Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Rhaposdy in Black 2018 Premier

Bienvenue Mesdames et Messieurs, We are delighted to welcome you to “Rhapsody In Black” as we journey to the City of Light to explore the stories of some of the greatest artistic and social luminaries in our nation’s history – the African-American emigres who traveled to Paris throughout the 20th century. These stories of Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Katherine Dunham, and Nina Simone are rich in their diversity and complexity. The period in history in which they lived and created was both frightening and exhilarating. There was a false sense of freedom – slavery was ended, at least on paper, but the realities of life were far different. The dream of America, for them, was tainted. Paris was where they felt they could be both liberated and liberating.

When I was a girl, my father (Jonathan JP Parker) who was Denver’s first critically acclaimed black actor, introduced me to the passionate writings of Langston Hughes and James Baldwin, the sultry voice of Nina Simone – and I was fascinated by Josephine Baker’s amazing story. But, above all for me, there was Miss Katherine Dunham – compelling in her beauty and strength, and profoundly moving in her brilliance as a dancer and choreographer. There was no imagining at that time, that someday I would receive the gift of her mentorship and be given the responsibility of helping to preserve a significant degree of her legacy through my own company’s performances worldwide. Much of my own life’s work has been profoundly inspired by Miss Dunham’s world vision, not only as an artist but as a teacher, writer, and activist. It was my great honor, as I traveled to Paris earlier this summer, to spend an incredible afternoon visiting her daughter, Ms. Marie-Christine Dunham Pratt. As we sat in her apartment, only a few blocks from the Arc de Triomphe, she shared a myriad of stories and photographs of her mother, and her father John Pratt who was the costumer and set designer for Miss Dunham and her company as they toured the world as the first American artists to receive such overwhelming international recognition. When Miss Dunham set her iconic “Barrelhouse Blues” on me in 1994 – a role only she had performed until that time – I was deeply moved. Now, in that same tradition, I pass the role on to our Ensemble Rehearsal Director and Ensemble member, Ms. Chloe Abel. And thus, the legacy continues….

While there in Paris, I had the opportunity, guided by Ms. Ricki Stevenson, to visit many of the sites that were home to these great visionaries as they pursued their artistic and social visions of the overall betterment of the human condition in a time of massive racial injustice. From the Champs-Elysees and the Place de la Concorde to Montmartre – each locale spoke to my spirit of the struggles overcome and the triumphs attained by each of these amazing individuals. Their journey continues as part of our inspiration and invokes much-needed truths that have enormous validity today. We as artists, educators and activists must continue to be heard.

I had long wanted to undertake a major choreographic project with our own Associate Artistic Director, Ms. Winifred R. Harris, whose own journey as an artist has been entwined with ours since she was a young dancer in my company. With these stories having great meaning for each of us, the time was right. Adding the musical genius of Dr. Michael A. Williams, Ms. Linda Theus-Lee, and Mr. Lemuel Williams into the mix made the project even more incredible. And then, we brought the stirring voice of Mr. Charles Reese, who had first seen our company when he was a student at Moorehouse College,

and amazing things happened. With the choreography of the iconic Talley Beatty, who also began with Miss Dunham, set to the immortal music of his mentor Duke Ellington, as the opening section of the performance, as Miss Dunham would say, it was synchronicity!

It is our hope that hearing these stories will inspire each of you to delve more deeply, to absorb Langston and James’ powerful words, to allow Nina’s voice and lyrics to touch your soul, and to rejoice in the divine energy of Josephine and Katherine’s movement.

We remain ever grateful for the tireless commitment and expertise of Rhetta Shead (Director of Administration / Production Manager) and Trey Grimes (Theatre Director / Technical Director), Our administrative staff, Mary Hart (Director of Bookings and Touring), Hillary Harding (Director of Development), Shelby Jarosz (Senior Director of Programs and Education) and Amelia Dietz (Academy Director) are a powerful force, working together to tackle every aspect of the production’s and the organization’s needs.

These amazing teams are guided by our extraordinary Executive Director, Malik Robinson, supported by the dedicated members of our Board of Directors.

