Charlotte Blumenthal Arts, Immediate Family, July 2025 by Encore Magazine

BLUMENTHAL ARTS

From left, Phillip James Brannon, Cynda Williams, Shanesia Davis, J. Nicole Brooks, Patrick Sarb and Stage Manager Narda E. Alcorn in a scene from Immediate Family at Goodman Theatre in Chicago (2012).

IMMEDIATE FAMILY AUTHOR RETURNS TO HIS ARTISTIC HOME AWAY FROM HOME

STORY BY Keith Loria

Paul Oakley Stovall is something of a modern-day Renaissance Man— especially when it relates to the theatre world.

As an actor, Stovall has been part of the national tours for both Rent and Hamilton, playing George Washington in the latter. As a producer, he won a Tony Award for being part of the producing team of A Strange Loop. And he’s also a well-regarded playwright, having written a musical and five plays, including Immediate Family

In early June, he was in Philadelphia for the opening of Giovanni’s Room, a play he co-wrote for the stage based on the book by James Baldwin, and he also directed its world premiere. A few days later, he took part in a workshop for another play he wrote that is scheduled to run later this year. Finding time for so many avenues is tough, but it’s gotten easier for Stovall as he’s gotten older.

“I used to say, ‘I have to do everything,’ but I’m a bit more discerning now and I let things come to me,” he said. “It’s a happy problem to have.”

Immediate Family was Stovall’s first big play and he’s happy it’s getting a run at the Blumenthal.

A BUSY NIGHT

“I think any playwright will tell you the first things you tend to write are somewhat autobiographical,” he said. “I started this when I was a member of a theatre company and my career was taking off. I was doing big musicals and acting in larger theatres in Chicago and around the country. The theatre company wanted to do a winter festival of new works, and they asked me to host and sing between scenes.”

Although he realizes now it was a nice gesture, at the time, Stovall took offense to the offer and asked why his own play couldn’t be part of it. They were happy to oblige, but the only thing was, unbeknownst to them, he had yet to write anything!

“They asked if they could see it, and I told them I would have it to them tomorrow,” he laughs now. “I went home and wrote the first draft of what became Immediate Family overnight. That ignited in me a new passion for playwrighting.”

A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

Despite having so many theatrical irons in the fire, Stovall took a break from the arts to serve for the Obama administration for eight years, serving as an advance staff lead and media logistics coordinator for First Lady Michelle Obama.

“I was tired of all the Facebook online warriors saying all the things on a keyboard they would never get outside of their house and say. And I knew I wanted to do something—even if it was the tiniest thing, to help them get elected,” Stovall said. “The volunteering turned into much more. I never expected to be on that eight-year journey. Time and time again, I saw them hold themselves with great composure under immense pressure. When I think life is unfair, I always try to go back and think about what I saw in them.”

It was during that job when Stovall came to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte and watched the city “grow” and “rise to the challenge” that came with the event. It was also when Stovall first became

Paul Oakley Stovall

friends with Tom Gabbard, the Blumenthal’s president and CEO.

“I felt I had to come back here someday,” he said. “I first did with the tour of Hamilton, and I reconnected with Tom, and he suggested I come back and do some sort of cabaret and be in residence and do some sort of teaching with the local youth for the Blumeys. I did that and got more entrenched in the community.”

THE SOUTH LIKES TO LAUGH

That’s why he calls Charlotte his “second artistic home.” Stovall is thrilled to be back at the Blumenthal with Immediate Family having just performed at the theatre this past March in Life Rules, a cabaret show.

“People are going to enjoy Immediate Family because people in the South like to laugh—they like to laugh at themselves, they like to laugh at their relatives and their friends—Black families enjoy a good razzing and a good teasing,” Stovall said. “They also enjoy getting to the heart of the matter and that’s what the play does. It’s about how faith can blind you and bind you.”

From left, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Phillip James Brannon, Cynda Williams, Shanesia Davis, J. Nicole Brooks and Patrick Sarb in a scene from Immediate Family at Goodman Theatre in Chicago (2012).

