAT elevates the event’s key players, including Otis Samuel O’Neal and Margaret Toomer, as well as Fort Valley State University’s first president, Horace Mann Bond, who was the father of renowned Civil Rights leader Julian Bond. The contributions of other prominent cultural producers such as W.E.B. DuBois, Alice Dunbar Nelson and Kathryn Dunham are also featured. As Georgia history and cultural studies history, NWAT provides a state and regional audience with a heightened awareness of FVSU’s performance-based traditions. As American theatre history, NWAT introduces the Ham and Egg
Students at FortValley State University prepare prop hams for Now What a Time, a new play about the Ham and Egg Show. Photo courtesy of Maisha Akbar
Show as an HBCU theatre innovation. Furthermore, NWAT stages the FVSU Ham and Egg Show as a “comm-university” production as well as leadership production through “bottom-up engagement,” which also represent performance-based innovations at Fort Valley State University. Now What a Time: A FVSU Ham and Egg Show Play effectively stages food production by Black farmers, HBCU theatre history, and #HBCUjoy.
By representing the story of an HBCU performance tradition, NWAT performs in the same way as popular television and film productions such as The Great Debaters (2007), Spike Lee’s School Daze (1988), NBC’s A Different World (1987-1993), and others.
In this article, I will discuss different aspects of staging a NWAT reading, especially regarding the history of the original production, script adaptation, and staging food design. I will also consider the event as part of the Harlem Renaissance cultural movement, although it was performed at an HBCU in the Deep South.
A History of FVSU’s Ham and Egg Show
Originally produced as a three-day event, Fort Valley State University’s Ham and Egg Show featured a food exposition, small farming and home economics education, and a folk culture festival. The event’s key producers included school administrators and staff, who established the event as a way of producing a food-based exhibition that could introduce local farmers to processes and techniques with which they could better feed their families and earn a living. In 1915, Otis Samuel O’Neal (1884-1957), a Georgia Agricultural Extension Services farm agent, conceived the Ham and Egg Show after surveying the conditions of the farmers who inhabited Georgia’s rural region. Margaret Toomer (1894-1972), a Georgia Agricultural Services home demonstration agent, joined O’Neal to co-produce the show upon her 1926 employment with the agency. Both Georgia agricultural agents were educated at both Fort Valley High and Industrial School and Tuskegee Institute.
Archival pictures of the event show a stage design in which cured hams, candled eggs, and canned preserves are symmetrically arranged along the apron of FVSU’s Founders Hall proscenium stage, as well as covering the stage’s apron area (see photo on page 25). Just as if hanging in a meat production or packing plant, fresh hams hang from the stage’s arch to create a multi-level, saturation effect where
all music, dance and dramatic performances take place. Podium speeches are also delivered amid the food-based set design, thereby creating the effects of a “food (production) based” show. The Ham and Egg Show ’s distinctive stage design reflects high production values, through which the event’s producers promoted “health, wealth, and wisdom” to local farmers and college students attending the event.
Play Adaptation
The April 2024 production of Now What a Time: A Ham and Egg Show Play revived the education and performance-based event (again) as a one-act play. The play is an outcome of research I’ve conducted as a FVSU faculty member since 2009. While I familiarized myself with the history-based articles written by my colleagues, I also made regular visits to the Henry A. Hunt Memorial Library Heritage Room, where I shuffled through storage boxes of printed and photographed materials. My fascination with FVSU’s Ham and Egg Show can be attributed to referencing the event as a “show,” which, to my mind, evidenced the event’s performance-based nature. I meditated deeply on how best to represent my research, first deciding on a documentary. However, upon revisiting the archive in the summer of 2021, with the help of archivist Ms. Wilmetta Langston-Jackson, I located a document written by Horace Mann Bond, the college’s first president. Bond’s narrative, written in epic mode, provides an overview of the three-day event, including the show’s conception, development, and program content while incorporating details about the event’s folk music and dance performances. Bond’s writing reflected a counternarrative tradition, a writing tradition that presents HBCU campus
The event’s producers promoted “health, wealth, and wisdom” to local farmers and college students attending the event.
The cast ofFortValley State University’s Now What a Time.
Photo courtesy of Maisha Akbar.
life in all its complexity and creativity without projecting stereotyped images institutionalized from Hollywood to Broadway stages. Bond’s counternarrative also exhibits a tendency of early HBCU era intellectuals and artists to use stories about Black life as the basis for qualitative data which they embedded in (dramatic) literature. I immediately recognized the material as adaptable into a dramatic production and set about doing so.
Using Chamber Theatre method, I adapted Bond’s program and other materials into a narrative script entitled Now What a Time: A FVSU Ham and Egg Show Play, naming it after the U.S. Library of Congress
archive collection. In early drafts, I made choices about narrators, characters and plot details. I had to review the script many times before being able to discern all the plot points and references. Even further, Bond’s writing provided an overview of the FVSU Ham and Egg Show event, but does not mention Margaret Toomer, despite the fact that Toomer is known as “Mother of the Egg,” a moniker which indicates her noteworthy contributions. I added Toomer’s story to the text, principally drawing upon Kymara Sneed’s 2018 master’s degree thesis entitled Out of House and Home: An Examination of African-American Home Demonstration Work in Peach and Houston Counties 1930-1940. Bond’s omission of Toomer’s legacy reflects how Black women’s contributions are often buried or overlooked, as well as a need to return Black women to HBCU theatre history. In tribute to the Black farmers for whom the Ham and Egg Show was produced, I wove into the script Alice Dunbar Nelson’s
Promotional material from the 2024 staged reading of Now What a Time, a new play about the Ham and Egg Shows
1920 poem “To the Negro Farmers of the United States,” which serves as a refrain throughout the adaption:
God washes clean the souls and hearts of you, His favored ones, whose backs bend o’er the soil, Which grudging gives to them requite for toil
In sober graces and in vision true. God places in your hands the pow’r to do A service sweet. Your gift supreme to foil The bare-fanged wolves of hunger in the moil
Of Life’s activities. Yet all too few Your glorious band, clean sprung from Nature’s heart; The hope of hungry thousands, in whose breast
Dwells fear that you should fail. God placed no dart Of war within your hands, but pow’r to start
Tears, praise, love, joy, enwoven in a crest To crown you glorious, brave ones of the soil.
Also, President Bond’s text made several performance-based references, which I sought to include in the play. These references include folk song and dance, and even a dramatic play written by Otis Samuel O’Neal, which he used to instruct the “unlettered” farmers. In lieu of an original script of O’Neal’s original play, The Hog, the Hen and Mule Speak, which could not then be found in the Hunt Library Heritage Room, NWAT included a play generated by Artificial Intelligence. The original version of The Hog, the Hen and the Mule Speak is described by Bond as “a broad rural farce that kept the audience in roars of laughter, but it taught an effective lesson of balanced farming.”1 O’Neal used theatre as a pedagogical and andragogical tool in much the same way as other HBCU educators and artists.
After reading versions of the script with my students who are members of the Joseph Adkins Players student drama club, we quickly determined that parts of the narrative should be changed from third person to first person, which would facilitate an ease of understanding. A final draft of the NWAT playscript ultimately included two narrators, two principal characters, (O’Neal and Toomer), two minor characters (farmers), three animal characters, a vocal quartet (including a pianist), and a traditional dancer.
Stage Design Elements
The staged reading of NWAT reproduced the food-based stage design of the original Ham and Egg Show. Projected images supporting the play’s narrative were featured as well. To re-create the
1 Georgia Agricultural Extension Service University System of Georgia, “Ham and Eggs: The Ft. Ham and Egg Show,” Bulletin 513 June 1944, pp 8-9.
Archival photos of the event show a stage design in which cured hams, candled eggs, and canned preserves are symmetrically along the apron of FVSU’s Founders Hall proscenium stage as well as covering the stage’s apron area.