As we launch our 48th ANNIVERSARY SEASON, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, through the support of generous individuals, businesses, corporations and civic organizations, continues to advance our artistic and educational vision into an ever-expanding community of students and audiences. You’ll want to keep your eyes on the media and our website – we’ll be announcing some very exciting news soon as we expand our presence in Denver’s Five Points community!

Our 9th Annual “Dancing with the Denver Stars!” Gala on August 29th, chaired by our Board President, Gwen Brewer, saw thirteen of Denver’s business and community leaders (including our Governor Hickenlooper) perform in support of our goals, enabling us to further our educational and outreach programming, and fund scholarships for a significant percentage of our year-round Academy’s enrollment. Through support from SCFD and other agencies and sponsors, CPRD works with over 40,000 children in as many as 40 metro-area schools, as well as educational and community facilities nationwide. Mark your calendars now for the 10th Annual “Dancing With the Denver Stars!”

Gala on August 10, 2019.

Our 24th Annual International Summer Dance Institute (ISDI), the region’s finest summer intensive program, brought master teachers and dedicated students together for four weeks of dance immersion, culminating in the Mile High Dance Festival in our amphitheater. Visit www.cleoparkerdance.org for updates on the 2019 ISDI schedule and Mile-High Dance Festival. Don’t forget - our year-round Academy of Dance offers exceptional training for students of all ages and abilities. From Ballet to Zumba – it’s simply a case of finding your own way to move! The energy and vision here at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is something we want each of you to experience in a myriad of ways!

It is our greatest hope that you’ll come away from this evening’s performance with a heightened sense of our common humanity, that all of us will help to shape our own City of Light!

In the Spirit of Dance,

CLEO PARKER ROBINSON, Founder and Artistic Director of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD) is a Denver native and graduate of the University of Denver, formerly Colorado Women’s College (CWC), in the field of Dance, Education and Psychology. She began teaching college-level dance at age fifteen at the University of Colorado, and began her own company upon graduation from CWC, influenced by mentors Rita Berger, a former Balanchine dancer and Metropolitan Opera soloist, and legendary choreographer and humanitarian, Katherine Dunham.

Now in it’s 48th Anniversary Season, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD) encompasses the renowned Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Cleo II, a Youth Ensemble, a year-round academy of dance, an international summer institute, a 240-seat theatre, and an extensive outreach program serving communities throughout Denver and the Front Range.

Ms. Robinson has collaborated with numerous symphonies, theatrical and opera companies, and acclaimed artists including Dr. Maya Angelou and Gordon Parks, Sr. Renowned choreographers Donald McKayle, Talley Beatty, Katherine Dunham, Dianne McIntyre and Eleo Pomare have set legacy works on her Ensemble. Her operatic collaborations include Aida, Samson and Delilah, Carmen, Salome and Porgy and Bess. Symphonic collaborations include Carmina Burana, Bernstein’s Mass, Stravinsky’s The Firebird and Prokofiev’s Cinderella. Theatrical collaborations include the Denver Center Theatre Company productions of Dream on Monkey Mountain and Emperor Jones Her talents as teacher, choreographer, and cultural ambassador have taken her world-wide, with her workshops and master classes reinforcing her vision of dance as a universal language. In 1993, a United States Information Agency (USIA) tour to Europe brought critical acclaim to her Ensemble which has also toured to Belize, Africa, Singapore, Nassau, Iceland and New Zealand. In 1996, the company participated in a USIA cultural exchange with Nairobi, Kenya that was praised by the International Sister Cities Inc. Other international tours included Cairo in 1999, and in 2000, a tour of Italy, and the opening of the Tel Aviv - Jaffa First International Festival during an Israeli tour.

The Ensemble has performed at prestigious venues and festivals in the United States, including Jacob’s Pillow, American Dance Festival, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New Jersey Center for the Performing Arts, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Joyce Theatre.

