In 1989, Black Anthology was created as a part of the “Quest for Success” minority programming series at Washington University. Envisioned by Marcia Hayes-Harris, Black Anthology served as a means of educating both students and the greater St. Louis community about the rich history of Black people and culture. As the production developed, it provided students with an opportunity to explore and celebrate the immense literary and artistic contributions of Black people through the performance of poetry, prose, music, and dance.
Since its foundation, Black Anthology has become an important event in the celebration of Black History Month at Washington University and the greater St. Louis community. The production provides its participants with not only experience in performing arts, but also, a place to hone skills in research, program planning, implementation, set design, and many more as it is student led and run. Their faculty advisor provides guidance, support, and advocacy for the students during the process.
Black Anthology functions as a platform for students to showcase their talents while also exploring issues that affect the Black community and prominent historical eras. Over the past 34 years, Black Anthology has explored a range of topics from police brutality to the relationships between Africans and African-Americans to the impact of musical eras like Motown. Although the show’s focus changes from one production to another, the overall goal remains the same: to create a dialogue. We encourage audience members to continue the conversation after the show ends.
Black Anthology is an important part of the community at Washington University and in St. Louis. BA appreciates your continued support. Thank you for coming to our 32nd production and enjoy the show!
For more information on our production: Visit blackanthology.wustl.edu, Email us at black.anthology@gmail.com, and Follow our Social Media pages (Black Anthology on Facebook and @bawustl on Instagram)!
I am honored to welcome you all to the 32nd production of Black Anthology.
In 1989, Marcia Hayes-Harris saw the need to have the experiences of Black students represented on the stage. This led to the creation of Black Anthology—Washington University’s first cultural production. Since its inception, Black Anthology has annually provided students with the opportunity to discuss, complicate, and celebrate Black life, history, and culture across the globe. Our organization has covered a myriad of topics and issues that affect the Black community and continues to represent Black life in innovative, refreshing ways.
Black Anthology has grown so much over the past three decades; in recent years the executive board has moved to include a different philanthropic initiative each year to help make a positive impact in the greater St. Louis community. This year we have partnered with Epworth, a multiservice agency that caters towards youth who have experienced trauma. Epworth seeks to empower these youth to realize their unique potential by meeting essential needs, cultivating resilience, and building community. Thousands of youth and families turn to Epworth each year for a full range of services including: therapeutic foster care, residential services, emergency shelter, comprehensive psychological testing, life skills and vocational training. They also have a Drop-In Center, food pantry, and a 24-hour crisis help-line.
This is my fourth (and sadly, final) year of working with Black Anthology. When I joined during my first year as an intern, I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to serve as producer for both my junior and senior years. Through Black Anthology, I have found community, passion, artistic expression, and creative leadership. This year, I have grown a lot – introducing five new talented first-year students on the exec board, planning for my first in-person show, constantly improving my leadership style, and learning how to work ahead and under pressure.
Last year, I produced Anthology’s Asifuye Mvua Imemnyeshea , which was sadly made a virtual production at the last minute due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For reference, I have not seen an in-person production since my first year of college (spring 2020), when Masquerade premiered right before the COVID-19 pandemic. Since our spring 2021 show ( essential(s) ), I have prepared for a virtual production. When I finally heard the news that our 2023 show Change Gon’ Come was fully in person, I was ecstatic but also nervous. Because I had mostly worked behind-the-scenes for virtual shows,where the entire cast and executive board spent hours rehearsing, acting, dancing, filming, and building, I was not used to the mechanics of an in-person show. It was daunting to say the least, but because the BA community is so talented and dedicated, I had the confidence in all members to pull off a creative and professional show.
I am so excited to present Change Gon’ Come , a showcase that urges people to think about the city as a construct, particularly as it has harmed Black populations across generations through unjust practices and institutions. As an emerging researcher interested in the nexus of urban geography, antiblackness, and community action, this BA season–the script revisions, event and community planning, and rehearsals–will always hold a special place in my heart. I am so proud and forever grateful for my BA community, and you all’s intelligent, performative, creative, and critically insightful contributions to making this show possible.