FVSU’s Ham and Egg Show dates back to 1916.
food, we designed stage-crafted hams and purchased plastic eggs. We worked in collaboration with scenic designer Phil Renquist, who taught us how to construct hams from insulation materials by shaving square pieces into oblong shapes of smoked hams and then painting them varying combinations of pink and red. We built a “ham stand” upon which a total of 17 stage-crafted hams were displayed on either side of the stage, while ten dozen plastic eggs lined the front of the stage. An LED digital screen was used to project original images of Otis Samuel O’Neal, Margaret Toomer, Ham and Egg Show music performers, and artifactual images. Pictures of the show’s original
Not only does the play tell a buried HBCU story, but it also performs HBCU folk culture. “ ”
flyers and other written materials were also included. To represent the Ham and Egg Show ’s data-based curriculum as well as Margaret Toomer’s detailed field reports, we incorporated images of W.E.B. DuBois’s data portraits. Dubois’s data portraits visually represent the copious amount of quantitative and qualitative data DuBois generated and disseminated about the Middle Georgia region where Fort Valley State University is located. Even further, these data sets are the basis of DuBois’s groundbreaking treatises such as The Souls of Black Folk (1903) and The Black Flame Trilogy, especially Volume II: Mansart Builds a School
The inclusion of DuBois’s data portraits
is also meant to reflect a close collegial relationship DuBois maintained with the university’s administration, as evidenced in part by his great admiration for Henry A. Hunt, whom DuBois nominated for the NAACP’s prestigious Spingarn Medal (1930). Through cursory research of the W.E.B. DuBois papers at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, correspondence between DuBois and Hunt and between Dubois and Bond is easily accessed. In 1940, DuBois also served as Fort Valley State University’s first Founder’s Day speaker. DuBois’s influence on the FVSU Ham and Egg Show should be understood as intersectional with that of Booker T. Washington and the Tuskegee Institute, from where both O’Neal and Toomer received their agricultural training. O’Neal could be said to have combined his agriculturally based training (Washington) with a liberal artsbased program content (DuBois).
NWAT ’s reader-performers dressed in all black, with certain costume elements
and props added. For example, the actor who played Margaret Toomer also wore a lab coat and carried a clipboard to emphasize the clinical aspects of her work as a home demonstration agent. Actors who played supporting characters as middle Georgia Black farmers wore straw hats. A music performer wore a red, white and blue Uncle Sam hat, an image common to pageants authored by early Black playwrights.
Sound Design
For this early iteration of NWAT, we included music spanning from the era of the show’s original production to the present day. Our music elements exceeded the U.S. Library of Congress collection to survey a range of Black music influences from early 20th century blues artist Leadbelly to contemporary pop star Beyonce, including Buster “Buzz” Ezell, Duke Ellington, Big Mama Thornton, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Kool and the
Gang, and Doja Cat. As traditionally performed by HBCU choirs, student musicians and singers performed “Old John Hammer.” In this way, we sought to represent as emergent the music traditions performed as a part of the original Ham and Egg Show. For future productions, I look forward to refining the playlist, especially in collaboration with musicologist Dr. Allison Martin, a U.S. Library of Congress fellow.
A Harlem Renaissance era performance
FVSU’s Ham and Egg Show ’s first production date, 1916, situates it at the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance. In fact, the Ham and Egg Show may be considered an event that marks the era’s beginning. Other such events include the NAACP’s staging of its first theatrical play, Rachel, an Angelina Weld Grimke’s anti-lynching play. The Ham and Egg Show also coincides with the
Great Migration, the onset of World War I, and the 1915 cinematic premiere of Birth of a Nation
The Ham and Egg Show ’s setting in the Deep South distinguishes it from the North and East Coast locations where other cultural events of the Harlem Renaissance era took place. As a movement of Black modernity, the Harlem Renaissance is thought to have thrived only in Harlem and Washington D.C., away from harsher Jim Crow social and political practices that restricted Black progress. However, Fort Valley State University’s Ham and Egg Show demonstrates cutting edge efforts by HBCU leaders to promote technological advances while also documenting Black folk culture as it moved from oral to literary forms. The Ham and Egg Show could not be thought of as “backwards” since every aspect of its production represented the most popular and respected trends of the day, including endorsements by W.C. Handy, Langston
Hughes and Katherine Dunham. Zora Neale Hurston is listed as a talent judge, and the event was heavily photographed and broadcast on local radio. In 1943, Fort Valley State University’s Ham and Egg Show was covered by Life magazine.
Another myth Fort Valley State University’s Ham and Egg Show dispels is a cultural division between the ideologies of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, whose programs for HBCU progress are often pitted against each other. Through the event’s intersectional production of agricultural education and HBCU culture, both Washington and DuBois’s respective ideologies are embodied. The influences of both visionaries can be directly traced to the educational backgrounds of the event’s founders as well as Fort Valley State University’s location. Since Otis Samuel O’Neal and Margaret Toomer both graduated from Washington’s Tuskegee Institute and DuBois’s influences on the University are undeniable, it is easy to tie Fort Valley
State University’s Ham and Egg Show to the influences of both luminary HBCU educators. Using performance, Now What a Time: A FVSU Ham and Egg Show Play effectively reconciles “higher education” versus “lower education” pedagogical traditions as respectively established by DuBois and Washington, a heretofore unrecognized accomplishment.
Conclusion
Fort Valley State University’s Ham and Egg Show has, up until now, been a show left out of Black/HBCU theatre history despite its extended legacy, probably due to a marginalization of arts and humanities at FVSU, where the arts and humanities curriculums are historically under-resourced.
Contrary to institutionalized efforts to suppress arts and humanities, FVSU educational leaders produced the event annually, thereby facilitating a praxis where they were otherwise denied resources to fully
integrate a curriculum.
The Ham and Egg Show was discontinued in the mid-1960s; however, after a short period, the event was commemorated as a Legislative Breakfast which is still produced annually today. The significance of the FVSU Ham and Egg Show should not be underestimated.
The staged reading of Now What a Time: A Fort Valley State University Ham and Egg Show Play on and around April 18, 2024, effectively returns FVSU’s Ham and Egg Show to its performance-based roots. Not only does the play tell a buried HBCU story, but it also performs HBCU folk culture. Although we did not accomplish all of our production goals, the FVSU Arts and Communications Department staged reading effectively centered HBCU performance, counternarrative tradition and the Harlem Renaissance in the Deep South. Even further, the staged reading was submitted and accepted into FVSU’s annual Research Day event for which
the actors and performers were awarded prizes. At Fort Valley State University, we continue to develop this work to incorporate Afrofuturism as well as additional design elements including simulated jars of preserves and LED illuminated animal costumes. The Department of Arts and Communications workshops Now What a Time: A Fort Valley State University Ham and Egg Show Play so the production will become embedded in the University’s HBCU theatre history. It is our production goal to make sure the story of Fort Valley’s Ham and Egg Show will always be enjoyed and shared. n
Maisha S. Akbar, Ph.D. (she/ her) Maisha S. Akbar, a Professor of Performance Studies, serves as Chair of Fort Valley State University’s Department of Arts and Communications.
2024-25 College, University & Training Program Directory
Looking for the best setting to launch your career in theatre? Or perhaps you’re seeking the perfect place to pursue an advanced degree in one of the theatre disciplines? To help you make those choices, we have compiled this comprehensive directory listing degrees and special programs offered at colleges, universities and training programs. Data for the profiles is provided by the institutions.
ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
William Performing Arts Center, ACU Box 27843, Abilene,TX 79699
Accredited Program Offerings: One-Year Program in Physical Theatre, Semester in Physical Theatre, Semester in Dance, Semester in Music, OperArezzo Program, Summer Intensives in Physical Theatre & Dance dellarte.it
Degrees: Certificate: Professional Conservatory, Evening Conservatory, Global Virtual Conservatory, Spring Comprehensive, Summer Intensive, Summer Teen Ensemble; BFA through NYU Tisch School of the Arts. PWI atlanticactingschool.org
Degree: BA: Theatre (Acting, Stage Management, Directing, Set & Lighting Design, Costume Design, Music Theatre); Minor: Theatre. PWI butler.edu/jordan-arts/undergraduateprograms/theatre
CAMPBELLSVILLE UNIVERSITY
1 University Dr #872, Campbellsville, KY 42718
Degrees: BA or BS: Theatre (Performance, Technical Theatre); Minor: Dance. PWI campbellsville.edu/theater
CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
School of Drama
5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Degrees: BFA: Acting, Music Theatre, Design (Scenic, Lighting, Costume, Sound, Media), Production Technology and Management (Technical Direction, Stage and Production Management, Production Technology), Directing, Dramaturgy; MFA: Design (Scenic, Lighting, Costume, Sound, Media), Production Technology and Management (Technical Direction, Stage and Production Management), Directing, Dramatic Writing. PWI drama.cmu.edu
CATAWBA COLLEGE
2300 W Innes St, Salisbury, NC 28144
Degrees: BA: Theatre Arts; BS: Theatre Arts Management; BFA: Musical Theatre, Performance (Acting, Directing), Design and Production (Lighting Design, Set Design, Costume Design, Technical Direction). PWI catawba.edu/theatre
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
Drama Department
620 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC 20064
Degrees: BFA: Acting for Theatre, Film and Television; BA: Drama; BA/MA: Accelerated degree in Drama and Theatre Education; MA: Theatre History and Criticism, Theatre Education (MATE); MFA: Directing, Playwriting. PWI drama.cua.edu
2024-25 SETC College, University
CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY
1 Ave of the Arts, Newport News, VA 23606
Degrees: BA: Theatre (Acting, Music Theatre/ Dance, Directing/Dramatic Literature, Arts Administration, Design/Technical Theatre). PWI cnu.edu/theatre
Theatre Program in the School of Humanities 2601 Gentilly Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70122
Degree: BA: Theatre Arts (Performance, Theatre Technology). HBCU dillard.edu/theatre
EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
School of Theatre and Dance Messick Theatre Arts Center, Greenville, NC 27858-4353
Degrees: BA: Theatre Arts; BFA: Theatre Arts (Professional Actor Training, Musical Theatre, Stage Management, Design and Production, Theatre for Youth), Theatre Arts Education. PWI ecu.edu/theatredance
EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
Department of Theatre and Dance PO Box 70626, Johnson City, TN 37614
Department of Theatre Arts 1000 Edgewood College Drive Madison, WI 53711
Degrees: BA: Theatre Arts & Theatre Arts Teaching Major, PWI theatre.edgewood.edu
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY
Visual & Performing Arts Department 285 Madison Ave, M-DB0-01, Madison, NJ 07940
Degrees: BA: Theatre Arts (Acting, Design and Technical Theatre, Directing, Musical Theatre, and Theatre Studies); Minor: Acting, Dance Studies, Design and Technical Theatre, Dramatic Literature and Performance, Entertainment Business and Management, Musical Theatre, Playwriting, Screenwriting, Dramatic Writing. PWI fdu.edu/theater
FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY
Department of Performing and Fine Arts 1200 Murchison Road, Fayetteville, NC 28301
St. Johns River State College 5001 St. Johns Ave, Palatka, FL 32177
Degrees: AS or AS+AA: Acting, Musical Theatre, Dance, Costume Design, Scenic and Lighting Design, Stage Management, New Media Design, Photography, Studio Arts, Animation. PWI floarts.org
Department of Drama and Dance Hempstead, NY 11549-1000
Degrees: BA: Drama; BFA: Performance or Production (Costume Design, Set Design, Lighting Design, Sound Design, Directing, Technical Direction, Stage Management, Dramaturgy); Minor: Drama, Musical Theatre (with BA in Drama or BFA in Performance). PWI hofstra.edu
HOLLINS UNIVERSITY
7916 Williamson Rd, Box 9602 Roanoke, VA 24020
Degrees: BA: Theatre (Performance, Design and Technology, Theatre Management), Dance; BFA: Musical Theatre; Minor: Theatre; MA: Theatre and New Play Development; MFA: Playwriting (Dramaturgy, Directing, Performance, Youth Theatre, Plays with Music, Applied Theatre); Certificates in Directing, Performance, and Dramaturgy. PWI hollins.edu/theatre
Degrees: BFA: Acting, Film and Digital Content, Commercial Dance, Contemporary Musical Theatre and Film. PWI studioschool.org
ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY
School of Theatre and Dance Campus Box 5700, Normal, IL 61790
Degrees: BA or BS: Acting, Dance Education, Dance Performance, Design/Production, Theatre Education, Theatre Studies (Cinema Studies, Creative Drama, Directing, Dramaturgy/History, Integrated Performance, Theatre Management); MA or MS: Theatre History, Criticism; MFA: Design/Production, Directing. PWI finearts.illinoisstate.edu/theatre
ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
School of Theatre Arts
2 Ames Plaza E, PO Box 2900 Bloomington, IL 61701
Degrees: BA: Theatre Arts; BFA: Acting, Music Theatre, Theatre Design & Technology; Minor: Theatre Arts, Theatre Dance, Arts Management, Film Studies, Theatre Design & Technology. PWI iwu.edu/theatre
INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Department of Theater 221 North 6th St, Terre Haute, IN 47809
Degrees: BA: Theatre (Acting, Design and Technology, Playwriting, Dramaturgy and Directing, Theatre Studies, Administration and Management); Minor: Acting, Dance, Entertainment Design and Technology, Theater. PWI
indstate.edu/theater
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance
275 N Eagleson Ave, Suite A300U Bloomington, IN 47405
THE LIVERPOOL INSTITUTE FOR PERFORMING ARTS (LIPA)
Mount St, Liverpool L1 9HF
United Kingdom
Degrees: BA: Acting (Stage; Screen; Musical Theatre and Musicianship); Applied Theatre; Dance; Design/ Technology; Filmmaking and Creative Technologies, Management of Music, Entertainment, Theatre and Events; Music (Songwriting and Performance or Songwriting and Production); Sound Technology; MA: Acting (Company); Costume Making; Professional Practice: Theatre and Drama Facilitation; Foundation Certificate: Acting (Stage and Screen; Musical Theatre) and Popular Music and Music Technology. PWI lipa.ac.uk
LONDON ACADEMY OF MUSIC & DRAMATIC ART (LAMDA)
155 Talgarth Rd, London W14 9DA United Kingdom
Degrees: BA: Professional Acting; MFA: Professional Acting; MA: Classical Acting; Accredited: Semester Programme: Classical Acting (study abroad 14 weeks); Shakespeare Summer School (8 weeks); LAMDA Short Courses: Shakespeare Summer School (4 weeks), Audition Technique (2 weeks), Introduction to Screen Acting (2 weeks), Introduction to Drama School (2 weeks), Acting in English (2 weeks). PWI lamda.ac.uk/life-lamda
LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY POST
College of Arts, Communications and Design, School of Performing Arts Department of Theatre, Dance and Arts Management 720 Northern Blvd, Brookville, NY 11548
Degrees: AOS: Film and Television Performance, Musical Theatre Performance, New Media for Actors, Summer Intensive Training Program (four-week musical theatre and film and television intensive). PWI nycda.edu
NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY
17 Battery Pl, New York, NY 10004
3300 Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA 91505
420 Lincoln Rd, Suite 200
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Degrees: BFA: Acting for Film, Musical Theatre, Filmmaking, Entertainment Media, Producing, Screenwriting, Photography, 3D Animation, Game Design; BA: Media Studies; MFA: Acting for Film, Filmmaking, Documentary, Cinematography, Photography, Screenwriting, Game Design, 3D Animation; MA: Film & Media Production, Producing; AFA: Acting for Film, Filmmaking, Producing, Screenwriting, Game Design. PWI nyfa.edu
Degrees: BFA in Musical Theatre, Production & Design and Dance. BS in Theatre (Performance & Directing). PWI nsula.edu/theatre
OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY
525 S Main St, Ada, OH 45810
Degrees: BA: Theatre; BFA: International Theatre Production, Musical Theatre; Minor: Dance, Arts Administration, TheatreTechnology and Design. PWI onu.edu
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
1849 Cannon Dr, Columbus, OH 43210
Degrees: BA: Theatre, Film Studies, MovingImage Production; Undergraduate Minor: Theatre, Musical Theatre, Media Production and Analysis, Video Arts, Entertainment Design and Technology, Film Studies, Screenwriting; MA: Theatre Studies; MFA: Acting, Design; PhD: Theatre Studies; Graduate Minor: Theatre and Performance, Cinema/Video. PWI theatreandfilm.osu.edu
OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY
School of Theatre
2501 N Blackwelder Ave