Ms. Robinson has received fellowships from the Colorado Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Lila Wallace Foundation, Pew Charitable Trust Fund in Washington, D.C., National Dance Repertory Program, and commissions for collaborations with Dr. Maya Angelou and poet Schyleen Qualls-Brown. She has worked with renowned composers Jay Hoggard, Carman Moore, Halim El-Dabh, Ann Henry and Howard Roberts. Her film work includes Run Sister Run, a Margie Soo Hoo Lee / Gordon Parks production about Angela Davis. Her Ensemble is featured in African Americans at Festac, the United States Information Services documentary on the World Black and African Festival on Art and Culture in Nigeria. She collaborated on Black Women in the Arts with Kim Fields and Stephanie Mills, the Jeffrey Osborne video Borderline, and two Denver Center Media

documentaries - Pamoja: A Coming Together, about the Kenyan exchange, and Dancing Along the Nile about the Ensemble’s Egyptian tour.

Her extensive awards include the Colorado Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Denver Mayor’s Award, the Kennedy Center Medal of Honor for the “Masters of African American Choreography” series, the “Pioneer In Black Dance” Award by the Dynamic Dance Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, the Huntington’s Disease of America “Distinguished Leadership Award”, the “Fairfax B. Holmes Community Award” from The Denver Links, Inc., the “Unsung Heroes Mountain Award” from African-American Leadership Institute, the “Civil Rights Award of the Anti-Defamation League” (ADL), the “Building Civil Rights” award from the Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Visiting Professorship, the Denver Metropolitan State College “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award for Service to the Community”, and the “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award” from the Urban League of Metropolitan Denver. She is an Honorary Lifetime Trustee of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, in recognition of her longtime commitment and lasting impact on the Center, and was named a “Timeless Legend” by the Denver Urban Spectrum. In 2017, she received the prestigious DanceUSA “Honor Award”.

A member of the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, “Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities”, the “Colorado 100” and the “Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame”, she received the “Thelma Hill Center for the Performing Arts Award” for outstanding achievement in the world of dance, the “Woman Owned Business of the Year” by Colorado Business and Professional Women, and the “Oni Award” from the International Black Woman’s Congress. She was nominated by Black Theatre Alliance Awards, Inc. for Best Choreography in a Music/Dance Program for “Evocation of Memory”, and is a University of Denver “Living Legend of Dance”. Ms. Robinson was chosen, along with four other “Living Legends”, as part of Dance Women/Living Legends, honoring women who have made a positive difference in the dance over the past 30 years.

She holds Honorary Doctorates of Fine Arts from the University of Denver, Humane Letters from Colorado College, and Public Service from Denver’s Regis University.

Ms. Robinson served on NEA panels on Dance, Expansion Arts, Arts America, and Inter-Arts panels for the USIS, and as on the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. In 1999, she was appointed by President William Jefferson Clinton, and confirmed by the Senate to the National Council on the Arts, advising the Chairman of the NEA on policy and programs, reviewing and making recommendations on applications for grants. Ms. Robinson is currently 1st Vice President of the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), an organization preserving and promoting dance by those of African ancestry or origin.

Recently, Ms. Parker Robinson returned to her passion as a choreographer, creating two new full-length works, Dreamcatchers: The Untold Stories of the Americas, and Romeo and Juliet, in collaboration with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Her work On the Edge Reaching For Higher Ground premiered in 2014, and in 2017, she re-staged two of her most acclaimed productions – Romeo and Juliet and Porgy and Bess. In 2018, in her latest work, Rhapsody In Black, a collaboration with CPRD Associate Artistic Director, Winifred R. Harris, she shares the stories of some of the most respected African-American artistic and social visionaries who emigrated to Paris during the 20th Century.

OUR MISSION & VISION Currently celebrating its 48th Anniversary Season, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is an international, cross-cultural, dance-arts and educational institution rooted in African American traditions, dedicated to excellence in instruction, performances and community programming for inter-generational students, artists, and audiences.

Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is guided by the vision of dance as a universal language of movement - celebrating performance, individual expression, healing and peace - thereby transforming the world into a sanctuary which transcends boundaries of culture, class and age. Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is committed to honoring diversity and inclusiveness throughout the global community.

CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE Located in Denver’s Historic Five Points District 119 Park Avenue West, Denver, Colorado 80205 Ph # 303 295 1759 | Fx # 303 295 1328 www.cleoparkerdance.org CLEO PARKER ROBINSON ACADEMY OF DANCE Amelia Dietz 303 295 1759 x16 / Amelia @cleoparkerdance.org

THEATRE and FACILITY RENTALS Trey Grimes 303 295 1759 x11 / Trey@cleoparkerdance.org

BOOKINGS for THE ENSEMBLE and MS. PARKER ROBINSON Mary Hart 303 295 1759 x20 / Mary@cleoparkerdance.org

Cleo Parker Robinson Founder / Artistic Director Malik Robinson Executive Director Rhetta Shead Director of Administration and Marketing Hillary Harding Director of Development Shelby Jarosz Senior Director of Programs and Education Winifred R. Harris Associate Artistic Director Chloe Abel Ensemble Rehearsal Director

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gwen Brewer, Chair Cleo Parker Robinson *Founder / Artistic Director Tyrone Gant, Treasurer Debbie Herrera, Vice Chair Shale Wong, Vice Chair Josett Valdez, Secretary EMERITUS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Judge Raymond Dean Jones J.D.* Chairman Emeritus Chelsye J. Burrows Michael Donegan Kevin Fallon Les Franklin Helen Franzgrote Marceline Freeman (Deceased) Rosalind “Bee” Harris Eric Hughes Renee Hurley

Mary Hart Director of Bookings and Touring Trey Grimes Theatre and Technical Director Amelia Dietz Academy Director Victoria Shead Assistant Academy Administrator Lauren Smith Assistant Academy Administrator Pat Smith (OnTarget Public Relations) Marketing and Public Relations Contractor

Tim Davis, Hon. Crisanta Duran, Angela Norris Hawkins, Demesha Hill, Lisa Hogan, Matthew Keeney, Tony Price, Shelley Thompson, Alfred Walker, Jennifer Wozniak Henry Lowenstein (Deceased) Nancy McClosky Dawn Nakamura-Kessler Edmond “Buddy” Noel * Schyleen Qualls Brown * Tom Robinson * John Wagner Lester Ward Faye & Reggie Washington * Founding members of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Board of Directors

CHARLES REESE (Spoken Word) A Washington, D.C. native, Mr. Reese plays the feisty chef, Jalil Baldwin on the BET TV sitcom, based on the web series, Who, created by the late Emmy winning writer-producer, Michael Ajakwe Jr. A New York AUDELCO Awards nominee (aka the Viv Awards), he is known in theatrical circles for his critically-acclaimed Off-Broadway performance in Howard Simon’s production of James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire. Critic David DeWitt of The New York Times called the play, “...funny, thrilling and wise, buoyed by the passionate performance of Charles Reese in the title role.” Mr. Reese co-authored the book adaption of James Baldwin: A Soul On Fire, which includes the play version and commentary paying homage to Baldwin’s legacy as an author and civil rights activist. He contributed an essay titled, James Baldwin: Artist as Activist and the Baldwin /Kennedy Secret Summit of 1963 to the volume, James Baldwin: Challenging Authors, edited by Paul L. Thomas & A. Scott Henderson. A guest speaker at the 2016 International James Baldwin Conference, American University of Paris in France, he also served as the 2018 Artist in Residence for the inaugural James Baldwin Writer’s Colony at the Emerson College European Center at Kasteel Well in the Netherlands.

LINDA THEUS-LEE (Vocals) A native of Los Angeles California, Ms. Theus-Lee holds a Master of Social Sciences degree from the University of Colorado, Denver, and is currently a doctorate student at CU Denver School of Education, with a focus on Urban Diverse Communities. She has performed throughout Europe, Canada and Asia in numerous productions including Chester Whitmore’s “Black Ballet Jazz”, and with the late Lionel Hampton and his orchestra. Presently, she is the solo vocalist with John Akal’s Ultra Phonic Jazz Orchestra. Ms. Theus-Lee’s primary emphasis as an artist is strengthening community through education and access to the arts.