I have loved my experience with Black Anthology so much these past four years, and I am so happy to be a part of the BA legacy. I can’t wait to see where BA goes when me and my fellow seniors graduate.
Thank you all for your continued support for Black Anthology!
Cheers, Marc Ridgell, 2021-23 Producer Black Anthology 2022–2023It is my honor to welcome all of you to Black Anthology’s 32nd Production!
I am so grateful to be a part of Black Anthology once again for my final year here at Washington University in St. Louis. I have grown so much over these four years, and I am proud to attribute some of that growth to Black Anthology. Whether backstage or in the audience, Black Anthology has been such a crucial part of my college experience. I have gained so many skills and built new relationships with the most creative and beautiful humans. Theatre has been such a monumental part of my life since I was a little girl, and I am thankful to Black Anthology for allowing me to continue my passion.
This show carries with it many emotions. You may be moved by its heartwarming nature or saddened by the reality in which it is grounded. Redlining, white flight, gentrification, food deserts and more are the tools and results of anti-Blackness in this country, and they must be addressed. This show has certainly moved, inspired, and taught me to fight for my dreams and my community, and to not forget the power of unity.
I would like to thank my assistant director, Emelia Pierre, and stage manager, Kaitie McGary, for their assistance and support. I would also like to give special thanks to my friend and wonderful producer, Marc Ridgell, for being there for every moment of my BA career. Moving up the ladder from assistant director to director was quite the wild and unexpected ride, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I can only hope I have made those in Black Anthology past and present proud of me.
Theatre should be for everyone; we appreciate the opportunity to share Black-centered art. I hope that this show moves you to create change within your communities. Rest assured that “Change Gon’ Come”. Thank you all for continuing to support Black Anthology, now rightfully returned to the stage.
Courtney Robertson, Director Black Anthology 2022-2023Hello and welcome! We are delighted to present the 32nd Black Anthology production! Our dancers, cast, and executive board have been working very hard to put on a thoughtprovoking show for you this year.
A Word from Kamila – I am more than thrilled to be a part of the creative process for this year’s show. I danced my sophomore year and was so passionate about Black Anthology, that I became a choreographer for this year’s show. The decision was fueled by one specific dance I wanted to see come to life in a Black Anthology. Though I started the choreography for the Trendsetters’ dance back in 2021, I knew that Black Anthology was the only place I wanted to debut it. I am excited to show my work in a space that celebrates and uplifts Black art and stories. Being a choreographer has come with its own highs and lows, but I will remember my wonderful dance community and supportive executive board.
A Word from Ayana – I joined Black Anthology as a dancer my sophomore year and loved the community. Joining Black Anthology’s executive board this year as assistant choreographer, I have appreciated the opportunity to play a bigger role in the creation of this show, and the community that is BA. Finding my artistic voice in my choreography has been challenging, but I am proud of what we and the dancers have accomplished. I was challenged knowing that I would spend the spring semester in Cali, Colombia, and would not see the show. I am especially grateful to Kamila for ensuring that all of our dances turn out well.
A Word from Us – We hope that our contribution to the show exudes the level of passion and commitment that we have in our hearts for this production and its success. We are honored to contribute our creative visions to this show. This is an experience that we will remember forever, as Black Anthology is truly a family for us.
Kamila Redd, Choreographer Ayana Loyd, Assistant Choreographer Black Anthology 2022-2023
Founded in 1864, Epworth is a multiservice agency that seeks to empower youth who have experienced trauma to realize their unique potential by meeting essential needs, cultivating resilience, and building community. Thousands of youth and families turn to Epworth each year for a full range of services including: therapeutic foster care and case management; residential and intensive treatment; individual/family therapy and comprehensive psychological testing; emergency shelter and longer-term housing services; life skills and vocational training; as well as crisis care and outreach through the DropIn Center, food pantry, and 24-hour crisis help-line.
