Waking up the Arts

Ebony Hicks came to Albright College as a freshman knowing she was going to major in theatre. However, what she was not prepared for was the overwhelming amount of support and love she received from the theatre community. What makes the Domino Players, Albright’s resident theatre company, so special is how safe she feels to “risk embarrassment” when portraying a character.

As President of the Domino Players, Hicks admits she felt some trepidation when she first assumed the role. However, she recognized she had to put those fears aside for the sake of the club. “It became about creating a safe space. When I was a first-year student, you had to fight your way into the Domino Players, and I didn’t want that for future classes,” says Hicks.” So, hopefully the Domino Players can say they feel comfortable to be themselves or change themselves or find themselves in the company.”

Hicks’s favorite show at Albright featured her performance as Estrella in “Life is a Dream,” which she accomplished in her first spring semester. This was her first lead role, having never gotten to be the lead in her high school performances. She also enjoyed her role as Clytemnestra in “Iphigenia and Other Daughters,” particularly because her character was so outside of what she is normally casted as. While she didn’t always get the role she wanted, she took every opportunity to learn more and grow as an integral member of the theatre department.

The Domino Players have allowed for those involved in theatre to stay connected both in school and beyond. After Albright, Hicks plans on doing some local work in Pennsylvania before saving up some money and moving to New York. There, she is planning to get her master’s degree in Drama Therapy from the New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.