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
Degrees: BA: Theatre; BFA: Acting, Theatre Design & Production (Stage/Production Management, Costume Design, Scene Design, Lighting Design, Sound Design, Digital Media Design, Props Design, Technical Production); MFA: Screen Acting. PWI okcu.edu/theatre
2024-25 SETC College, University
THE O’NEIL AT THE NATIONAL
305 Great Neck Road, Waterford, CT 06385
Degrees & Programs: Semester-long programs: National Theater Institute Semester, Music Theater Institute, NTI-Advanced Directing, NTIAdvanced Playwriting, Moscow Art Semester, Summer Intensive. MFA/MA: International Theatre Practice & Performance. PWI. nationaltheaterinstitute.org
Lamorbey Park, Burnt Oak Lane, Sidcup, Kent DA15 9DF
United Kingdom
Degrees: BA: Acting, Actor Musicianship, American Theatre Arts, Audio Production, Costume Production, Creative Lighting Control, Design for Performance (Set, Costume, Lighting, Digital Content), European Theatre Arts, Scenic Arts (Construction, Props & Painting), Stage & Events Management, Theatre & Social Change; MA: Light in Performance; MA/MFA: Actor & Performer Training, Actor Musicianship, Collaborative Theatre Making, Contemporary Directing Practice, International Theatre Practice & Performance, Theatre for Young Audience. PWI bruford.ac.uk
ROWAN UNIVERSITY
College of Performing Arts Department of Theatre and Dance 201 Mullica Hill Rd, Glassboro, NJ 08028
Theatre Arts, Production, and Arts Administration PO Box 210003, Cincinnati, OH 45221
Degrees: BFA: Performance (Acting, Musical Theatre), Dance, Design/Technology; MA or MA/MBA: Arts Administration; MFA: Design; Artist Diploma: Opera (Singers, Coaches, Stage Direction). PWI ccm.uc.edu
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA School of Theatre and Dance
Nadine McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion, PO Box 115900, Gainesville, FL 32611
Administration, Theatre Arts – Acting, Theatre Arts – Technical Theatre/Design. PWI wvwc.edu/theatre
WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
School of Stage and Screen
1 University Drive, Belk 278 Cullowhee, NC 28723
Degrees: BA: Stage and Screen (General Theatre); BFA: Theatre (Acting, Musical Theatre, Entertainment and Design Technology), Film and Television Production; Minor: Dance. PWI stageandscreen.wcu.edu
A conversation with theatrical licensing giant Concord Theatricals
Many of our readers have been involved in the process of producing a show, either as an actor, director, designer or producer. Anyone who wants to produce a non-original work must obtain a license for the show in question.
Concord Theatricals is one of the largest theatrical licensing companies in the country. We conducted an interview with them to talk about the work they do, ask some common questions producing companies have when they are seeking licenses and learn more about their view of their role in producing theatre.
As not all our readers may be aware, can you briefly tell us what organization you are representing and the nature of the work that you all do?
I’m Jim Colleran, Director of Marketing (Editorial and Client Relations) for Concord Theatricals. Concord Theatricals is one of the world’s most significant theatrical companies, comprising the catalogs of R&H Theatricals, Samuel French,
by Tom Alsip
Tams-Witmark and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, plus dozens of new signings each year. Our unparalleled roster includes the work of Irving Berlin, Agatha Christie, George & Ira Gershwin, Marvin Hamlisch, Lorraine Hansberry, Kander & Ebb, Kitt & Yorkey, Ken Ludwig, Marlow & Moss, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anaïs Mitchell, Dominique Morisseau, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Thornton Wilder and August Wilson. We provide comprehensive services to the creators and producers of plays and musicals, including theatrical licensing, music publishing, script publishing, cast recording and first-class production.
In our role as a licensing company, we serve as the intermediary between authors of live stage works (our clients) and the schools and theatres who present those works (our customers). Our clients — the authors and/or their estates — include playwrights, librettists, composers and lyricists, and it is our duty to ensure that their work is presented as they intended. Our customers are the amateur and professional theatres who produce that work around the world. These include primary and secondary schools; colleges and universities; community theatres and amateur dramatic societies; regional theatres, tours and more.
In the general sense, what is the decision-making process that goes into deciding whether a company can get a license to produce one of your shows?
The process is fairly straight-forward. Any customer interested in producing a Concord Theatricals show must first submit a license request. This request includes basic information about their organization, along with specifics about the show they are requesting, including dates of performance, number of performances, size of audience and ticket price. These combined factors determine the cost and terms of the license.
Of course, we encourage people to make theatre happen, so we always want to grant that license. But we are also responsible for attending to the wishes of the authors, so sometimes we must restrict productions of specific titles in particular regions or at certain times at the authors’ request, most commonly because of a conflicting first-class professional production or tour in the area. In those cases, we try to find an alternative date for the customer’s production of the requested show, or we help the customer find a different title.
BEHIND THE SCENES: LICENSING
Concord is essentially the current extension of many of these writers and the protectors of their work. That’s obviously very important for both our business and for the advancement of theatre in the future. Can you speak a bit about how Concord views themselves as a part of the theatrical ecosystem? What is it about their work that they want others to know?
We want live theatre to thrive everywhere. We work for the authors, so we strive to champion their work and ensure that it is well presented, but we also work for the customers, and we want them to have the best experience possible as they bring live theatre to their audience.
Thus, we serve both ends of the theatrical spectrum. Theatre creators do not have the time or resources to manage the licensing of every single production of their work, so authors work with a theatrical licensing company like Concord Theatricals; we handle the details for them. Customers seeking rights to a theatrical work do not have the time or resources to contact each author individually, so they come to Concord Theatricals, or another company like ours, to find a broad selection of possible shows to produce. Also, individual customers cannot usually contact authors directly, so we serve as an intermediary whenever customers have a question.
In the grander scheme, we understand our role as stewards of artistic works, and we take that role seriously. We endeavor to follow Concord’s mission to champion artists, elevate voices and impact culture.
We also strive to promote a diversity of voices. Concord Theatricals has a diverse catalog of authors and shows — the largest in the industry, which we build upon with over 50 new signings each year, ranging from the winners of high school contests to some of the most prominent Broadway and West End shows. For instance:
• Since 2019, we have signed over 100 titles by over 90 writers of color, and, for the past five years, over 50 percent of our titles published were authored by women and people of color.
• More than half of the authors we’ve signed over the past five years identify as women, non-binary or gender diverse.
• In the past five years, Concord welcomed over 100 first-time published authors into our catalog.
We want live theatre to thrive everywhere. We want [our customers] to have the best experience possible as they bring live theatre to their audience. “ ”
— Jim Colleran Concord Theatricals
Concord has worked with the authors of shows such as Anything Goes, to make changes that allow a classic musical to continue to be produced for modern audiences.
Flower Drum Song now includes this casting guidance: “Characters are Chinese or Chinese American, and the roles should be cast accordingly.The use of make-up or prosthetics to alter an actor’s ethnicity is prohibited.”
In general, is Concord open to consideration from individuals who want to update or change elements of shows in your stable?
We are open to whatever our authors have directed us to do. Remember, we don’t make the decisions; the authors do. This can vary from show to show; some authors are more open to change or interpretation than others.
But the most important rule is this: Customers cannot make any changes to the copyrighted content of a show (e.g., the text, including dialogue and lyrics; the music, including melodies and instrumentation; the character names or identities; the order of the scenes or songs, etc.) without express written permission from the authors, which they would obtain through their licensing company.