In particular, Epworth’s Housing Services help teenagers and young adults in St. Louis City and St. Louis County find both semi-permanent and stable housing on their path to independence and self-sufficiency.
In 2021, Epworth’s programs served over 13,000 people in the St. Louis region and provided nearly 30,000 days of food through their Food Pantry.
Black Anthology is honored to partner with Epworth in bringing to fruition their vision for a world in which every youth experiences life in all its fullness. We are continuing to collect monetary donations as well as Black hair care products, deodorant and other hygiene items, socks, unused clothing items, and school supplies for youth served by the organization. To learn more about Epworth and how to support its mission, please visit www.epworth.org. To donate, please contact black.anthology@gmail.com.
Jamila Dawkins, Philanthropy Chair Black Anthology 2022–2023
Between the 1930s and 1950s, President Roosevelt’s New Deal, which included public housing projects, continued to predispose Black communities to racist housing policies and zone them into poor living conditions. These public housing projects sprung from the horrors of Jim Crow, where racial segregation after slavery was embedded into the fabric of the U.S. legal system. This haunted legal system from the 18th and 19th centuries advanced racist-spatial policies well into the latter half of the 20th century. In the context of contemporary global U.S. cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, this included the creation of all-white neighborhoods and outer suburbs where white people, including some ethnic European minorities, who the state began to realize as full U.S. citizens, had the opportunity to settle in and establish their lives. On the other hand, Indigenous communities and Black populations continued to be zoned out of space–whether it be through legalized occupation by white communities or the creation of antiblack housing ordinances.
While Change Gon’ Come does not specify a metropolitan area, these notes would be incomplete without a discussion of St. Louis. Still one of the most segregated cities in the U.S., St. Louis, has had a specific relationship with race and anti-Blackness, and a few moments in this city’s history are significant to highlight. In St. Louis, redlining, or the matrix of systemic policies that exacerbate racial segregation, began early in the 20th century.
In 1917, when the U.S. Supreme Court passed Buchanan v. Warley , city planners and real estate owners began to implement extrajudicial policies that prevented Black residents from moving into specific neighborhoods. Also that year, a race riot happened in East St. Louis, Illinois, where whites beat and lynched Black residents. While many Black East St. Louisans fled to the Missouri side and never returned, East. St. Louis demographically has remained predominantly Black. Furthermore, Harland Bartholomew, a St. Louis city planner from 1919 to 1950, used segregationist ideas to racially spatialize the city well into the 20th century. In 1928, for
instance, Bartholomew’s vision for a downtown monument sprung the demolition of Black renters and their residencies, where the Gateway Arch was finally built in 1965. In 1947, Bartholomew proposed a city plan that would construct superhighways that dilapidated preexisting Black neighborhoods. During this time, white St. Louisians engaged in white flight away from the city, as they migrated along with the highways and interstates that expanded west, settling into the suburbs and municipalities of St. Louis County.
In the 1950s, the City marketed the area to the north of Delmar and south of Natural Bridge Road to Black residents, where many Black communities still reside contemporarily (e.g., the “Delmar Divide”). After the latter half of the 20th century, while many forms of geographic racism manifested, a prominent incident of racial terror to note is the complete demolition of the Pruitt-Igoe housing projects, completed by 1975. PruittIgoe exposed Black St. Louisans to horrible living conditions and predatory research studies from social scientists who have sought to pathologize urban Black life. Overall, the postindustrial demolition of Pruitt-Igoe exemplifies another avenue that Black people were continuously stuck within a matrix of segregation, divestment, and displacement.
Manifestations of Structural Racism in the Contemporary City Spatialized racism, and all its structural manifestations, has forced contemporary Black communities, as film theorist Kara Keeling would claim, “out of time.” On August 9, 2014, 18-yearold Michael Brown was shot by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, a municipality in North County. Historian Walter Johnson notes that terms like “structural racism” became more popularized into the lexicon of academics and activists after the Ferguson Uprising in 2014. What Michael’s unfortunate death began to exemplify, similar to that of Tamir Rice and Sakia Gunn, is how geography still predisposes Black youth to fatal violence, inflicted by the carceral state or otherwise.