BLUMENTHAL ARTS presents

A NEW AMERICAN PLAY by PAUL OAKLEY STOVALL

with BRITNEY COLEMAN

FREDDIE FULTON KAI ALMEDA HEATH ELIJAH JONES

ANDY MIENTUS CHRISTINA SAJOUS and

Vanessa R. Butler

Scenic Design

Paul Tate dePoo III

Samuel Douglas Aigner Mizzelle Deon Releford-Lee

Costume Design

Colleen Morris-Glennon

Hair and Makeup Design

Nikiya Mathis

Production Stage Manager

David Blackwell

Lighting Design Sound Design

Levi J. Wilkins Mikaal Sulaiman

Prop Supervision

Emmarose Campbell

Production Manager

Aurora Productions

Associate Executive Producer

Kaylin Kellin

Fight Director

Michael Rossmy

Casting by ARC

Duncan Stewart, CSA

Jarrett Reiche

Executive Producer

Martian Entertainment

Carl D. White, Gregory Rae, Jim Brady Directed

Aigner Nichole Mizzelle

Andy Mientus

Deon Releford-Lee

Christina Sajous

Freddie Fulton

Kai Almeda Heath

Elijah Jones

Britney Coleman

Samuel Douglas

Vanessa R. Butler

Ronnie BRITNEY COLEMAN

Tony FREDDIE FULTON

Nina ........................................................................................... KAI ALMEDA HEATH

Jesse ................................................................................................... ELIJAH JONES

Kristian ANDY MIENTUS

Evy CHRISTINA SAJOUS

Standby for Ronnie ..................................................................... VANESSA R. BUTLER

Standby for Kristian ....................................................................... SAMUEL DOUGLAS

Standby for Evy/Nina ....................................................... AIGNER NICHOLE MIZZELLE

Standby for Jessie/Tony .............................................................. DEON RELEFORD-LEE

SETTING

Time: Now

Place: Hyde Park, south side of Chicago THERE WILL BE A 20-MINUTE INTERMISSION.

The use of any recording device, either audio or video, and the taking of photographs, either with or without flash, is strictly prohibited. Please turn off all electronic devices such as cellular phones, beepers and watches.

WHO’S WHO in the CAST

BRITNEY COLEMAN she/her (Ronnie) A native of Ann Arbor, MI, Britney has been seen on Broadway in Company, Sunset Boulevard, Tootsie, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. She has most recently been seen across the country starring in the First National Tours of Company (Bobbie) and Beetlejuice (Barbara Maitland). She received her BFA in Musical Theatre at The University of Michigan. www.britneycoleman.com

FREDDIE FULTON he/him (Tony) hails from Little Rock, Arkansas and is filled with immense gratitude to work with this incredible team of artists!! Blumenthal Debut TV/Film: Genius: MLK/X (Reginald Little), Lyrical (Terrence). NYC: Confederates (Signature Theatre), Julius Caesar (Classic Stage Company), and more. Thank you to all my friends and family, your support means the world! 1 Corinthians 2:9. @freddiefulton

KAI ALMEDA HEATH she/her (Nina) hails from Harlem, New York. Favorite Off-Broadway credits include: Kofa in Amani (National Black Theatre), Leticia in Blooms (Ensemble Studio Theatre), The Rowdy in On Sugarland (New York Theatre Workshop), Messenger in Much Ado About Nothing at the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park. Regional credits: Averie in Dot (People’s Light). Sade in Furlough’s Paradise (Alliance Theatre).