DR. MICHAEL A. WILLIAMS (Musical Director / Piano) With over 35 years of experience in the music industry, performing, composing, arranging, producing, directing and teaching, Dr. Michael A. Williams also has extensive musical theatre credits. His numerous production credits include “The Christians” (Denver Center for the Performing Arts), “Lady Day” (Emerson’s Bar & Grill), “Southland” (Cleo Parker Robinson Dance), “A Brief History of White Music” (The Vogue Theatre), Suite Moses (Aurora Fox), “Sisters and the Storytellers” (Denver Civic Center), “Smokey Joe’s Café” (Shadow Theatre), as well as Sinbad’s, “Son of a Preacher Man” (HBO Special, Live At Paramount Theater).

LEMUEL D. WILLIAMS (Drums) Born in Portland ME, Mr. Williams (who prefers being called Lem) was influenced early on by his mother, a backing vocalist for the legendary Gladys Knight. Starting on drums at age three without prior training, he soon began playing for his grandfather’s church, Greater Mount Olive. Motivated by his favorite drummers, drumming quickly became his passion. He would become the #1 drummer in the Mountain Region for the 2011 Zildjian Drummer Love contest, be featured in the 2011 issue of DRUM! Magazine, and play Red Rocks Amphitheater with his current band, Jyemo Club. Touring the US & Canada with numerous artists, his drumming styles cover a myriad of music genres. He has played for renowned artists Chante Moore, ReSurface, Dee Lucas and Tony Exum Jr., and is the drummer for Jyemo Club, Monique Brooks Roberts, 5280 Music Lab, John Paul Hodge, and Bryce Merritt. As he points out, singing is in his genes, but drumming is in his blood

Josephine Baker 1906 -1975 was an American-born entertainer, activist, and French Resistance agent. Her career was centered primarily in her adopted France. During her early career she was renowned as a dancer and was among the most celebrated performers to headline the revues of the Folies Bergère in Paris. Her performance in the revue Un vent de folie in 1927 caused a sensation in Paris. Her costume, consisting of only a skirt of bananas, became an iconic symbol of the Jazz Age and the 1920s.

James Arthur “Jimmy” Baldwin 1924 - 1987 was an American novelist and social critic. His essays, as collected in Notes of a Native Son, explore intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western societies, most notably in mid-20th-century America. Some of Baldwin’s essays are book-length, including The Fire Next Time, No Name in the Street, and The Devil Finds Work. An unfinished manuscript, Remember This House, was expanded and adapted for cinema as the Academy Award-nominated documentary film I Am Not Your Negro. Moving to Paris in 1948, Baldwin always believed that Paris was accepting of both his race and his homosexuality, in contrast to American attitudes which were far too restrictive.

Katherine Dunham 1909 – 2006 was an American dancer, choreographer, author, educator, and social activist. Ms. Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers in American and European theater of the 20th century, directing her own dance company for many years. She has been called the “matriarch and queen mother of black dance.” Her lengthy career brought her to Paris many times. In 1949, she premiered Jazz in Five Movements at the Théatre National de l’Opéra. In 1950, her book “Dances of Haiti” was published in French as Les danse d’Haēti, with a foreword by Claude Lévi-Strauss (Paris: Éditions Fasquelle, 1950). In 1952, she choreographed and performed in Acaraje for Hommage ą Dorival Caymmi in Arachon, France, and she and her company appeared on Spectaculars on National Television, Paris. Her company continued to tour in Europe from 1954 to 1959 and in 1965, she returned to direct Albert Husson’s musical comedy Deux Anges Sont Venus at the Théatre de Paris. In 1988, the governments of both Haiti and France designated Ms. Dunham as an Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Ms. Dunham’s daughter, Ms. Christine Dunham-Pratt still resides in Paris, where she was recently visited by Ms. Cleo Parker Robinson as she continued her research for Rhapsody In Black.

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington 1899 – 1974 was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader of a world renowned jazz orchestra, which he led from 1923 until his death in a career spanning over fifty years.

Ellington was based in New York City from the mid1920s onward and gained a national profile through his orchestra’s appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem.