A study completed by Stanford sociologists in 2020 shows how gentrification, the process when more affluent residents and newer businesses infiltrate an existing community, potentially raising the property prices and displacing the current
residents, disproportionately impacts Black people. In cities like Philadelphia, when Black people face gentrification in their communities, they are forced to move to other neighborhoods with even less resources for health and education. Additionally, homeownership, a key driver of gentrification, presents its own disparities. A 2022 study from the U.S. Department of Treasury shows that Black people have the lowest rates of homeownership compared to other racial groups. Gentrification and homeownership practices continue to zone Black people not only out of specific geographic enclaves in their respective cities, but also from opportunities in education and healthcare access.
Locally in St. Louis, recent research has illustrated the ongoing effects of environmental racism. WashU Law’s Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic published a 2019 study, finding that Black kids are 10 times more likely to have emergency room visits for asthma; Black residents are twice as likely to live in food deserts; building demolitions with lead and asbestos mostly occur in majority-Black neighborhoods; majority-Black neighborhoods experience the most illegal trash dumping and are located by a large inventory of vacant properties. These forms of environmental racism can provide one way to understand why Jason Purnell et al discerned that Black families’ life expectancy can be reduced 18 years by living in North County.
While studying the historic and ongoing ways that Black people are geographically oppressed through white supremacy, geographers Katherine McKittrick and Clyde Woods claim that Black people “can trouble…modes of thought and allow us to consider alternative ways of imagining the world.” Essentially, the Black diaspora has used forms of activism and art to claim their rights to the communities. WashU students in Black Anthology, now in our 34th year, have attempted to showcase these performative engagements that Black people have with their environments and conditions.
Change Gon’ Come represents just one realistic fictional story of many Black experiences in the contemporary city, stricken by gentrification, white flight, and the pressures of late capitalism.
Change Gon’ Come engages not only with Black life in the city, but also a Black “Right to the City.” This theoretical concept of “The Right to the City” was first foregrounded by geographers Henri Lefebvre and David Harvey, both of whom expressed that lower-income/minority communities living within urban places impacted by structural inequities possessed the potential to transform the cities that they lived in. While many scholars have critiqued and expanded from Lefebvre and Harvey to consider the intersectional nuances of race, gender, sexuality, religion, and class, their original notes on “The Right to the City” are significant nonetheless.
We should highlight the historically powerful work of Black Power activism and organizing that took place in U.S. cities like Oakland and Chicago in the 1970s, as a response to ongoing urban inequalities. Thus, performance, art, and activism that have long centered Black community life in the city have attempted to work against the idea that Black life is “out of time.” As scholars Habiba Ibrahim and Badia Ahad have argued, “Black culture…has challenged linear conceptions of temporality by demonstrating how Blackness operates on an alternative temporal register.” These “alternative registers” of time that Black Anthology has attempted to display with this production are not utopic nor provide comprehensive answers to ongoing anti-Black geographic and structural violence. Rather, questions to ponder while viewing Change Gon’ Come include but are not limited to: How can Black communities organize against structural violence in their cities to claim their rights to quality and safe living conditions? What is the political efficacy behind writing and protest? How are family, intergenerational kinship, and community central to transcending structural barriers? How do we challenge false notions of linear “progress” at social and political levels? What do we do when the violent state actors attempt to drive Black communities “out of time?” Regardless of your identities, what is your position in a community and how can you contribute to positive change?
Hopelessness is an obstacle that we need to overcome. Our creativity as Black people, our love, our ideas, and our strength will provide us with the willpower and the tools we need to stand up for the lives and the future we know we deserve. As long as we keep that in mind, Change Gon’ Come .
