From school plays to big breaks, Grantham Coleman’s (Theatre ‘08) journey shows the impact of passion, patience, and purpose.
Executive Board
President
Denise Ward (Vocal '12)
Vice President
Capra Fellows (Theatre '11)
Secretary
Gabby Byrd (Vocal '11)
Treasurer
Kierra Martin (Dance '13)
Parliamentarian
Malcolm Jackson (Instrumental '10)
Scholarship Chair
Taylar Lewis (Theatre '11)
Young Alumni Leadership Council Co-Chair
Dedreck “DJ” Carr (Vocal ‘18)
Committee Chairs
Communications Chair
Jordan Woods (Dance '13)
Engagement Co-Chair
Edward Bell (Vocal '10)
Engagement Co-Chair
Stephen Hudson (Vocal ‘03)
Technology Coordinator
Henry Ellis Davis (Theatre '09)
Contributing Writers
Dedreck “DJ” Carr
Malcolm Jackson
Denise Ward
Gabby Byrd, Editor
Iamhonoredtoserveasanewboardmemberofthe HSPVABlackAlumniNetwork(BAN). SincejoiningBAN, I’vebeeninspiredbyourincredibleworktoconnectBlack Alumniandupliftthemandcurrentstudents
WhatIhaveenjoyedthemostsofaristhesenseof community BANhasbecomemorethanjustanetwork; it’safamilyboundtogetherbysharedexperiencesat PVA Weknowfirsthandwhatitmeanstonavigatethat spaceasBlackstudents,andithasbeenpowerfulto cometogetherandensurethatcurrentandfuture studentshaveacommunitythatfeelslikehome. I’ve seenhowourworkhasmadeanimpact–supporting students’endeavorsandlettingthemknowtheyare valuedandseen
Asoneoftheco-chairsoftheYoungAlumniLeadership Council(YALC),Iamexcitedtoseeuscontinuebuilding onthismomentum.Ihopethatthenextgenerationof students–thosecurrentlyatPVAandthoseinterestedin attending–willseetheopportunitiesthatBANprovides.I hopethatcurrentandfuturestudentswilllookupto YALCandseeourmembersasrolemodelsand advocates.Together,wecancreateacycleof encouragement,wherethenextgenerationisupliftedby thosewhocamebeforethem
BeingapartofBANhasbeenagift,andIlookforwardto continuingthiswork.Theroadaheadisfullofpromise, andI’meagertoseehowwecanexpandthenetwork evenfurther,ensuringthatBlackstudentsfeel empoweredandequippedtoexcelintheirpassions. Together,wearebuildingsomethingmeaningful–a lastinglegacyofsupport,representation,and opportunity.
PEACE & BLESSINGS,
DEDRECK “DJ” CARR (Vocal ‘18)
YOUNG ALUMNI LEADERSHIP COUNCIL CO-CHAIR
HSPVA BLACK ALUMNI NETWORK
Earlier this year, for the first time ever, BAN organized a special ceremony to formally recognize our 2023-2024 scholarship recipients and personally welcome graduating seniors into the Network. Thank you to the alumni who helped us achieve representation from all art areas, thank you to Ms. Patricia Bonner for her never-ending support, and hank you to Garza Studios, our venue ponsor. We look forward to continuing his new tradition in the years to come!
We had such an amazing time getting together for the James Francies (Jazz ‘13) concert at Miller Outdoor Theatre In addition to Bilal, the featured vocalist, Francies was supported by fellow alumni Burniss Earl Travis II (Jazz ‘05) and Jeremy Dutton (Jazz ‘12) Thank you to all who came for the picnic and thank you to the Houston Jazz Collective for providing tickets!
September 14, 2024
June 6, 2024
ni Mentors are needed for our annual Speed Mentor h! This "speed dating" style mentorship event is a oration with the Kinder HSPVA Black Student Union llows current students an opportunity to connect with ni mentors from a variety of career paths and ipate in an informative Q&A panel discussion. Sign up to become a mentor for this event!