That said, if you want to make a change to a show, ask. It’s that simple. Just ask us, and we’ll send your request to the authors. In some cases — for example, the omission or replacement of dialogue containing profanity — we may already have an answer for you. If not, we’ll work to get that answer as quickly as possible.
If a company wants to make any changes, how should they go about it in a way that keeps Concord abreast of all the key info? Are there any broad, consistent types of changes that Concord would always support? How about broad, consistent types of changes Concord would never support?
The simple answer is this: Theatres can’t change anything. They can only present their production of a play or musical exactly as it was written by the author(s).
The more complex response regarding changes would be this: There really isn’t an always or a never… There’s no single answer for every show in our catalog. Specific requests must be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
If a content element in a show does not work for your production due to changing audience tastes or cultural norms, let us know. Be specific about your request. (Do not say, “We want to remove the profanity.” Instead, say, “We want to change this word on page 17 to this other word.”) We will bring your request to the authors’ attention. If the authors approve your request, you are free to make that change. If they deny
your request, you must present the show as written. You can’t change any content without the authors’ express permission.
You represent many classic titles. How do you strive to keep them current for a modern audience?
The majority of classic titles in our catalog are timeless, and they continue to speak to audiences worldwide from generation to generation. That said, some shows do contain words or attitudes that align with certain culturally specific sensibilities of the time that the piece was written. For those titles, we work closely with the authors or their estates to find the simplest way to maintain the integrity of the original work while keeping its content acceptable to today’s audiences.
As an example, we had a constructive experience working with the authors of Anything Goes. Earlier versions of the musical featured two Chinese characters who, in the show’s final scene, were impersonated
by other characters. Several schools and theatres informed us that they would not present the musical as it was written. We informed the book writers, Timothy Crouse and John Weidman, and met with them several times to coordinate a solution. In 2022, after clearing everything with the other authors’ estates, we released Anything Goes (2022 Revision), which replaced the Chinese characters with two street toughs named Spit and Dippy, who can be played by actors of any race. This and other changes, created in coordination with the authors and their estates, have allowed this classic musical to continue being produced well into the 21st century.
How do you address requests to update or change race and ethnicity in the shows that you license?
Many of our shows feature characters who can be played by actors of any race. For titles that feature characters of a specific race or ethnicity, the casting requirements
are clearly laid out in the cast breakdown, and we work with the authors to provide customers with the clearest possible guidance regarding casting.
Unlike most of our other shows, Concord owns the Rodgers & Hammerstein catalog and serves as both steward for the authors’ work and approver of any changes. For many Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, our contracts include guidance regarding race and ethnicity. The original version of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song, for instance, includes this language:
Flower Drum Song is set in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1958. The characters are Chinese or Chinese American, and the roles should be cast accordingly. The use of make-up or prosthetics to alter an actor’s ethnicity is prohibited.
For In the Heights, we include this:
In the Heights celebrates, uplifts and amplifies a Latinx community in New York City. To honor the authors’ vision and to clearly and appropriately tell that story, the roles should be cast accordingly. Company members must match the character definitions as written in the script.
In all of our acting editions, we also include any casting commentary provided by the author. This may apply to race, ethnicity or gender. The front material for Hadestown: Teen Edition, for example, includes a full-page casting note from Anaïs Mitchell, encouraging diversity in gender casting. The note ends with this:
These mythic characters are archetypal but also reimagined and open to interpretation. It has felt important to us both to reflect the diversity of the community in which the story is presented and to be mindful of the narrative implications of those choices. For any questions regarding
casting, please contact your Concord Theatricals Licensing Representative.
We are constantly reevaluating our practices to prioritize diversity in casting. As an example, we recently updated the terminology in our cast breakdowns to reflect a more inclusive approach to gender. Roles that can be played by anyone, for example, are now labeled “any gender” rather than “m or f.”
If a customer wishes to change the race, ethnicity or gender of a character to something other than the description found in the official cast breakdown, they should ask us, in writing, and we’ll share their request with the show’s author(s).
Some shows have various licensable versions. Can you tell us why that is and how Concord attempts to keep their productions relevant with the changes in theatre over time?
Many shows, particularly classic musicals, are tweaked slightly each time they return to Broadway in a new revival. If the authors of a show choose to make the revised version of a title available for licensing, we may offer that new version instead of the original or in addition to the original. In some cases, like the musical Dear World, the authors preferred the update, so we offer only the revision. In other cases, we offer several versions of the same title.
Cabaret is a great example of a show that evolved over time. We license three versions of the musical: Cabaret (Original 1966), Cabaret (Revised 1987) and Cabaret (1998 Version), and each one reflects some of the attitudes and sensibilities of the era in which it premiered. For example, as certain audiences became more comfortable with gay representation onstage, the sexuality of the character of Cliff became more overt.
Other shows, like Anything Goes, have been updated by the authors to reflect contemporary sensibilities. For that show, though we offer a 2022 Revision to the 1987 Broadway revival version, we continue to license the 1962 off-Broadway version as well, because that version was written by
a slightly different team of authors, and it features different songs.
If a production team wants to update production elements in a show (perhaps projections, rather than a traditional set), is that something that a company would need your permission to do?
Theatres and schools are welcome to create their own production elements, provided they do not directly replicate an existing design.
Where do you draw the line between changes to production elements vs. content?
• Anything else that is expressly required in the script
If a customer wishes to change any of the above content, they must submit a written request for permission to make that change. This process can take some time, so we recommend that customers submit any request well in advance of their planned rehearsals and production.
Our motto is “Make Theatre Happen,” and we believe in that wholeheartedly. “
Production elements are designed and created by the customer(s), and do not require written permission from the author(s). Some examples are:
• Sets
• Costumes
• Props
• Lighting
• Sound
• Hair/Make-up
• Staging
• Choreography
Keep in mind that the production elements of the original production may not be replicated unless specific, separate permission is granted. As long as a theatre does not directly recreate someone else’s work in their production, they can feel free to create whatever production elements work for their company and their audience.
Content elements, however, may not be changed without express written permission from the authors. These include:
• The text, including all dialogue and lyrics
• The music, including melodies, vocal assignments and instrumentation
• The character names or identities
• The order of the scenes or songs
Any other final thoughts about your work or anything else you want the broader theatrical public to know about Concord, their mission, and their working process?
We love theatre, and we want live theatre to thrive everywhere. We strive constantly to serve our clients and customers with the greatest care and professionalism possible. We maintain an ongoing effort to keep our classic titles in line the sensibilities of today’s diverse audiences, to encourage diversity and inclusion in casting, and to serve the widest audience possible. Our motto is “Make Theatre Happen,” and we believe in that wholeheartedly.
Above all, we encourage open communication between theatre makers, theatre creators and the general public. Any discussion about the state of live theatre should include theatre makers, theatre creators and licensors. As a licensing, publishing and producing theatrical company, Concord Theatricals is proud to be a vital part of that conversation. n
Tom Alsip (he/him)– A professional actor/director for 20 years, Tom holds a BFA from New York University and an MFA from the University of Alabama. He is Director of Musical Theatre at the University of New Hampshire.
Charles M. Getchell Award winner Cris Eli Blak discusses his new play, Between Dog and Wolf
Cris Eli Blak is the recipient of the 2024 Charles M. Getchell New Play Award from the SETC, for his play Between Dog and Wolf. Blak is an emerging proud Black playwright and screenwriter whose work has been performed and produced around the world: Off-Broadway, across the country regionally and on university stages, as well as in London, Australia, Ireland, and Canada.
Blak is the winner of the first Black Broadway Men Playwriting Intiative and the first-place winner of Atlanta Shakespeare Company’s inaugural Muse of Fire BIPOC Playwriting Fesitval. He is currently a staff writer on the hit Starz series Power Book III: Raising Kanan, an Aritst-in-Residence with Off-Broadway’s Abingdon Theatre Company and Liberation Theatre Company, and a 2024-27 Core Writer with the Playwrights’ Center. He was recently the Artist-in-Residence at the State University of New York – Oswego, the recipient of the Emerging Playwrights Fellowship with The Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre Company, and a 2023 FORGE Fellow with FORGE–NYC.