We would like to thank Marcia Hayes-Harris for her vision, as well as the current, and past, Black anthology executive board, cast, and dancers for the extensive amount of hard work and diligence put into continuing the legacy and traditions of Black Anthology. Without these wonderful people, Black Anthology would not exist, and we are deeply appreciative of the love, support, and effort!
We would also like to pay homage to previous productions as well as the past directors, coordinators, and/or producers.
1990: Black Anthology
Coordinator: Francine Stowe
1991: Black Anthology Director: Carlos Sneed
1992: Resistance
Director: Mo Barbosa
1994: The Harlem Renaissance: A Montage Reclaimed
1995: Celebrating the Black Family
Director: Aaron Greer
Coordinator: Michele Hanshow Holton
1996: Black Identity: Reflections Blackness
Director: Brent Gilmore
Coordinator: Kristy McDowell
1997: Black Comedy: Laughing to Keep from Crying
Director: Corey Jones
Coordinator: Courtney Collier
1998: A Black Love Song
Director: June Christian
Coordinator: Lori Crawford
1999: The Black Continuum
Director: LaMonica Carpenter-Okrah
2000: Flip the Script: Dreams, Escapes, Revolutions
Director: Miles Grier
Special Thanks to Andrea Urice with PAD
2002: Reflections: Standing Behind the Mirror
Director: Imani Cheers
2003: Shattered Lens: Reconstructing the American Montage
Director: Linda Esah
2004: Linked Fate
Director: Derrick A. Everett
2005: The Ties that Bind
Director: Andrea Lee
2006: Lest We Forget
Director: Andrea Newsome
2007: Refrain: A Cautionary Tale
Director: LaMar Moore
2008: Syncopated: Can YOU Keep the Beat?
Director: Valerie Wade
2009: Midnight Chronicles
Director: Heather Skanes
2010: Intersection
Director: Nadia Mann
2011: Double Consciousness
Director: DeMarco Mitchener
2012: Lest We Forget
Director: Diamond Skinner
2013: Metro Director: Kris Campa
2014: Post-
Director: Chelsea Whitaker
Producer: Kendall Maxwell
2015: The Six
Director: Dana Robertson
Producer: Lemoine Joseph
2016: Woke
Director: Schuyler Atkins
Producer: Alexandra Mitchell
2017: Black & Blue
Director: Ebby Offord
Producer: Destinee Shipley
2018: 1:05
Director: Ebby Offord
Producer: Taylor L. Bailey
2019: The Creation.
Director: Ebby Offord
Producer: Taylor L. Bailey
2020: Masquerade
Director: Ali Elganzouri
Producer: Sophia Kamanzi
2021: essential(s)
Director: Courtney Robertson
Producer: Sophia Kamanzi
2022: Asifuyve Mvua Imemnyeshea
Director: Maya Phelps
Producer: Marc Ridgell
2023: Change Gon’ Come
Director: Courtney Robertson
Producer: Marc Ridgell
Producer
Marc Ridgell
Director
Courtney Robertson
Asssistant Director
Emelia Pierre
Stage Manager
Kaitlyn McGary
Playwright
Sarah Aliche Treasurer
Ryan Wilson
Publicity Chair
Temi Akinwuntan
Show Artist
Joshua Johnson
Costume and Props Designer
Jewel Evans
Makeup Artist
Ha-Ya Davis
Choreographer
Kamila Redd
Assistant Choreographer
Ayana Loyd
First-Year Production Assistant
Obike Anwisye
First-Year Intern
Stacey Muthoka
Philanthropy Chair/Co-Publicity Chair
Jamila Dawkins
Set Design
Desmond Young
First-Year Intern
Da’Juantay Wynter
Faculty Advisor
Wilmetta Diallo
INTRO SONG:
“Earth Song” – Michael Jackson
ACT ONE:
“Girl” – Destiny’s Child
“High Rises” – Chika
“Changes” – 2Pac
“4 Leaf Clover” – Erykah Badu
“Funny Thing” – Thundercat
“Found” – Tems
“Freedom” – Beyonce
“Rack It Up ft. Nicki Minaj” – Yo Gotti
“Dammn Baby” by Janet Jackson
“Alright” – Kendrick Lamar
“Everywhere” – ChloexHalle
INTERMISSION:
“Regulate” – Warren G, Nate Dogg
“Black Lives Matter” – Dax
“You Gotta Be” – Des’ree
“Soke” – Burna Boy
“Police State” – Dead Prez
ACT TWO:
“A Change is Gonna Come” – Sam Cooke
“I Ain’t Stressin Today” – Dear Silas
“Sound of the Police” – K.R.S. One
“Can You Feel It” – Mr. Fingers
“I’ll Be There” – The Jackson 5
“Sky Walker“ – Miguel
“Get Down” – Nas
“Young, Gifted and Black” – Aretha Franklin
“Be Free” – J. Cole
“I Can’t Breathe” – H.E.R
BOW + POST SHOW: .