In the 1930s, his orchestra toured in Europe, with Paris being one of his favorite cities from which he drew inspiration for many of his most memorable compositions and concerts. Although widely considered to have been a pivotal figure in the history of jazz, Ellington embraced the phrase “beyond category” as a liberating principle and referred to his music as part of the more general category of American Music rather than to a musical genre such as jazz.

James Mercer Langston Hughes 1902 – 1967 was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. His first collection of short stories, The Ways of White Folks was published in 1934, preceded by his first novel Not Without Laughter which won the Harmon Gold Medal for literature. The musical and oral traditions of black America inspired Hughes, and the rhythms of jazz music can be heard in much of his poetry. Le Grand Duc (“The Duc”), one of the most popular nightclubs of Black Montmartre was where Hughes worked as a dishwasher for the majority of the six months he spent as a young man in Paris. Hughes’ African-American consciousness and cultural awareness influenced many black writers abroad, including Jacques Roumain, Nicolás Guillén, Léopold Sédar Senghor, and Aimé Césaire. Along with the works of these and other French-speaking writers of Africa and African descent from the Caribbean, such as René Maran and Léon Damas, Hughes’ works helped to inspire the Négritude movement in France.

Nina Simone 1933 – 2003 was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and activist in the Civil Rights Movement. Her music spanned a broad range of musical styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop. The promotion from the French Institute of Political Studies of Lille (Sciences Po Lille), due to obtain their Master’s degree in 2021, named themselves in her honor. The decision was made that this promotion was henceforth to be known as ‘la promotion Nina Simone’ after a vote in 2017.

ELLINGTONIA Cleo Parker Robinson Dance World Premiere 1994

Set to excerpts of some of Duke Ellington’s most popular compositions, this was the last major work that Talley Beatty set before his passing in 1995. This commission was made possible by a grant from the American Dance Festival (ADF), a partnership pf Philip Morris Companies Inc. and the Lila-Wallace Reader’s Digest Fund for the development of national audiences through ADF’s Black Tradition in American Modern Dance on Tour program. Additional support for the original commission was provided by the Denver Ballet Guild. Special thanks to Charles and Stephanie Reinhardt of ADF where the work was premiered in 1994.

Choreographer Music Original Costumes Costume Adaptations Original Sets Original Lighting Lighting Adaptations

Talley Beatty Duke Ellington Paula Hutman Alex J. Gordon Lara Kirksey Keith W. Rice Trey Grimes

LES TRES ROI NOIR (THREE BLACK KINGS)

In Order of Appearance

Trio

Ralaya Goshea Tyveze Littlejohn and John e. Roberts Samiyah Parramore Alex J. Gordon and YooJung Hahm Samiyah Parramore and Martez McKinzy Theresa Berger and Davry Ratcliffe Tyveze Littlejohn, John e. Roberts, Samiyah Parramore

HAPPY GO LUCKY TRIO

Quartet Duet Women Solo

John e. Roberts, Martez McKinzy, Davry Ratclife, Alex J. Gordon Tyveze Littlejohn and Ralaya Goshea YooJung Hahm, Jasmine Francisco, Samiyah Parramore Tyveze Littlejohn

COME SUNDAY

Duet

Ralaya Goshea and Martez McKinzy

THE VALLEY OF THE FLYING SAUCERS

Dancers Duet

The Ensemble Ralaya Goshea and Tyveze Littlejohn

REMARKS BY MS. CLEO PARKER ROBINSON

Presentación –The Presentation Responsorio Segundo, S. Jose De Ignacio De Jerusalen (1710-1769)

Reto Entre Mulatas Y Mujeres – The Confrontation La Bella Cubana De Jose White (1836-1918)

Esclavos Y Mulata – The Slaves and the Mulatta Lonanba De Adama Drame (1996)

Sueño De Perdida Ante Las Mulatas – Dreams of Deception Sueño Tropical Gonzalo R. de La Gala de Campeche

Recompensa A Los Esclavos – The Mulatta’s Offering to the Slaves La Rumba De N. Guillen E. D´Flonora En Busca De La Mulata –