Blak has been a resident playwright with Fosters Theatrical Artists Residency, Paterson Performing Arts Development Council, Quick Silver Theatre Company, Yonder Window Theatre Company, and La Lengua Teatro en Español/AlterTheater Ensemble, and was an inaugural-year fellow with the Black Theatre Coalition. He is currently developing new work with Endstation Theatre Company, Blended City and The Sankofa Collective, and has developed work with Rattlestick Theatre, Company One, The Road Theatre, and American Stage; The Negro Ensemble Company, Pipeline Theatre Company, Et Alia Theater, the Napa Valley Shakespeare Festival, and The Pikeville City Comission. His work has been published by Smith & Kraus, Inc., Ghost Light Publications, YOUTHPlays, Applause Books, New World Theatre, Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble, and in the Black Theatre Review. More at criseliblak.wixsite.com/my-site
In Blak’s Getchell Award-winning play, high school friends Blake, Patrick, and Mara reunite at a hotel the day before their 10-year reunion. Forever traumatized by the school shooting that took place their junior year, the three try and fail to relive painful memories and heal broken friendships.
Southern Theatre: What inspired you to write Between Dog and Wolf and explore the theme of trauma and healing?
Cris Eli Blak: I was born the same year that the Columbine shooting happened. I was in middle school when the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary happened. I was a recent high school graduate when the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School happened. Unfortunately, I grew up being exposed to in-school violence. And those are just school shootings. It’s not mentioning the shootings in movie theaters, concerts, and nightclubs that also occupied the news cycle during my coming-of-age. It never felt like a norm but never felt impossible, which is even more terrifying — that we live in a country and a time where something like that is a
thing that we have to worry about.
What I began to notice as more of these acts of in-school violence and shootings occurred is that the primary face and testimonies you would hear and read about would come from white students and white victims and white parents. In doing research, I found I was far from the only one who had taken notice of this. In times of tragedy, students of color were being overlooked and silenced. Why? That question, as well as questions of why it isn’t reported when in-school violence happens in schools with a population of primarily Black and Brown students, planted the seed of Between Dog and Wolf. Beyond that, I wanted to focus on how everyone responds to trauma differently and everyone heals at different paces, if they heal at all. And all find diverse ways of coping
with the past. The fact that a lot of us don’t deal with things in our lives until we have to played a huge part in how the show came together. These three characters are coming together in a hotel room ten years after they survived a school shooting. They don’t have a choice but to deal with how that day, and the decade since, has affected them.
ST: How did your personal experiences, if any, shape the characters and their relationships within the play?
CEB: Listen, whether we like it or not, every writer projects themselves into the characters they write. It’s really the only way to be fully authentic with the stories you’re telling, because you have to be able to put yourself in the characters’ shoes and have empathy, and
the first step in that is holding a mirror up to your own experiences, journey, emotions, and all that.
Something that has personally stuck with me for years now is a comment made when I was in high school. I was a senior in the math class I was taking at the time, and we were prepping for a drill the school had us do in case of a school shooting. My teacher, a white man, scoffed and said that a school shooting would never happen there because most of the students probably had guns of our own. This was a joke rooted in the fact that my high school had a student population of ninety-nine-percent people of color and over fifty-percent of the student body lived on the poverty line. So we must all carry glocks of our own. It was narrow-minded and racist. And this man was married to a woman of color. I think I reflected on that mindset when thinking about this show and that question of why people of color aren’t amplified when it comes to speaking on this issue.
But also, you know, I haven’t had the easiest experiences in life. I know what it means to have to deal with stuff, emotionally and mentally. I’ve been there. I’ve had to face it. I’ve had to wrestle with it. I’ve had to find ways to heal. There’s definitely still things I’m healing from. And either my friends and loved ones have witnessed and stood by me in these times or I’ve kept them in the dark and pretended like all was well when it wasn’t. Healing isn’t a monolithic experience. I know this, and I wanted it reflected in each of the three characters.
You should ask my mom this question. She’s the best at identifying which parts of my characters come from myself. It’s the most beautiful and frustrating thing she talks about after every project of mine that she sees.
ST: The title, Between Dog and Wolf, holds significant meaning. Could you elaborate on its symbolism and how it connects to the play’s overall message?
CEB: The title comes from the concept of “the hour, or time, between dog and wolf,” which
is when the sun goes down and it’s hard to tell the difference between a dog and a wolf. In this play, it’s all about how we portray ourselves and the decisions we choose to make. We often group the dog and the wolf in two different categories when in actuality we have both living inside of us, most of us just choose the dog. This is something the character Mara represents. While the two male-identifying characters are debating which one they are, she’s the one that’s there to remind them how they are both one at the end of the day, whether they like it or not. They are bonded in trauma and experience. They may look different in broad daylight but when it comes down to it, and you dig deep down, it becomes tougher to distinguish between the two. And the more the play goes on, the more these personas fall, and it’s not as easy to tell which is which.
Healing isn’t a monolithic experience. I knowthis, and I wanted it reflected in each of the three characters. “
CEB: I honestly hope audiences just listen and receive the show, which has been the case so far. If you look at the story as one just about school shooting survivors, you’re kind of missing the point and will walk out not fully enveloped with what’s at play. I want audiences to see themselves in the characters, even if they haven’t gone through any of the same things. I always say I want audiences walking out doing one of two things: feeling as if they have finally been seen and heard, or asking how they may contribute to the problems the show brings up. More than anything, I want them to engage with the show by talking about it and talking about the issues presented in it — because doing so may play the smallest part in continuing conversations on reform when it comes to guns and assuring more availability to and knowledge of resources when it comes to mental health.
ST: The play touches upon the sensitive topic of school shootings. What kind of research and conversations did you engage in to ensure an authentic and respectful portrayal of this issue?
CEB: Because of the times we live in, there is no shortage of research that can be done on the topic. I mostly watched news footage and read articles and academic essays. The latter was especially helpful when it came to getting a BIPOC-perspective on the effects of school shootings and the effects of feeling like your voice doesn’t matter after surviving a tragedy like that, even though you went through and lost just as much as anyone else. There were a lot of sources that really helped validate that perspective.
ST: How do you hope audiences will react to and engage with the play’s emotional and thought-provoking themes?
ST: The characters, Blake, Patrick and Mara, each experience trauma and grief differently. How did you approach writing their unique perspectives and journeys towards healing?
CEB: Again, it was all about showing three ways of dealing with trauma, none of them necessarily healthy, but all pretty realistic when it comes to how some people choose to handle it. Patrick hides his trauma and grief by running from it, creating an everyman kind of image, burying it all underneath his smile; Blake has let it make him kind of stuck in the same place as he was as a teenager, kind of frozen in time; and Mara, while being the most mature of the trio, has kind of just settled with the fact that it’s something she won’t get rid of. And while she’s able to admit everything is still not okay, she hasn’t sought help in a way that would let her begin to take the steps to fully process and start moving past it. In the writing of the show, it was all
about identifying this and making sure to track it throughout each scene, because with each passing moment we see more and more how their journeys both tore them apart and brought them back together.
ST: Between Dog and Wolf is set in a hotel room, creating a confined and intimate atmosphere. What led you to choose this setting, and how does it contribute to the play’s intensity?
CEB: I’ll be honest, I was trying to meet a deadline. I wrote the first draft of Between Dog and Wolf pretty early in my playwriting career, so I didn’t have a lot of work to show. A company reached out asking if I had anything I wanted to have workshopped, so I chose to write something new. I think the first draft was written in three days or something because I wanted to hurry and get it to these people. That’s the initial reason why it’s only three characters and one single setting: because it helped the show be a quicker write. With that being said, once I started writing the play, and landed on the story, the setting became a character in itself. Putting three people having to face their demons in a single location creates this feeling of pressure and isolation, and the more tense things get, the more it feels like the walls are closing in on these people. It makes it feel almost suffocating, or like a pot of water reaching its boiling point, about to pour over and flood out. That location being a hotel adds onto it because it’s no one’s home, so there’s not many places inside the room to run to.