ELIJAH JONES he/him (Jesse) is a New York–based actor whose credits include Henry IV (TFANA), The Ally, Richard II (The Public Theater) and Confederates (Signature Theatre, AUDELCO Award). Regional: Henry V (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Bonez (People’s Light). TV: The Crowded Room (AppleTV+). He holds an MFA from Juilliard and a BA from Penn State University. @elijahjones717

ANDY MIENTUS he/him (Kristian) Broadway/Tour: Les Misérables, Spring Awakening, Wicked. OffBroadway: The Jonathan Larson Project, Carrie (MCC). Other: Tommy (Dir. Sam Buntrock), Bent (Dir. Moisés Kaufman), The View Upstairs (London), Emmet Otter (Chicago), tick, tick... BOOM! (Bucks/Cape). Television: “Grendel”, “Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings”, Pied Piper in “The Flash”, “Smash”, “Gone”. Writer: Burn All Night (ART), The Backstagers, and his debut YA novel Fraternity, which was optioned by Sony Pictures Television. @AndyMientus

CHRISTINA SAJOUS she/her (Evy) Broadway: Othello, The Who’s Tommy revival, Spongebob Squarepants, Spider Man: Turn off the Dark, American Idiot, Baby It’s You!, Tupac Shakur’s Holler If Ya Hear Me, and A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical (Co-Director). She attended New York University: Tisch School of the Arts at Playwrights Horizons, Classical Studio, and the International Theatre Wing in Amsterdam. @csajous

VANESSA R. BUTLER she/they (Standby for Ronnie) Theater: 48 Hours in Harlem (Harlem 9), Scissoring (INTAR), Terminus (New York Theatre Workshop), A Raisin in the Sun (TheatreSquared), The Odyssey (Alley Theatre), A Christmas Carol, Queens for a Year (Hartford Stage), Possessing Harriet, Jimmy & Lorraine, (HartBeat Ensemble).

Television: “Zero Day”, “Billions”, “Law & Order”, “Law & Order SVU”, “FBI: Most Wanted”. Awards: Connecticut Critics Circle Award 2017 - Outstanding Actress in a Play. MFA CalArts.

SAMUEL DOUGLAS he/him (Standby for Kristian, Fight Captain) is a recent graduate of the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. Regional credits: The Inspector (Yale Rep), Leopoldstadt (The Huntington and Shakespeare Theatre Company),

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The Comedy of Errors (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), among others. Upcoming film: Call Back. Endless gratitude to Iris, Jamie and Justin, and Junie and Dow. Education: Northwestern, BA; Yale, MFA. @samwdouglas

AIGNER MIZZELLE she/her/ anything said with love (Standby for Evy/ Nina) is a NYC–based multihyphenate creative. She earned her BFA from NYU Tisch, training with Playwrights’ Horizons Acting Studio and the Experimental Theater Wing. Aigner is grateful to have originated the role of Latrice in Lyon’s Chicken & Biscuits on Broadway. Her work in nicHi douglas’ (pray) earned her a Lucille Lortel Award. Other Off-Broadway work includes 7 Minutes and Nina. Television work includes Poker Face. She is humbled and undeniably excited to further strengthen her body of work alongside these genius minds.

DEON RELEFORD-LEE he/ they (Standby for Jesse/ Tony)

MASHALLAH!!! HBCU Grad, Artist, Death Doula, Food Maker, Rump Shaker, Generational Curse Breaker elated to return to NC. TV/Film: Matthew in For the Boys (Slay TV), Always (Film), Know Justice Know Peace (Short). Broadway: Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (Ike). Broadway National Tour: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Drifter). Off-Broadway: The Bandaged Place (Roundabout), Take the Lead (Papermill Playhouse) Love Always: Love All Ways @deonsbohemia

PAUL OAKLEY STOVALL (Playwright) This summer, Paul Oakley Stovall directed and co-adapted the world premiere of James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room to great acclaim. Charlotte audiences were introduced to Paul when he played George Washington in the first national tour of Hamilton. He workshopped his concert Love Rules, an evening of songs exploring the nature of love, in Charlotte in early 2024, and his follow up, Life Rules, debuted in 2025. Other Broadway