Time: 5pm CT
Location: Kinder HSPVA (Houston, TX)
If you’re in the NYC area and interested in joining us for lunch with our very special guest, HSPVA legend, Ms Pat Bonner, email us at hspvablackalumninetwork@gmail.com or click below to RSVP. Space is limited!
Time: 12pm ET
Location: Bocca di Bacco - (NYC)
Our signature holiday event is back and better than ever! oin us for this highly anticipated celebration featuring live music, holiday cheer, and more Close the year out with us n style!
ime: 7pm
ocation: TBD (Houston, TX)
Guitarist Mathias Lattin (Jazz ‘20) will be performing with his group at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, GA. Doors open at 8:45pm.
Purchase tickets online at dice.fm
Anthony Boggess-Glover (Vocal ‘87) is starring in The Twelve Ways of Christmas, running November 15-December 22 at The Ensemble Theater in Houston, TX.
Purchase tickets online at ensemblehouston.com
Saxophonist Shelley Carrol (Jazz ‘82) and trombonist Andre Hayward (Jazz*) will be performing at Houston Jazz Collective’s West Texas Country Music Jamboree, a celebration of the Great American Songbook, taking place at the Round Top Dance Hall near Austin, TX.
Purchase tickets for the 7pm show online at eventbrite com
Pianist Paul Cornish (Jazz ‘14), pictured second from the right, will be performing with the Joshua Redman Group in New York at Jazz at Lincoln Center
Purchase tickets for the 7:30pm show online at jazz org
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Attention Class of 2004: You have four opportunities to meet with your classmates next month for your 20th reunion! Click the link below to RSVP
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Drummer Chris “Daddy” Dave (Jazz ‘90) will be performing as part of 90 9 KTSU’s “Mosaic Series: Colors of Culture” at Rockefeller’s in Houston, TX
Purchase tickets for the 8pm show online at eventbrite com
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Pianist Robert Glasper (Jazz ‘97) will be performing at the House of Blues in Houston
Purchase tickets for the 7pm show online at concerts livenation com
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Attention Class of 1994: Celebrate your 30th reunion with your classmates at Sassafrass Bar in Houston at 6pm!
Click the link below to RSVP.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING HAPPENING SOON?
Let us know and we'll help spread the word! Email us at hspvablackalumninetwork@gmail com or send us a DM on Instagram
by Gabby Byrd
Sometimes you meet people and just know they’re destined for greatness. It’s not always clear what it is they have, but they most certainly have it–a “je ne sais quoi” some might call “main character energy ” Surely, you know the type The conviction with which they speak opens the ears a little wider so that every uttered word is heard. The quiet confidence in their posture gently reminds your spine to lengthen, too. Their magnetic charm holds the eyes captive whenever they enter the room.
If they don’t pursue careers in the arts, these are the kinds of people who thrive as politicians or lawyers or changemakers These are the kinds of people whose senior superlatives in high school were “Most Likely to be Famous.” So, when I fished out my old HSPVA yearbook and flipped to the superlatives page, I did so already knowing that Grantham Coleman’s (Theatre ‘08) face was going to appear
Last year alone, Coleman played supporting roles in three major projects: Rustin, a biographical drama by the Obamas’ Higher Ground production company; Lawmen: Bass Reeves, a Paramount+ miniseries; and Power Book III: Raising Kanan, a STARZ crime drama. This year, he stars as the leading man in Emperor of Ocean Park, a suspenseful thriller series on MGM+ With a new year and–most likely–new exciting roles on the horizon, join us for a look at how Grantham Coleman’s “most likely” became a reality
Grantham’s classmates at HSPVA (and anyone else who met him before 2012) know him simply as Grant During his last semester at The Juilliard School, he started using his full name in order to avoid issues with similarly named actors in The Screen Actors Guild or Actors Equity Association “I know there's like thirty Grant Colemans out there,” he explains, “but there's only one Grantham Coleman, and that's my dad, and he's not an actor ” Mr Coleman was a lawyer Mrs Coleman was an educator in the Houston Independent School District and eventually switched over to administration. She made sure the Coleman boys enrolled in the district’s best schools–bonus points if the school also supported her sons’ interests in the arts.