You have to lean into the ugly sides ofyour characters, because that’s the human side ofthem, and equally lean into the charming, funny sides of them.
“ ”
CEB: It’s not much of a “process,” as much as it’s making sure the characters don’t sound like characters, but like people. I like to write about humanity on the most authentic level, so mostly I’m asking myself, “if this were a real person in the room right now, how would they respond to this?” It involves a lot of talking to myself and hearing the dialogue out loud to make sure it feels honest, and finding the rhythm of the dialogue and how the characters speak. The most fun thing about writing a show is that you get to play all the parts. I don’t have any formal playwriting education. My inspiration comes from real life and trying to examine things in a way that makes the show feel like life happening in front of you. I want an audience to feel like they were dropped into this situation, eavesdropping on these conversations, not like it was written by some dude in his room.
ST: As a playwright, what challenges did you face in writing Between Dog and Wolf, and how did you overcome them?
CEB: Something I had to learn early on as a playwright is that you have to be able to comfortably write characters that say and do things that you wouldn’t say or do or agree with. We all want to maintain our moral and ethical high ground and not risk judgment or
have people look at us like maybe we’re more like the negative sides of our characters, but if you’re writing someone who is complicated and flawed, you have to dive into it and write them in an on-point manner. You have to lean into the ugly sides of them, because that’s the human side of them, and equally lean into the charming, funny sides of them. This really came into play with Between Dog and Wolf. The way to overcome this is by doing it, then doing it again.
ST: What are your hopes for the future of Between Dog and Wolf, and what message do you ultimately want to leave with audiences who experience it?
CEB: Obviously I want this play to go as far as it can go, whatever that means. I choose not to place any expectation on it. I just want it to have a life and to be received, and I’m confident that will happen. It’s already had more of a life than I expected when I wrote the first draft in a few days in spring of 2021. Winning the Getchell Award has been the cherry on top of an unexpected, but welcomingly, large cake. There is no one message I want to leave with audiences who experience it. I just want them to walk out seeing how there are some things we need to change, and some things we need to address. n
Ricky Ramón (he/him) is a director, stage manager, and VP of Equity & Inclusion at SETC. With Master’s degrees from Harvard, Texas Tech and NYU, he’s directed and stage managed over 60 productions at renowned theaters across the US.
ARE YOU A FUTURE GETCHELL AWARD WINNER?
ST: The play has been praised for its raw and honest dialogue. Could you discuss your writing process and how you achieve such authenticity in your characters’ voices?
SETC’s Charles M. Getchell New Play Award recognizes worthy new scripts written by individuals who live or go to school in the SETC region or by SETC members who live in or outside the region. Entries are accepted annually between March 1 and June 1. The winner receives a $1,000 cash award and an all-expenses-paid trip to the SETC Convention, where both a critique and a staged reading of the winning play are held. More info: setc.org/getchell-new-play-contest
Between Dog and Wolf
by Cris Eli Blak
Cast of Characters:
BLAKE, 28, Black male.
PATRICK, 28, Latino male.
MARA, 27, Black/Latina/Asian female
Time:
Present Day. Ten years after a school shooting at a local high school. The day before the high school class reunion.
Place:
Small town U.S.A.
For Production:
Amy Wagner
Stewart Talent Agency 1430 Broadway, Suite 601 New York, New York 10018
High school friends Blake, Patrick, and Mara reunite at a hotel the day before their 10-year reunion. Forever traumatized by the school shooting that took place their junior year, the three try and fail to relive painful memories and heal broken friendships.
Excerpt:
BLAKE: Now it’s a party! Let the threesome begin!
He kicks the door closed with his foot.
PATRICK: What happened to the conversation we had about keeping it appropriate?
BLAKE: Can you bend over and spread your cheeks so I can remove whatever stick is up your ass? (turns) Mara. You don’t look a day over sixteen.
MARA: Blakey. You don’t look a day over
forty-five.
BLAKE: (to Patrick) Why can’t you be more like her?
PATRICK: I guess I lack the empathy.
MARA: He lacks the cup size.
PATRICK: We were waiting on you to come back so we could order dinner.
BLAKE: Who needs dinner… (he walks over to the bottle of champagne and picks it up) when you have drinks? Now the cycle is complete.
PATRICK: What cycle?
BLAKE: (holding up the bottle) Exhibit A: champagne. Noted?
MARA: Noted.
BLAKE: Exhibit B: (he pulls a plastic bag filled to the top with marijuana out his back pocket) Noted?
PATRICK: That’s where you went. To buy illegal substances.
BLAKE: Just imagine it’s medicinal. He tosses it to Patrick, who quickly lets it drop to the ground.
PATRICK: I’d rather have food.
BLAKE: Yes. Food is a great idea. We’ll be hungry after going through that entire bag.
PATRICK: Where did you even get this?
BLAKE: The kid at the front desk. Did you know they let teenagers work hotel front desks? They do here. I mean, I guess not really — the girl’s eighteen. Cute. Don’t look at me, I repeat: she is eighteen. Nice kid. Has an attitude problem. But she came through. She’s a senior. I probably don’t have to tell you where. I told her all about what happened — they don’t even talk about it to these classes. Do you believe that shit?
PATRICK: You talk like we went to Vietnam.
BLAKE: Worse. At least the fuckers in
Vietnam knew they were going to war. We thought we were going to gym class. Anyway. They don’t talk about it, don’t teach about it. At all. Zilch. What a fuckin’ blow in the back. But they do still have that mural up.
MARA: I hate that mural.
BLAKE: You should see it now that the paint is all faded. It looks like a big blob of bullshit.
MARA: Can’t wait. Maybe we should take a picture in front of it. Scrapbook it.
PATRICK: That sounds like a nightmare.
MARA: Doesn’t it all? I say we skip.
PATRICK: What?
MARA: Fuck it. Let’s not go.
PATRICK: We didn’t come back down here to not go.
MARA: It’s not an obligation. What’s the loss if we stay in here? What’s the gain if we go? We can have fun and avoid the PTSD. She snatches the bottle from Blake.
PATRICK: I don’t care what you two do. I’m going. That’s what I came here for.
BLAKE: (to Mara) Did he tell you he’s a teacher now?
MARA: Holy shit.
BLAKE: Right?!
MARA: Is that some kind of trauma therapy?
BLAKE: Right?!
PATRICK: Is this enjoyable to you?
MARA: What grade does he teach?
PATRICK: I’m right here.
BLAKE: I think second.
PATRICK: Third.
BLAKE: Correction. Third.
MARA: The real booger bastards.
PATRICK: I’ll just go pick up dinner.
BLAKE: Again, you can’t see. You’re not going anywhere, Stevie Wonder.
PATRICK: I’ll be fine.
BLAKE: Wouldn’t it ironic in the worst kind of way if it’s a car accident that kills you while you’re in town?
Patrick stops to consider. Blake is right. Patrick won’t admit it.
PATRICK: I’m sure they have food in the lobby. The well-lit lobby. Would you like to walk me downstairs to make sure I don’t fall?
BLAKE: Kinky.
PATRICK: You’re foul.
BLAKE: I have a better idea. You can use that fancy phone of yours and order us something.
MARA: Like. A. Pizza.
BLAKE: Like a pizza. I second that choice.
PATRICK: Fine. I’ll order a pizza. Anything else?
MARA: We have drinks.
BLAKE: (picking up the weed) And we have dessert.
PATRICK: (shaking his head) Grow up.
BLAKE: You can get me some of those cinnamon sticks too if they have ‘em!
Patrick gives a thumbs up as he walks out the room, phone to his ear. The door shuts behind him.
MARA: And then there were two.
BLAKE: You really do look great.
MARA: Okay cut the crap. Talk to me.
BLAKE: I am.
MARA: How often do you smoke? You brought in a sealed baggie but I smell it on your clothes, Blake. The stinch don’t lie.
BLAKE: I’m not a chimney, you know, I just occasionally like to —
MARA: Fade away.