and regional credits include co-producing the 2022 Tony Award Best Musical winner A Strange Loop, portraying Belize in Angels in America directed by Tony award winner David Cromer, a Jeff Award–nominated turn as Malvolio in Twelfth Night at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, national tours of Rent and Once on This Island, and television appearances on “Shameless”, “Empire”, and “Chicago Fire”. Film work includes John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus and Robert Altman’s The Company His award-winning films under his production company KernoForto include Buffalo, Columbus, Charlotte, Chicago, Wolfe in Waiting and Arlington Immediate Family was featured at the Goodman Theatre and Mark Taper Forum, directed by Phylicia Rashad. Other plays include the Barrymore recommended Written by Phillis (with Marilyn Campbell), Ape, and the musical Alkebulan, among others. Paul made his Jeff-nominated directorial debut with the US premiere stage adaptation of the film Gods and Monsters, based on the book by Christopher Bram. Outside of entertainment, Paul spent six years as an advance staff lead and media logistics coordinator for First Lady Michelle Obama, after spending a year as a Press Lead for President Obama. @tallpowerpaul

PHYLICIA RASHAD (Director) made her Broadway directorial debut with Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Purpose, which won the 2025 Tony Award for Best Play, Drama Desk Award (Outstanding Play), and New York Drama Critics Circle Award (Best Play). Other directing credits include: Our Lady of 121st Street, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Fences, Gem of the Ocean, A Raisin in the Sun, The Roommate, and Four Little Girls. This marks her third time directing Immediate Family Producing credits include the 2024 Tony nominated Broadway revival of Ossie Davis’s Purlie Victorious, and the PBS film The Old Settler. Fondly remembered by televi-

sion audiences for her portrayal of Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show, Phylicia Rashad can be seen this season in recurring roles in hit TV series The Gilded Age and Lena Waithe’s The CHI. Film and television credits include: The Beekeeper, Jingle Jangle, Pixar’s Soul, Black Box, A Fall from Grace, Creed, Creed II, Creed III, For Colored Girls, This is Us, Diarra from Detroit, Little America, The Crossover, The Good Fight, David Makes Man, and Empire

A Theater Hall of Fame inductee (2016) , Ms. Rashad received Tony and Drama Desk Awards for her performances as Faye in Skeleton Crew (2022) and as Lena Younger in A Raisin in the Sun (2004), the Lucille Lortel Award for her performance as Shelah in Tarrell Alvin McCraney’s Head of Passes (2016), and a Tony nomination for her portrayal of Aunt Ester in August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean (2005).

Rashad, who serves as co-chair of the advisory council for the African American Cultural Heritage Fund, is Dean Emerita of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University. She served as Inaugural Dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts and Inaugural Toni Morrison Chair at Howard University. She was also the first recipient of the Denzel Washington Scholar Chair at Fordham University. She holds Honorary Doctorates from Bennett College, Barber-Scotia College, Clark-Atlanta University, Brown University, Providence College, Tuskegee University, Carnegie-Mellon University, Fordham University, Spelman College, Morris Brown College, St. Augustine College, University of South Carolina at Columbia, and Howard University.

PAUL TATE DEPOO III (Scenic Designer) is an award-winning production designer working across Broadway, opera, concerts, architecture, and large-scale immersive experiences. On Broadway, his credits include The Great Gatsby (Drama

Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), Spamalot, and The Cottage (OCC nomination). Internationally, his work includes The Great Gatsby, Titanic, and Sweeney Todd for OD Company (Seoul); Turandot (Oper im Steinbruch, Austria); USHER: Rendezvous à Paris (La Seine Musicale); and the 2022 FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony in Qatar.

He serves as resident designer for the Kennedy Center’s Broadway Center Stage series, with credits including Nine, tick, tick… BOOM!, Sunset Boulevard, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Guys and Dolls, The Who’s Tommy, The Music Man, Footloose, and Next to Normal

Additional highlights: Take the Team (Paper Mill Playhouse); Cynthia Erivo Live (PBS); USHER: My Way –The Las Vegas Residency (Caesars Palace); Titanic and Dear World (City Center Encores!); Così Fan Tutte (Santa Fe Opera); Dancing with the Stars: Live (2023, 2024); Grand Hotel (Helen Hayes Award); A Little Night Music and Crazy for You (Signature Theatre, DC).

Upcoming: the first national tours of Spamalot and The Great Gatsby, and the world premiere of Jerry Herman’s Mrs. Santa Claus at Goodspeed.