Grant’s love for acting began early. He acted in plays at MacGregor Elementary and often went to see his older brother perform in musicals at Johnston Middle School–now named Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School When Johnston did their production of Seven Brides For Seven Brothers and needed someone’s younger sibling to play the ring bearer, the theatre teacher remembered seeing Grant with his older brother and their family “Somehow I ended up being the little kid in the musical for the seventh and eighth graders, and I stole the show,” he recalls. He would have no trouble getting into Johnston’s theatre program after that.
Before HSPVA, Coleman never considered himself a theatre kid. “Oh, y'all theatre kids. Y'all sing musical songs,” he thought to himself “I'm a serious film actor ” He auditioned for PVA with Asagai’s monologue from Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and imagined himself one day doing different shows of a similar caliber He had also considered other possible futures for himself though, which made picking a high school somewhat of a challenge If he went to Debakey High School for Health Professions, he could nurture his interest in becoming a doctor If he went to Lamar High School, he would be attending his father’s alma mater and would likely go on to pursue a path in law. If he went to HSPVA, his best friend from Johnston, Brian James, would be at his side along with several other friends of theirs. Alas, friendship prevailed.
To his surprise, the auditions for PVA s Theatre Department were not one-on-one Everyone got to be part of the audience and listen to the instructors work with each student. “I think it's weird, but it's also kind of cool that we were all a part of each other's audition,” he says. “It made it feel like the stakes were really high, like, ‘I gotta get this,’ but you're not really in competition with each other.” If they had actually been in competition, it might’ve seemed as though Grant was losing–at least during his first few years at PVA He remembers, “I never really got the leads at school It was either JP [John Paul Green] or Brian, my other classmates ” There’s never been any bad blood over it though The three of them still keep in touch as regularly as they did in high school which, at one point, was every day in their free first period
There, thanks to the unusually high amount of freedom, trust, and minimally-supervised time many of us were afforded as HSPVA students, the three friends formed a comedy group named Justus Comedy. They would banter and do bits that they would later post on YouTube. “It was some really good devised theatre,” he says, “and somehow we didn't get in trouble for it even though we were using school stuff in the classroom, using school time.” Naturally, I scoured the internet for evidence but to no avail. Coleman says that though the skits were “definitely very smart,” he had the search words deleted to ensure that the videos never resurfaced “I don’t know if they would live up well to the light of day,” he admits Later in our conversation, he wondered again,
“How did we not get in trouble? I don't understand how I did not get
”
in trouble at this school.
Most likely, it’s because this freedom to explore and create was built into the spirit of the school. We all benefited from it.
Grantham also benefited from his involvement in HSPVA’s Black History shows Not only did it open his eyes to the school’s legacy of phenomenal Black students, it also created more opportunities to interact with them When thinking about the other Black History productions he took part in, he mentions looking up to several Black students in the theatre class of 2006–Cameron J. Ross, Delius Doherty, Kelli Rasmus, and Kenya Alexander–and notes that they, along with many others, are still active in the industry and doing important work. “It's been cool watching my friends and colleagues go on and find their own success, whatever that means for them,” he says.