“Changes” – Dej Loaf
“2020 Riots: How Many Times” – Trey Songz
Chantal...................................................................Hope McKinney
Ezekiel/Zeke..................................................Christian Bean Royal
Natasha................................................................Raevyn Ferguson
Raymond...............................................................Amariyon Green
Gigi/Deborah..............................................................Maya Phelps
Papa/Thomas.................................................................M.J. Brown
Trinity.............................................................Goodness Adekanmi
Delilah..............................................................Shaelee Comettant
Brian..............................................................................Aidan Stern
Doreen........................................................................Arsema Belai
Jordyn.........................................................................Ezinne Ibeku
DJ/Extra.......................................................................Temi Ijisesan
Mr. Johnson....................................................Magdalene Aideyan
Mrs. Johnson..........................................................Grayce Cooper
Police Officers................Matthew Kalmans, Christian Alexander,
Caelyn Walton-Macaulay
Safiya Alexander
Zee Zee Covington
Adaora Dadson
Ti Dunigan
Courtney Fenderson
Ja’lynn Maldonado
Jebron Perkins
Nissi Yorke
Goodness ( Trinity ) is from St. Paul, MN and has been in Black Anthology for three years. This is her final year in BA, and she has enjoyed every moment. She enjoys how BA uses the power of storytelling to share important messages. Enjoy the show!
Magdalene ( Mr. Johnson ) is a first-year from Bronx, NY, and this is her first time acting in a Black Anthology production. She is so excited to perform alongside this amazing cast and crew, and she hopes to act in future productions!
Temi Akinwuntan ( Publicity Chair ) is a sophomore from Overland Park, KS. She has been with BA for two years now. Temi loves being a part of a wonderful community of students, and she can’t wait for you to see the show!
Christian Alexander ( Officer #2 ) is a senior studying Mechanical Engineering who calls the greater Southern California area home. This is his second and last time acting on stage in Black Anthology, and genuinely hopes you enjoy the show!
Safiya ( Dancer ) is a first-year from New Jersey pursuing a BSBA in the Olin Business School. She has been dancing since she was 4 years old and is excited to be in her first Black Anthology show.
Sarah Aliche ( Playwright ) is a sophomore, and it is her first year being a part of Black Anthology. She wrote this year’s play and is very excited to see it all come together.
This is Obike Anwisye’s ( FirstYear Production Assistant ) first year with Black Anthology, and he is excited to share this year’s show with everyone! He is thankful for his family for supporting him through this, and to everyone who worked diligently to put on this show.
Arsema ( Doreen ) is excited to participate in her first Black Anthology as a senior. Being in the show has been such a fun experience, and she urges all students to get involved in their cultural communities and shows at WashU. It is never too late!
M.J. ( Papa ) is a sophomore from Nashville, TN, and this is his second year as an actor in Black Anthology. He is very excited for everyone to see the show this year and to be a Papa!