Founder of Tate Design Group. Learn more at pauldepoo.com.

COLLEEN MORRIS-GLENNON

(Costume Designer) is an acclaimed costume and fashion designer with over 20 years in both the entertainment and fashion industries. A proud British-born creative with Jamaican heritage, Colleen’s passion for design was sparked by watching her mother create stunning pieces for clients in Jamaica. She began her career as a stylist at MTV during the late ‘90s and early 2000s, an iconic era for the network, and soon collaborated with legends like Donna Summer, styling her for a Genre magazine cover before designing costumes for Summer’s tour. Colleen’s breakthrough came with the feature

film Bolden! where she utilized her expertise in period costumes and construction to bring to life the historically rich and visually distinct world of Storyville, the notorious Black section of New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century, with music composed by Wynton Marsalis. She designed the BAFTA-nominated “You Don’t Know Me”, a BBC/ Netflix limited series base on Imran Mahmood’s best-selling novel. She then went on to design costumes for HBO’s Industry season 2, earning praise from publications like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, The Daily Beast, and Mr. Porter. Colleen also designed Hijack, the highly praised Apple TV series starring Idris Elba, with her work being featured in The Financial Times. Colleen set up Season 2 looks by designing the first 3 episodes of Apple TV+’s psychological thriller “Surface”. A recognized talent in both film and television, Colleen was nominated for a Costume Design award for her work on the short film Columbus at the 2022 NVIFF Awards. She returned to theatre, designing a reimagined version of The Bodyguard musical. She designed the acclaimed adaptation of the James Baldwin novel Giovanni’s Room for the award-winning Quintessence Theatre in Philadelphia, which has garnered fav reviews, including The New York Times. A proud BAFTA member, Colleen is dedicated to sharing her knowledge with the next generation. She regularly participates in masterclasses and panels, including speaking on diversity in the industry at the Film Africa Festival, where she had the honor of discussing these issues with the Prince of Wales. Colleen considers herself a British New Yorker.

LEVI J. WILKINS (Lighting Designer) Born and raised on the southwest side of Chicago, a member of the Chicago Theater community since age 6. Currently the lighting director at The Faith Community of St. Sabina. 2024 Resident Lighting Designer at The Arkansas Rep Theater. Previous Theaters:

Lookingglass Theater Company, The Goodman Theater, Baltimore Center Stage, Theater Squared, Flint Rep, Indiana University NW, Northwestern University Theater, Constellation Stage & Screen, Congo Square Theater, Raven Theater, Invictus Theater, A Red Orchid Theater, Pulse Theater, Shattered Globe Theater, Metropolis Performing Arts Center and Musical Theater Works. Levi is a four-time Jeff Award Nominee and the recipient of the 2024 3Arts Award for theater. www.fresherlight.com

MIKAAL SULAIMAN (Sound Designer) is a Tony Award–nominated multi-disciplinary artist who works as a sound designer, composer, writer, and director in theatre, TV/film, and podcasts. As a screenwriter, he was most recently in the writers’ room for “#1 Happy Family USA”, created by Ramy Youssef from A24, now streaming on Amazon Prime. He has also been recognized for his original works in theatre, earning the prestigious Creative Capital Award and the CTG Sherwood Award. His sound design has been featured on Broadway productions such as Pirates! the Penzance Musical, Enemy of the People (Jeremy Strong & Michael Imperioli), Doubt (Liev Schreiber), Macbeth (Daniel Craig & Ruth Negga), Death of a Salesman (Wendell Pierce), and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Fat Ham co-produced by Colman Domingo and Cynthia Erivo. He has received sound design awards and nominations from the Drama Desk Award, Obie Award, Henry Hewes Award, Lucille Lortel Award, among others. www.mikaal.com

NIKIYA MATHIS (Hair and Makeup Designer) Nikiya Mathis is a wig designer and actress, who made Broadway history as the first-ever hair/wig designer to receive a Special Tony Award, for her work on Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. She holds an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and recently recurs as N’Kiyah