It’s not uncommon for alumni to return to PVA for the sole purpose of working closely with the students on the Black History show; in fact, that arrangement has a lot to do with how the HSPVA Black Alumni Network was eventually formed. During Coleman’s senior year, the show was Sophisticated Ladies and Brooke Barnes-Meeks (Dance ‘97) directed. Being an HSPVA alumna herself, it was important to her that the show included every art area and that every student “had a ‘place’ in the show to showcase their talents and abilities.” Since Sophisticated Ladies primarily showcased music and dance, it was decided that someone should write a few scenes for the actors and that someone was Grant “Oh, that's cool I'm a playwright now,” he said to himself Discovering his gift with the written word took a few frustrating years though
During his senior year, everyone in his theatre class was expected to submit for YoungArts, a competition where the nation’s top young artists compete for a chance to win financial awards, mentorship opportunities, and “develop their crafts with internationally recognized leaders in their fields.” Out of the fourteen PVA students who were recognized in their respective disciplines, four were invited to YoungArts week in Miami: the three members of Justus Comedy plus Jamye Grant (all seniors in theatre) Each year, YoungArts nominates 60 candidates to be symbolically honored by the President of the United States as a graduating high school senior with exceptionally high potential Twenty YoungArts winners are selected out of approximately 160 U S Presidential Scholars; Grant and Jamye were two of them “The first three plays that I ever did were with Jamye in the Christmas plays at MacGregor,” he says. On the senior superlatives page of the 2007-2008 yearbook (and on several other pages throughout) the two Grants stand side by side.
Some time after graduating from The Juilliard School in 2012, he made the move to Los Angeles thinking it would help him make a living, pay off some college debt, and improve his chances of landing a big TV break “I would go back and forth from LA to NY for work, trying to seem like a successful bicoastal actor, but my heart was always in the city,” he admits As much as wanted to be on TV, he really wanted to be on Broadway In 2019, after several performances in both arenas and in both cities, his career started gaining momentum, especially his stage career
He and one of his friends from Juilliard, Danielle Brooks, were cast as main characters in The Public Theater’s production of Much Ado About Nothing for New York’s Shakespeare in the Park Festival. Tony Award winner Kenny Leon directed the all-Black cast and PBS aired one of the shows for their famous Great Performances series. Later that same year, Coleman earned the role of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Robert Schenkkan's The Great Society, making his Broadway debut A few months later, the pandemic began to take its toll on the world
Though challenging, being on lockdown helped Grantham put things in perspective. Not only did it give him a chance to go home and “fall in love with Houston all over again,” it also presented an opportunity to “let go of the grind,” decompress, and reflect on his creative journey thus far Even if the pay was small for a small part in a small show, he says it helped to remind himself:
“Other people auditioned with you to get this part. Other people wanted exactly what you are doing right now. ”
After all, by 2020 he had achieved some of the things he set out to do as a kid (including being part of a movie) Once people were able to resume their outside lives, it wasn’t long before Grantham’s career resumed as well In 2022, he was cast as Macduff in a Broadway production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth alongside David Craig and Ruth Negga. “Funnily enough,” he says, “coming back to NY is what brought about a TV break.”
Last winter, he celebrated three releases nearly back-to-back First was Lawmen: Bass Reeves, a western drama series about the runaway slave who became the first Black U S Marshal west of the Mississippi River Coleman played the role of Edwin Jones, a persuasive pastor with a vision Next was Rustin, a film highlighting Bayard Rustin’s contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and the 1963 March on Washington. He played Blyden Jackson, Rustin’s key assistant. In December, Power Book III: Raising Kanan was added to the Power Universe franchise as a standalone prequel to 50 Cent’s Power and fans were introduced to Ronnie Mathis, perhaps Coleman’s most popular role to-date. Even on social media promo for his latest show in which he actually plays the lead character, fans of Power Book proceed to post comments like, “Why is Ronnie's wife doing that?” or “What is Ronnie doing?” or “Oh, Ronnie's a teacher now?” Grantham gets a kick out of their inability to separate the man from the character; it often helps him maintain a level of privacy when he’s recognized in public places
Though recent projects have thrust him into the spotlight–including his lead role as Talcott Garland in The Emperor of Ocean Park, opposite Forest Whitaker–Grantham remains humble and continues to keep his success in perspective. “Last year was a good year,” he says, “but that was an accumulation of so many other bad plays and short guest stars, things that didn't happen, and shows getting canceled.” At the same time, by taking the opportunities that came his way, he created opportunities for decisionmakers to eventually give him a chance “Honestly, we have very little power over–especially people in the performing arts–have very little power over what is happening next and how you make whatever is happening next happen,” he says “I think it is okay to feel the ups and feel the downs, but I do like to remind myself of the ups when I'm down and the downs when I'm up ”
As for the question “what’s next?” we all just have to wait and see. As Grantham’s hip-hop-loving character quotes in Emperor, “Real G’s move in silence like lasagna.”