Shaelee Comettant ( Delilah ) is senior from Framingham, MA studying Studio Art and American Culture Studies. This is her second time acting in a Black Anthology production, and she is so excited to be returning!
Grayce ( Mrs. Johnson ) is a first-year from the DMV. This is her first show with Black Anthology! She has been acting for 5 years, most of her experience being in musical theatre. She is grateful to the cast & crew and cannot wait to do it again next school year.
Zee Zee ( Dancer ) is from St. Louis, MO, and this is her second year dancing with Black Anthology. She is so excited for this year’s production!
Adaora ( Dancer ) is a first-year Cognitive Neuroscience major from New Jersey. She has been dancing for 16 years, and this is her first year in BA. She is so excited to perform in the show this February!
This is Ha-Ya’s ( Makeup Artist ) first year participating in Black Anthology. She enjoys the communitiy and creative space it provides. Look out for the makeup in this production!!
Jamila Dawkins ( Philanthropy Chair and Co-Publicity Chair ) is an English major who joined Black Anthology to tell Black stories. This being her fourth (and final) year with Black Anthology, she is hoping not to cry when the show closes.
A Milwaukee native, Ti Dunigan ( Dancer ) has quite a passion for theatre and dance, and they have been involved in Black Anthology for 2 years. Ti hopes that everyone enjoys the show as much as they did being a part of it.
Jewel Evans ( Costume and Props Designer ) is a senior from Orchard Lake, MI serving her second year as costume and props designer. A four-year Black Anthology member, she is grateful for the BA community’s support and dedication to the four beautiful shows she has been a part of.
Courtney Fenderson ( Dancer ) is a junior from Cleveland, OH studying computer science! She has been dancing in Black Anthology for the last three years and truly has a passion for dance!
Raevyn Ferguson ( Natasha ) is a senior from St. Louis who first engaged with Black Anthology ushering as a high school junior. A third-year actor, theater’s instrumental role in social change and civic engagement led Raevyn to join Black Anthology. She is so excited for you all to see her last Black Anthology production!
Amariyon Green ( Raymond ) is a sophomore from Omaha, NE who is double majoring in Educational Studies and African & African American Studies and concentrating in gender and sexuality studies. A second-time Black Anthology actor, he is excited to bring this story to life!
Ezinne ( Jordyn ) is a senior from South Plainfield, NJ studying Anthropology. She is an actor in her first year in Black Anthology, and she is excited to be part of a community that creatively tackles pressing topics in the Black community.
Temi Ijisesan ( DJ/Extra ) is a first-year from Wilmette, IL and is excited to be in her first Black Anthology show. Temi joined Black Anthology for her interest in telling Black stories. She is ecstatic for everyone to see this production!
Joshua Johnson ( Show Artist ) is a senior from Chicago, IL majoring in Communication Design. A first-time exec board member, his love for portraying Black experiences drew him to Black Anthology. He is excited for everyone to enjoy the show (and hopefully the art too)!
Matthew ( Officer ) is extremely excited to be a part of his first BA production! A sophomore computer science major and drama minor from Houston, TX, he is super excited to bring this beautiful story to life!
Seth ( Lighting Designer ) is from Los Angeles and is thrilled to be lighting his third Black Anthology production. He feels honored to help bring the show’s stories to life, and he is equally excited to continue his connection with Black Anthology.
Ayana Loyd ( Assistant Choreographer ) is a junior from Chicago, IL. This is her second year with Black Anthology and first year as choreographer. Currently studying abroad, Ayana is excited to have been apart of creating this year’s show.
Ja’lynn Maldonado ( Dancer ) is from San Antonio, TX. She is currently a sophomore thinking of pursuing a degree in Psychology. This is Ja’lynn’s first year involved with Black Anthology, and she is very excited to dance in the show!
Kaitlyn ( Stage Manager ) has been a part of Black Anthology since her sophomore year and is from the Chicagoland area. She appreciates the rich culture and history associated with this organization and is grateful to meaningfully contribute to it.