Franklin on STARZ’s “Power Book III: Raising Kanan.” Her Broadway design credits include Purpose, HOME, The Heart of Rock & Roll, Once Upon A One More Time, Death of a Salesman, Topdog/Underdog, and Chicken & Biscuits. Off-Broadway: Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Primary Trust, Nollywood Dreams, Goddess, Lights Out: Nat King Cole, Pray, and more. Nikiya leads “HAIRversations,” a workshop series for actors of color navigating hair in auditions and performance spaces. She teaches masterclasses at NYU Tisch, Yale, Princeton, and universities nationwide. Her honors include the Drama Desk, Obie, Henry Hewes, Broadway Black, and Behind the Curtain Award.

EMMAROSE CAMPBELL (Props Supervisor) is a NYC-based prop designer. Favorite credits include A Charlie Brown Christmas Live! (Nat’l Tour), On Your Feet! (Nat’l Tour), Jekyll and Hyde (WPPAC), and her work with TheaterWorks USA. She is a co-producer of Chorus Girl Productions in NYC, and she owes her career to hot glue guns and espresso. Insta: @propsbyegc | www.emmarosegcampbell.com

MICHAEL ROSSMY (Fight Director) Broadway: Purpose, A Tale of Two Cities, Cymbeline. Off-Broadway highlights include The Public Theater, Roundabout, Primary Stages, and The Atlantic. Extensive regional credits. Michael is Resident Fight and Intimacy Director for Yale Rep and Lecturer in Acting and Stage Management DGSD at Yale. Recent work includes the world premiere of BEAU The Musical ARC (Casting) 150+ productions across the globe & 13 Artios Awards for casting. Broadway/NY Past & credits include Othello, Real Women Have Curves, A Wonderful World, Life of Pi, Chicago the Musical, Disney’s The Lion King & Beauty and the Beast, Hadestown, Lost in Yonkers, Great Comet of 1812, Christmas Spectacular Starring the

Radio City Rockettes, 39 Steps, Pippin, La Cage aux Folles. TV/ Film: Netflix, 20th Century Fox, NBC, Lionsgate, Disney Channel. West End/U.K.: Hadestown, Thriller Live, Menier Chocolate Factory. Tours: 1776, Hairspray, Waitress, Urinetown, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland, Into the Woods, We Will Rock You. Regional: A.R.T., Berkeley Rep, Alley, Bay Street, Goodspeed, Hollywood Bowl, McCarter, Signature. ARC, Part of RWS Global. www.castingbyarc.com IG: @castingbyarc

DAVID BLACKWELL (Production Stage Manager) historically became the youngest stage manager on Broadway at age 16! His work on original Broadway and national tour productions include A Raisin in the Sun, Dreamgirls, Sweet Charity, The Wiz, Timbuktu, Showboat, Sophisticated Ladies, and Beauty and the Beast. In 1988, David moved into his television career as key stage manager/guest director for “A Different World”, “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”, “Sister Sister”, and “Last Comic Standing”. David is delighted to accompany Phylicia on this journey as they explore the complexities of human nature, with a shared vehemence for the arts. He brings to every project approached the gifts of a culturally rich childhood, and the invaluable professional and ethical lessons learned from his phenomenal parents, the beloved Mr. Charles and Mrs. Frances Butler Blackwell.

ABIGAIL PETERSON (Assistant Stage Manager) is in awe that she gets to live her theater dreams every day. Broadway: Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends. Regional: Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends (Center Theatre Group), American Idiot (DeafWest/Center Theatre Group). For my family. Thank you for never letting me give up.

BLUMENTHAL ARTS (Producer) For 33 years, Blumenthal Arts has presented Broadway hits,

produced new works, and supported local creativity. It leads the industry in presenting immersive experiences through Blume Studios, as well as co-producing and investing in over 200 productions for Broadway, London’s West End and national tour. Generating $80M+ annually for the local economy, Blumenthal uses the arts to create opportunity, inspire, educate, and unite our community.