“I think what I love most about acting is the pursuit of truth. Getting to the heart of a character, and for maybe one moment in a scene, you step foot into their truth, on stage or in front of the camera. It’ s powerful.
Pursuing that from rehearsal through a run of a play or an entire shoot is the most frustrating/rewarding challenge. And I never quite get there, but the journey continues bringing me closer and closer each take, each time.” - Grantham Coleman
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SEEKING EMPLOYMENT: New York University’s (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts is in search of an Administrative Aide to work in their Special Programs Department and perform a wide range of clerical, secretarial and general office duties including those of a confidential nature This is a fulltime, hybrid remote and onsite position See the link below to apply now
Learn more: uscareers-nyu icims com/jobs/
THESPIANS: The Allen Hughes BIPOC Fellowship is a professional training program for BIPOC individuals in the arts offering personalized training and in-depth, hands-on experience with top-tier professionals in artistic and technical production, arts administration, arts education, and community outreach
Applications open on December 2, 2024
Learn more: arenastage org/education/fellowship/
ALL ARTISTS: Applications for the MacDowell Fellowship will open January 15, 2025. MacDowell's mission is to nurture the arts by offering talented individuals an inspiring residential environment in which to produce enduring works of the creative imagination The Fellows shall receive exclusive use of a private studio, accommodations, and three prepared meals a day for two to six weeks The intention is that artists practice their work independently without assistance
Learn more: macdowell org/apply
MUSICIANS: Women in the Arts, Inc is pleased to announce the 2024 Young Women of Color Composers Competition! Emerging women composers of color between the ages of 21 and 36 are encouraged to apply for this chance to win a monetary award and premiere a new composition for orchestra at the 50th National Women’s Music Festival in July 2026.
Deadline: December 31, 2024.
Learn more: nwmf.info/compsers-competition
For current 9th-11th grade Kinder HSPVA students planning to attend summer workshops or training programs that will further their artistic development in their respective art areas.
NEVAEH JOSEPH, DANCE ‘26
CARLY CAMPBELL, DANCE ‘26
SAMAYA HOLMES, THEATRE ‘26
CHLOE TOUSSANT, VISUAL ART ‘27
KAI TREGRE, THEATRE ‘25
HALEY VAVAL, DANCE ‘26
For eligible alumni and Kinder HSPVA students currently participating in the Leadership Through Legacy (LTL) Mentorship Program.
NILEWIS,JAZ ,
The DeAndrea Sadberry Legacy Award assists current Kinder HSPVA students who are participating in summer development opportunities
The Lake Houston Society Award supports 10-12th grade Kinder HSPVA students planning to attend off-campus workshops and enrichment programs that will help perfect their craft
The Kindred Stories Creative Writing Award was established to support HSPVA's current Creative Writing students and their artistic endeavors
JACKSON SWINTON (Theatre ‘24)
University of Texas, Austin
DANIELLE BUSH
(Dance ‘24)
University of Oklahoma
LAURYN PALMER (Theatre ‘24) Howard University
SAVANNAH DEVER (Instrumental ‘24) Bryn Mawr
XANDER LINDSAY (Jazz ‘24) Culinary Institute of America
TREVON HECTOR (Dance ‘24) George Mason University
CORTLANDT BARRETT
(Theatre ‘24) Boston Conservatory AWARD
BAN’s inaugural Young Alumni Leadership Council (YALC) is comprised of recently graduated alumni who serve as ambassadors for BAN Through service, mentorship, and collaboration, their goal is to advance the Network's mission and advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion while collaborating on innovative projects that address the needs of the HSPVA community.