Hope McKinney ( Chantal ) is a sophomore English major from Houston, TX. This is her first year working with Black Anthology, and she’s very excited for everyone to see how well this year’s show has come together.
Stacey ( First Year Intern ) is from Houston, TX, and this is her first year being a part of Black Anthology. She joined Black Anthology to try something new and is happy with the friendships it has brought. She is excited for everyone to see the hard work put into this beautiful story.
Jebron ( Dancer ) is a Computer Science and Korean major from Indianapolis, IN. This is his third year dancing in BA, and he’s very excited for his first in-person show.
This is Maya’s ( Gigi ) third year in BA, and her path from firstyear intern to director to cast has allowed her to explore her skills and interests in new forms while experiencing the BA community in meaningful ways. She loves BA and is so excited for you all to witness this show!
Emelia Pierre ( Assistant Director ) is a first-year student and a St. Louis native. She is very excited to be assistant directing her first ever Black Anthology show.
Kamila Redd ( Choreographer ) is a junior from Baltimore, MD studying Psychological and Brain Sciences with a minor in Statistics. She danced with Black Anthology her sophomore year and became a choreographer to contribute to BA’s vision of creating art and telling stories.
Marc Ridgell ( Producer ) is a senior from Chicago, IL. This is their fourth year being in BA. They are excited to be a part of the BA community for one last time!
Courtney Robertson ( Director ) is grateful to be ending her senior year with Black Anthology after three years on exec board! She has enjoyed creating art with the Black WashU community and is honored to be director again.
Bean ( Zeke ) is a senior majoring in Computer Science from Los Angeles, CA. This is his first year in BA. He decided to join because he appreciates opportunities to express his creative side in any avenue.
Aidan ( Brian ) is a senior dualdegree student studying Chemical Engineering & Sculpture from Los Angeles, CA. This is his first time being involved in Black Anthology and he is so excited for you to see the show!
Caelyn ( Officer #1/Extra #1 ) is a third-year Mechanical Engineering student from Portland, OR. This is Caelyn’s first year as a member of Black Anthology. She joined BA to be around other beautiful Black creatives.
This is Ryan’s ( Treasurer ) third year in Black Anthology. She is currently the group’s treasurer. She is very excited for the audience to see the final product of Black Anthology’s hard work!
Da’Juantay ( First Year Intern ) joined Black Anthology in order to connect with the Black community and be apart of something greater than himself.
Nissi Yorke ( Dancer ) is a firstyear from Columbus, OH studying PNP and considering a minor in the Sam Fox Art School. This is both her first time in Black Anthology and dancing in a show, so she is excited to perform alongside the rest of the team!
Desmond ( Set Designer ) is from Jackson, MS and he is a junior at WashU. He is majoring in Architecture and fills the role of Set Designer this year in BA.
Dean Diallo ( Faculty Advisor ) feels it is blessing to work with such an excellent cast and executive board for another year of Black Anthology. Many do not know the backstage challenges, emotions and time management required to make this work. All in all, this production should be greatly commended.
Dean Diallo would like to thank the campus and community partners that support our students in this production. To the cast and exec board, the words of James Earl Jones seem fitting, “You weren’t going to the theater to change the world, but you had a chance to affect the world, the thinking and the feelings of the world.” She hopes you leave it all out on the stage.
Abby Sode
Angela Aliche
Arris Harris
Bernard Cummings
The Black Rep
Campus Life
Chibale Anwisye
Eddie’s Southtown Donuts
Edison Theatre Staff
Evelyn from the Internets
Jackson Rushen
Marcia Hayes Harris
Phyllis Jackson
Rachel Siegert
Raiyon Hunter
Ryadah Heiskell
Sparkle Whitaker
Interested in applying for executive board? Find more info here! Apply by Friday, March 10, 2023 at 11:59pm! Follow the link below or scan the QR code!
https://forms.gle/ LFx1QFDVcA4mKYZE8
