Daniella Clayborn
2025 Vera Stark
By the way… meet the star of our show, Daniella* Clayborn! (*not to be confused with her father Daniel or her twin sister Danielle- thank god they’re fraternal) Daniella does improv comedy so if she messes up tonight it better be funny
Maya Willamson Shaffer
2025 Gloria
Gloria, Gloria, Gloria
Animated, unhinged, and probably clinically insane. All she needs is a physics degree and she’ll be just like Maya (minus the insanity- usually). They probably have a problem set in quantum due tonight. And can’t forget the skateboard, although it’s use frequency is low.
#BringBackPinkHairEra
Udy Ekpo
2026 Leroy/ Herb
Udy is a junior in the College studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics with a minor in Psychology. At Penn, you can find her working with students in CityStep, taking silly photos of squirrels, or playing intramural volleyball. Her favorite musicals are Legally Blonde and Hairspray, and she's excited to perform in By the Way, Meet Vera Stark!
Sassou Djato
Sassou Djato is a senior in the College studying Africana Studies and dual minoring in ASL/Deaf Studies and Law and Society. If they're not acting in 4A, you can find them performing spoken word in the Excelano Project or staying up way past late with the Sensations! Anyways, you know the drill hussies I take Cashapp ($SassouDjato) and Venmo (@Sassou-Djato) <3 2025 Lottie/ Carmen
y’Ajha Bailey 2025
Anna Mae/ Afua
Ny’Ajha is a senior in the School of Nursing with a minor in GSWS. She's the VP of 4A and on the board of New Spirit of Penn Gospel Choir, and a member of many black clubs on campus. This is her third production for 4A, and her 2nd acting role since sophomore year (pray for line memorization, please and thank you). Her new dream role would be being the wig that got turned around in Dreamgirls.
Faresi AlFaresi
2025
Slasvick/ Brad Donovan
When the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king
What he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight
And he’ll win the whole thing ‘fore he enters the ring
There’s nobody to batter when your mind is your might
So when you go solo you hold your own hand and remember that depth is the greatest of heights
And if you know where to stand then you know where to land and if you fall it won’t matter cause you’ll know that you’re right
Andrew Zhang
2028
Max/ Peter
Elodie Gomes
2026
Director
Elodie is a junior in the college, majoring in Cognitive Science and Psychology. Although this is her first experience as a director, she has brought a beautiful vision to life with the support and collaboration of an incredible team. She is excited for audiences to experience the laughter and poignant moments that come with Vera’s powerful story
Andrew Zhang could not flirt with women, nevertheless he persisted. With a Russian accent and a dream, he joined this show like a week before tech week, fiercely. Who knew he could break the TAC-E bylaws in just his first year by appearing in THE Charlie and the Chocolate factory and now in THE By the Way Meet Vera Stark.
Tytianna Pope
2025 Producer
Aidan Ford
2027
Producer
Aidan is thrilled to have produced a show for the first time! He made his TAC-e debut as Melchior in Penn Players' Spring Awakening during the Fall 2023 season. He also played JD in Quadramics' Heathers during Spring 2024. It's exhausting to be this fabulous.
Tytianna, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences from Memphis, TN, is thrilled to be part of her third 4A production and her second as president of 4A. She is incredibly proud of the cast and the 4A board for their dedication and hard work in bringing this show to life.
Tytianna extends heartfelt gratitude to Front Row Theatre Company for their collaborative partnership. She deeply cherishes the joy of Black Theatre and is honored to share it with you. 4A4L
Jae Hargest
2025 Assistant Stage Manager
Zooming past you in a bike, you'll never know what they are up to because they do it all. Assistant stage manager, run crew, hair makeup crew, set crew??? Why did they do this to themselves? The world may never know. But what we do know is that they are in the process of creating the best Arcane video essay the world has ever seen.
Charles Gay
2025 Stage Manager
Hi! My name is Charles, and I am a student in Wharton. I have grown up around and love theatre and I am so excited to be a part of this production!
Content Warning
This play includes depictions of alcoholism and discussion of drug use. The play grabbles with discussions of racism, oppression, marginalization, and white privilege. We see scholarly discourse on the impact of black people playing roles that enforce societal stereotypes and whether that is detrimental to your own integrity and the black community as a whole.
Please consider your own needs when deciding if this production is something you want to do and know that we will be providing resources throughout the rehearsal process to discuss and work on these topics safely.
GET INVOLVED
Front Row Theatre Company is a student-organized theatre company at the University of Pennsylvania, producing theatre that calls attention to cultural, political, and societal issues important to its membership and its greater communities.
INSTAGRAM: @ftc.board
FACEBOOK: @FrontRowTheatreCo
WEBSITE: https://frontrowtheatre.co/
3 SHOW CYCLES YEARLY. JOIN ANY OR ALL!
Fall (+ you are here!)
Winter
Spring
ROLES ON FTC PRODUCTION STAFF
Producers, Stage Manager
Actors
Designers (Lights, Sound, Graphics, etc.)
Crew Members
•Musicians (depends on show needs)
ROLES ON FTC BOARD
The Front Row Theatre Co. Board help put this all together, and encourage the current and next generations of people in the theatre arts!
We select the director lineup, manage the social media, manage FTC funds, plan social events, keep track of our members and alumni and more.
Elections happen on a yearly basis.
Anyone who has worked on at least one show in the past academic year is eligible to run for a seat on FTC board.
AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTS ALLIANCE
It is the goal of the Alliance to promote an awareness and appreciation of Black culture through the arts for the University of Pennsylvania and surrounding communities. We host fun and culturally relevent events throughout the year. As well as put on a Fall and Spring Production. Get involved with us by joining our... Executive Board Production Team General Body
Thank You
For Coming!
The African-American Arts Alliance and The Front Row Theatre Company welcomes everyone to our collaborative Fall 2024 production of “By The Way, Meet Vera Stark”, written by Lynn Nottage. Through our organizations’ shared mission of theatre that highlights underserved voices. We hope to put on a show that we could bring by to light the (in)visibility female actors may face just due to the assumed race. Lynn Nottage has honored us to tell this story and we are honored to Present to you...
By The Way, Meet Vera Stark
We would like to thank PAC, SAC, TAC-e, Laurie McCall, Sara Outing , Megan Edelman, Justin Gotzis, Amanda Labonte, Stephen Peterson and Chris from Visual Sound for their continued assistance and guidance. We would also like to thank our Makuu Family and Umoja for the love and support that helped make this show happen.
Thank you so much to Veronica Marlotte for their assistance ad TAC-e chair. Also to Attila Tuba as PAC Tech Chair.
Last but not least, a special thanks is extending to our Alumni Network who has been a continuous support for us through this season and always been our beacon
