UIC Theatre - Blues for an Alabama Sky

Blues for an Alabama Sky

Written by Pearl Cleage

Directed by Ericka Ratcli

SCENIC DESIGN Rae Hawkins+

COSTUME DESIGN Stephanie Cluggish*

LIGHTING DESIGN Gabrielle Strong

SOUND DESIGN Willow James

WIGS AND HAIR DESIGN Ray Sanchez

VOICE AND DIALECT COACH Jason Martin

INTIMACY COORDINATOR Jyreika Guest

STAGE MANAGER Reagan Stevenson+

Run time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Includes a 10 minute intermission

*Denotes U.S.A. Member

+Denotes UIC BA DPT Student Designer

CAST

Angel Allen Sol Fuller

Guy Jacobs Dominic Randle

Delia Patterson Tyara Whitted

Sam Thomas Jimmie Rogers III

Leland Cunningham Qwayland McGowan

UNDERSTUDIES

Angel Allen Aisha Romer

Delia Patterson Kamyia Green

Guy Jacobs/Sam Thomas Andrew Childs

Leland Cunningham Jimmie Rogers III

Commissioned by and World Premiered at ALLIANCE THEATRE COMPANY

Atlanta, Georgia

Kenny Leon Artistic Director

Edith Love Managing Director

With support from the Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Fund’s Resident Theatre Institute.

“BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection

ARTISTIC STAFF

SCENIC DESIGN MENTOR Delena Bradley

ASSISTANT COSTUME DESIGNER Jill Dunlap

ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGN Chelsea Romo

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

COORDINATOR OF THEATRE OPERATIONS Neal J. McCollam

BOX OFFICE ASSISTANT MANAGER Tyara Whitted

HOUSE MANAGER Allison Maysonet

BOX OFFICE AND HOUSE STAFF Allison Maysonet, Paloma Lozano, Alyssa Morales, Jiacheng Sun, Fernando Rosales, Rachel DeMata, Fatima Khaidar, Myishia Stephenson, Mila Sweeny

PRODUCTION STAFF

PRODUCTION MANAGER Erin Freeman

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Hannah Holmes-Robbins

ASSISTANT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Tseela Sokolin-Maimon+

COSTUME SHOP MANAGER Stephanie Cluggish*

ASSISTANT COSTUME DESIGNER Jill Dunlap+

LIGHTING SUPERVISOR Michael Trudeau

PROPERTIES MANAGERS Tully Dobrowolski,+ Maddie Abelson+

PROPERTIES MENTOR Ellie Terrell

AUDIO SUPERVISOR Jim Frazier

SCENIC CHARGE ARTIST CoCo Ree-Lemery

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS Adri Andreolas, Njeri Njoroge

LIGHTING PROGRAMMER & BOARD OPERATOR Sanjay Ganesh

SOUND BOARD OPERATOR Isaac Alvarado

DECK CREW Jessica Espinoza, Austin Millard

WARDROBE CREW Elizaveta Kolesnik, Ama Nipassa, Natalia Rivera

PRODUCTION CARPENTER Kevin Vilchez

STUDENT CARPENTERS Andrew Childs, Marquell Cheeks, Kamyia Green, Ishwa Kansagora, Angel Cepeda Ochoa, Fernando Rosales

STUDENT SCENIC ARTISTS Froy Adan, Adri Andreloas, Jin Bai, Angel Cepeda Ochoa, Tim Graves, Anna Marek, Isa Pardilla, Dominic Randle, Tseela Sokolin-Maimon, Njeri Njoroge, Jiacheng Sun

PRODUCTION STAFF (Cont.)

STITCHER Hailey Springer

STUDENT STITCHERS

Ace Lee, Jin Bai, Jill Dunlap, Paloma Lozano, Kiara Hendrix-Glover, Reagan Stevenson, Abby Evans, Geraldine Fonseca

PRODUCTION ELECTRICIANS

STUDENT ELECTRICIANS

Duncan Hon, Alex Branka

Ace Lee, Njeri Njoroge, Margarita Mejia

PLEASE JOIN US FOR A POST-SHOW TALK

Sunday, April 16th, 2:00PM

Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage

Post Show Topics: The Great Migration, Resilience and Change

Discussion Facilitator: Richard Corley, Visiting Lecturer, School of Theatre and Music

Panelists: Cynthia Blair, Associate Professor

Cynthia Blair is a professor of Black Studies and History at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Director of UIC’s African American Cultural Center. Her research focuses on race and sexuality in the U.S., and explores the intersection of Black urban history, Black women’s history, and popular culture. Her book, I’ve Got to Make My Livin’: Black Women’s Sex Work in Turn-of-the-Century Chicago, explores African American women’s sex work in Chicago, expanding our understanding of black women’s labor, the Great Migration, the emergence of modern sexuality, and the criminalization of Black women’s sexuality in the early twentieth-century. She is currently writing a biography of the comedian Jackie “Moms” Mabley.

Ericka Ratcli , School of Theatre and Music, Director

Baltimore bred Ericka Ratcli is Artistic Director of Congo Square Theatre Company where she works to amplify the mission of celebrating the complexities of Black life and culture on stage. Most recently Ericka directed WHITE with De nition Theatre and was co-director on the Chicago premiere of What To Send Up When It Goes Down at Congo Square. She has worked regionally and locally with Alliance Theater, Steppenwolf, Northlight, Victory Gardens, Chicago Shakespeare, Collaboraction, House Theater of Chicago, Mixed Blood, Milwaukee Rep, Kansas City Rep, CENTERSTAGE, Pittsburgh Playwrights and Second City to name a few. She is a recipient of the Chicago 3Arts Make A Wave Award, 2017. Ericka is also an artistic associate with Lookingglass Theater.

Land Acknowledgment

The UIC School of Theatre and Music sits on the traditional homeland of the original peoples of the area: the Three Fires Confederacy - the Potawatomi, Odawa, and Ojibwe Nationsas well as the Menominee and Ho-Chunk who, along with many Indigenous people, were among its rst inhabitants. With respect and gratitude, The School of Theatre and Music honors the many Native Americans who have, do, and will call this land their home.

STM acknowledges that we have bene ted from the repeated attacks on Native Americans that forced tribal representatives to sign the 1816 Treaty of St Louis, relinquishing to the U.S. all claims of the land from Lake Michigan to the Illinois River. This land seizure led to the era of economic development and rapid growth that made Chicago the metropolis that it is today. We have an obligation to our students and the nearly 65,000 Native Americans now living in Chicago to do no further harm, to amplify Native voices, and to ght for equity and inclusion by engaging in anti-racism policies and practices. For us, this work begins with this statement, and must be followed by actions that immediately a ect our work and life on campus.

Upcoming Auditions

UIC Theatre Fall Auditions

Fefu and Her Friends by María Irene Fornés

Directed by Laura Alcalá Baker

Mon, April 24: Preliminary auditions, 3:30pm-6:30pm

Wed, April 26: Callbacks, 3:30pm-7:30pm

SUPPORT THEATRE & MUSIC AT UIC

At UIC, about 55% of theatre and music students receive some form of nancial aid. Many more need support. Your donation will help us transform students’ lives as we prepare them for paths in the arts and other creative elds.

Donation envelopes are available in the lobby, and donations can be made through the Eventbrite listing for Blues for an Alabama Sky

312.996.2939

theatreandmusic.uic.edu