BLAKE: Get high.
MARA: (pause) He held my hand.
BLAKE: Who? Patrick?
MARA: Yeah.
BLAKE: How… sweet?
MARA: Shut up. Maybe to an onlooking eye but it didn’t feel that way. I don’t know if you’ve ever found a lost kid in a supermarket or something like that, and you have to take them to the front counter so they can get on the loudspeaker and tell their mother to come to the front of the store.
And while you’re walking the kid up, they hold onto your hand. But it’s not ‘cause they trust you, it’s not ‘cause they know you, they just know someone is there. And that’s what they need: someone there. Their hands may be shaking and sweating but they aren’t about to let go because then they would go right back to not only being lost and left but being alone. That’s what it felt like when he held my hand. Did he tell you he was engaged?
BLAKE: Yes he did.
MARA: How do you feel about that?
BLAKE: What do you mean?
MARA: Just what I asked.
BLAKE: Good for him.
MARA: That’s it?
BLAKE: That’s it. Good for him.
MARA: I think it’s weird and I expected more of a reaction out of you.
BLAKE: You want me to go crazy over it?
MARA: No, but… something rather than nothing. He just never struck me as a marriage type.
BLAKE: Yeah, well, he’s changed.
MARA: Apparently. Engagement. School teacher. I feel like he’s gonna buy a zoo next. (Blake laughs) What?
BLAKE: I didn’t mean to cut you off but this whole time while looking at you, all I could think of was junior year when you were in that stupid play in school. It was when you were trying new things, after that guy with the crooked ear piercing dumped you.
MARA: I was going through a phase.
BLAKE: The motherfucker was peculiar. Not strange. Not weird. Peculiar. He was in my English class. I’d sit the whole forty-five minutes trying to figure out what the fuck was going through his head.
MARA: I thought he was hot.
BLAKE: A hot ass mess. The man’s dandruff was so bad it started forming a colony on his scalp. How’d it feel having him dump you?
MARA: I’m sorry, are we talking about the boy or are we talking about the play?
BLAKE: Oh I’ma talk about the play. You dragged us to go see that shit, even got us discounted tickets. Front row too. That was
the weirdest shit I ever saw but everyone in the audience loved it. All five of them. You did good.
MARA: That whole story to, what, call me dramatic?
BLAKE: Maybe.
MARA: I remember some things from junior year too.
BLAKE: Yeah… don’t we all…
Mara picks up her bag and makes her way towards the bathroom.
MARA: Mind if I shower?
BLAKE: Mi casa es su casa.
MARA: Thanks.
BLAKE: I won’t peek.
MARA: I appreciate it. (stops) Hey Blake.
BLAKE: ‘Sup?
MARA: We haven’t seen each other all these years. None of us. We’ve barely talked. All three of us haven’t been in the same place having a conversation for a decade. Why did we stop being friends? And why do I seem to be the only one who cares that we aren’t anymore?
BLAKE: What do you want me to say?
MARA: An answer.
BLAKE: One that satisfies you?
MARA: One that’s true. You two have your battles to fight with yourselves and that’s whatever, but I’m only asking one question here. I don’t think that’s too much. I think I deserve something.
BLAKE: The most satisfying answer I can give you is, I don’t know. Because I don’t. Times change. People change. Lives change. Relationships change.
MARA: Not overnight.
BLAKE: They do if earlier that day someone shot up your school. Things change real quick then.
MARA: What if coming back here was the worst decision of our lives?
BLAKE: Once again, I don’t know.
MARA: Why are you here?
BLAKE: Why are you?
MARA: To remind myself why I left. She enters the bathroom area. Blake sits on the bed closest to the door. As the lights go down, we begin to hear the sound of a shower. The shower becomes rainfall.
by Becky K. Becker
Community-centered approaches to theatre
Theatre on the Page reviews books on theatre that have a connection to the Southeast or may be of special interest to SETC members. Sarah McCarroll (she/her), a professor of theatre at Georgia Southern University, edits this regular column. If you have a book for review, please send to: SETC, Book Editor, 5710 W. Gate City Blvd., Suite K, Box 186, Greensboro, NC 27407.
Decentered Playwriting:
Alternative Techniques for the Stage edited by Carolyn M. Dunn, Eric Micha Holmes & Les Hunter. Routledge, 2023; ISBN: 978-1032218083; 232 pages. Price: $46.95 (paperback)
Decentering Playwriting: Alternative Techniques for the Stage is a book playwrights and teachers of playwriting have needed for, well, ever. Not all playwrights are inclined to, nor do they need to, reproduce the “well-made” play. While the Introduction of Decentered Playwriting suggests that it is an “invaluable book for anyone teaching or studying playwriting, dramatic structure, storytelling at advanced undergraduate and graduate levels,” it offers essential ideas, techniques, and strategies for all playwrights, regardless of background or level of study. Playwrights of the global majority have crafted and long-embraced these approaches, often from the margins. As David Henry Hwang writes in the book’s Foreword, “By decentering whiteness in the theatre, we help to decenter white supremacy in our communities and world.” Decentered Playwriting, as time-honored practice, is long overdue.
The book is divided into three richly layered sections, with each section offering an array of approaches, exercises, and examples for solo writers and ensembles. As the book’s editors suggest, in Part 1: Decenter(ed) Playwriting: Alternative Tools, Techniques, and Structures, “Decentered is the adjective” — or how writing is decentered (6). The seven essays in this section describe individual processes that are, in turn, intercultural, existential, historiographic, and natured-focused; Japanese, Hawai’ian, Hip Hop-inspired, and historically Black. Each encapsulates a distinctive approach to creating, often accompanied by exercises encouraging the reader to explore.
In Part 2: Decenter(ed) Playwriting: Community Practices, Ritual, and Healing , “Decentering is the verb,” or the way of being and doing (7). Comprising five essays, this section prioritizes non-hierarchical practices, collaborative methods and exercises for creating ensemble-produced texts. Shared decision-making is a central tenet, meaning, for example, that docudrama becomes more democratic when interviewees are invited into the creative process. Self-inquiry requires white practitioners to invest in “rigorously dismantling white colonial identity as normative” (110). For practitioners of the Maria Irene Fornés Method, writing is “matriarchal and circular” (118), involving an embodied awareness of what it means to be human. Indigenous practices center first inhabitants of the land and an awareness that “cultural practice comes before theory” (130). Aruku-improv, developed in Nigeria, underpins devising with African folklore. All of these approaches offer a sense of play, adaptability, humility, and ethical processes.
Part 3: Case Studies in Decentered Processes:
Models and Testimonies “offers examples of theatre artists whose practices embrace decentrality” (8). The four essays included here recount physical and philosophical approaches to the work, along with detailed encounters of making new work. In framing these case studies, the authors’ styles are poetic and practical, making for compelling reading, even when the production or process is unfamiliar. Though all of the essays in Decentered Playwriting offer valuable insights, experiences, and exercises, an essay in this third section stands out. “Unarcheology: Anticolonial Aesthetics and Putting Things Back in the Ground,” by Fargo Tbakhi, describes a process that consciously avoids the plundering of artifacts without an awareness of the cultures and experiences from which they emerge. In Tbakhi’s words, “in our attempts to excavate what we want from the soil, we risk destroying what we want to protect” (188). Like the other essays in this book, Tbakhi’s “unarcheology” encourages creators of theatre to approach the work with an awareness of that tension.
The range of ideas, approaches, and imaginings within Decentered Playwriting inspires vibrant exchanges around how work in the theatre is made. Importantly, a central reflection running throughout the book is that its ideas and exercises must be approached with respect, ethical care, and responsibility. As the editors generously advise, “We invite you, reader-playwrights, to weigh the offerings contained in this book with your own background, artistic values, and moral compass in the spirit of making new and beautiful things” (8). Decentered Playwriting signifies a reflexive process, steadfast in its capacity to decenter. n
Becky K. Becker (she/her) is a dramaturg, director, and Professor of Theatre at Clemson University where she teaches courses in script analysis, theatre history, and directing.