MADISON MANNING (Dance ‘24) Point Park University
LEGACY AWARD
TESS REED (Instrumental ‘24) Boston Conservatory
JADEN MADGETT
(Theatre ‘22) Howard University
AWARD
HALEY PRINCE (Theatre ‘23)
University of Texas, Austin
Hannah Jones (Vocal ‘18)
Making her Seattle Opera debut this October in “Jubille,” a new opera that showcases the original story of the Fisk Jubilee Singers (top)
Walter Smith II (Jazz ‘98)
On Three of Us Are From Houston and Reuben is Not, Smith is joined by fellow PVA alumni: pianist Jason Moran (Jazz ‘93) and drummer Eric Harland (Jazz ’94).
Letitia Guillory (Theatre ‘81)
The film she produced, Lettre La, was an Official Selection for Huntsville, Alabama’s Southern Fried Film Festival (left)
Roderick George (Dance ‘03)
Choreographed work performed at New York City Center’s Fall for Dance Festival (right).
Marlon Tyler Wiles (Dance ‘03)
Produced the Kallmeyer New York show for New York Fashion Week (far left)
Judith Franklin (Vocal ‘97)
Performed with a choir to accompany Cher at the latest Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (middle)
Jada Walker and Trevon Anderson (Dance ‘19)
Performed at the 2024 BET Awards in support of Tyla Walker also performed at the 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards in support of 310babii (bottom left and right)
Chosen as a 2024 Honoree for the inaugural NOLAKeys to the City Gala (botttom) Jesse McBride (Jazz ‘98)
and other music news
Robert Glasper (Jazz ‘97)
His third album release this year, Keys to the City, Volume 1, is now streaming exclusively on Apple Music
(Visual Art ‘11)
Wrote, produced, and mixed his latest release entitled Yea I’m Mad All the Time, Stop Asking.
Dr. Seth Parker Woods (Instrumental ‘03)
Made his debut performing with the NY Philharmonic as a featured soloist in their “Afromodernism: Music of the African Diaspora” program (top)
Sapphira Cristál (Vocal ‘06)
Check out her latest single “KEEP IT CUTE” ft Ocean Kelly (right)
Celeste Arrazolo (Theatre ‘13)
Her latest single “Truth Is” is now streaming on all platforms (left)
Cage Sebastian Pierre (Theatre ‘12)
Featured on “Songs from the Poets,” a mixtape from the sounds of the Court Theatre’s production of Antigone (bottom).
Elle Lorraine (Theatre ‘03)
Starring in Hulu’s How to Die Alone alongside Natasha Rothwell (top)
Brie Eley (Theatre ‘99)
Stars in the short film, Mildred 4 a Million, alongside five-time Emmy nominee Marla Gibbs (left)
Anthony Boggess-Glover (Vocal ‘87)
Starring in The Twelve Ways of Christmas, running November 15December 22 at Houston’s Ensemble Theatre (middle)
Callie Holley (Theatre ‘18)
Cast as a swing for TINA - The Tina Turner Musical, touring North America now through June 29, 2024 (left)
Autumn Knight (Theatre ‘98)
Her exhibition, “NOTHING: all at once,” is showing at Portland Institute for Contemporary Art now through December 21, 2024 Knight is also a 2024 recipient of the Trellis Art Fund (right)
Jamire Williams (Jazz ‘02)
From now until February 9, 2024, Project Row Houses guests can view his work in Round 57: Southern Survey Biennial II (bottom left)
Jacoby Davis (Theatre ‘12)
Starring in Dangerous Thirst, a suspenseful drama streaming on VUDU (bottom)
The purpose of the HSPVA Black Alumni Network is to connect Black alumni of The High School for Performing and Visual Arts, support alumni and current students’ endeavors, and provide resources, scholarships, and networking opportunities to champion the next generation of HSPVA artists and professionals