AURORA PRODUCTIONS

(Production Management)Art; Back To The Future (Tour); Beetlejuice; The Book of Mormon; Frozen (Germany, Korea); House Of McQueen; Little Bear Ridge Road; Operation Mincemeat; Pirates! The Penzance Musical; Powerhouse: International; Rolling Thunder Vietnam; The Grand Indian Festival; The Play That Goes Wrong. Aurora has been providing technical supervision and production management to the entertainment industry since 1989.

MARTIAN ENTERTAINMENT

(Executive Producer) is a Tony Award-winning production and general management firm founded in 1997 and owned by Carl D. White and Gregory Rae. New York and touring credits include: A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical; The Play That Goes Wrong; The Normal Heart (Tony Award); Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Tony Award); The Cottage by Sandy Rustin and directed by Jason Alexander; The Temperamentals; BARE; Peter Pan Goes Wrong; and The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, among many others. Upcoming projects include the new musical Loch Ness; the new musical Run Baby Run; the new musical Henry Box Brown; and the new play Bullethead. They are thrilled to be working with and supporting Blumenthal Arts on this incredible play. And they are truly honored to once again be working with the legendary Phylicia Rashad, and the multi-talented Paul Stovall. MartianEntertainment.com

OPENING NIGHT

AUGUST 7, 2025

CHARLOTTE, NC

STAFF FOR IMMEDIATE FAMILY

BLUMENTHAL ARTS

CEO Tom Gabbard

PROGRAMMING GENERAL MANAGER

Brittany Hoffman

Executive Producer on Behalf of Blumenthal Arts

MARTIAN ENTERTAINMENT

Carl D. White Gregory Rae Kaylin Kellin Jim Brady

Production Management AURORA PRODUCTIONS

Ben Heller Liza Luxenberg Cori Gardner

Joe Trainor Nic Forero Joshua Bernard Shira Barnir Matt Thompson

Casting ARC

Duncan Stewart, CSA Mark Brandon, CSA

Kyle Coker Jarrett Reiche Patrick Maravilla Devi Peot Jaron Cole

Ryan Stana, CEO RWS Global Ryan Saab, EVP RWS Global

Production Stage Manager ..................

David Blackwell

Assistant Stage Manager Abigail Peterson

NYC Company Manager Kaylin Kellin

Associate Scenic Designer Kaitlyn Peterson

Assistant Costume Designer Toni Scott Grant

Director of Production ...............................Bob Rogers

Lead Technical Production Manager Evan Kinsley

Technical Production Manager Jason Kennedy

Audio Supervisor Ian Morley

Director of Front of House Operations Tommy Cantrell

Director of Food and Beverage ................. Caro Tanghe

Asst. Director of Facilities

Aaron Thompson

Ticketing Events/Operations Managers Rick Basdeo, Anna Norton

Marketing Joy West, Sara Zeller, Raegan Kirkpatrick, Olivia Harvey

Press Representation LSG Public Relations/Lisa Goldberg

Blumenthal Arts/Rachel Peterson

Press Representative for Ms. Rashad ................ Irene Gandy

Production Photographer

Marc J. Franklin

Travel & Housing ..................... Road Concierege, Inc.; Homewood Suites; and The Dunhill Hotel

Opening Night Restaurant Partner .. Farenheit Charlotte

NYC Rehearsal Studios Sunlight Studios, NYC

STAFF FOR BLUMENTHAL ARTS

Chief Financial Officer .....................Dmitri Beregovski

Chief of Staff Kelsey Bevensee

Chief Human Resources Officer Jennifer Catrambone

Senior Director of Facilities David Kummings

Chief Education Officer Andie Maloney

Chief Community Impact & Partnership Officer Kristen Miranda

CREDITS

Set Fabrication and Finishing by Majestic Scenic

Drop printing by Triumph Productions, Inc. Logo design by Freddie Paull

SPECIAL THANKS

Actively Black Haus of Swag NinetyNine Products Tiannia Barnes Markus Kylén Patrik Silborn Kev Harris

Charles Wallace Dwayne Grayman Lachanze

The actors and stage managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

Backstage Employees are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (or I.A.T.S.E.).