Mulatas Danzando – The Mulattas’ Forbidden Dance Chuchumbe-Agn Inquisición Vol. 1052 Veracruz (1766)

RHAPSODY INSearch BLACK The Aristocrats’ for the Mulatta Cleo Dance World Premiere 2018 Juicio – The Trial La NiñaParker Bonita DeRobinson Manuel Saumell (1817-1870)

De Jose Maria Vittier (1995)Reese TodayPetición Feels Like a Poem HowardOración Simon with adaptations

by Charles – The Wife Pleads for Her Resolución – The Resolution Remain to Her TodayHusband feels like to a poem, forFaithful a rhapsody in black Danzon #2, Arturo MarquezCharles (edited)Reese Danzón De Juventino Rosas (1868-1894) Spoken Word Adivinanza –The Magic of Rhapsody in Black Overture the Mulatta Changó De traditional Arreglo Mark Musicians Linda Theus-Lee, Dr. Michael A. Williams, Lemuel Williams and Dan Weinstein Paris Suite - Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, Fascinating Rhythm Composer George Gershwin (Fascinating Rhythm recorded by Diane Reeves) I, Too, Sing America Langston Hughes I, too, sing America, I am the darker brother Read by Charles Reese

Bear Witness to the Journey (A Slice of Life) Music Traditional Drums, Keith Jarrett, Charles Mingus, Nina Simone Musicians Linda Theus-Lee, Dr. Michael A. Williams, Lemuel Williams KATHERINE DUNHAM Chloe Abel Choreographer Cleo Parker Robinson LANGSTON HUGHES John e. Roberts with YooJung Hahm Choreographer Cleo Parker Robinson JOSEPHINE BAKER Samiyah Lynnice Choreographer Winifred R. Harris JAMES BALDWIN Alex J. Gordon with Cleo II (Alyssa E. Baker, Rhianna Jordan, Lauren O. Smith) Choreographer Cleo Parker Robinson NINA SIMONE Jasmine Francisco with Davry Ratcliffe, Jessica Horton, Theresa Berger, Cleo II Choreographer Winifred R. Harris

Presentación –The Presentation Responsorio Segundo, S. Jose De Ignacio De Jerusalen (1710-1769)

Reto Entre Mulatas Y Mujeres – The Confrontation La Bella Cubana De Jose White (1836-1918)

Esclavos Y Mulata – The Slaves and the Mulatta Lonanba De Adama Drame (1996)

Sueño De Perdida Ante Las Mulatas – Dreams of Deception Sueño Tropical Gonzalo R. de La Gala de Campeche

Recompensa A Los Esclavos –

Mulatta’s Offering the Slaves THEThe STRUGGLE TO BEtoFREE

Mulatas Danzando – The Mulattas’ Forbidden Dance La Rumba De N. Guillen E. D´Flonora FREEDOM SONG Chuchumbe-Agn Inquisición Instrumental To Be Young, Gifted, and Black En Busca De La Mulata – Musicians Linda Theus-Lee, Dr. Michael A. Williams, Lemuel Williams Vol. 1052 Veracruz (1766) The Aristocrats’ Search for the Mulatta Read by Charles Reese Juicio – The Trial La Niña Bonita De Manuel Saumell (1817-1870) SLUM DREAMS Oración De Jose Maria Vittier (1995) Petición – The Wife Pleads for Her Langston Hughes Resolución – The Resolution Husband Remain Faithful to Herair Little dreams ofto springtime bud in sunny Danzon #2, Arturo Marquez (edited) Danzón De Juventino Rosas (1868-1894) Adivinanza –The Magic of the Mulatta COMMENTARY ON STRANGE FRUIT

by Morgan Freeman Changó De traditional Arreglo Mark STRANGE FRUIT Composer and Dan Weinstein Abel Meeropol Choreographer Cleo Parker Robinson Musicians Linda Theus-Lee, Dr. Michael A. Williams, Lemuel Williams The Woman Chloe Abel BLACK MAN, BLACK MAN Composer Choreographer Musicians The Woman James Baldwin The Ancestral Spirit

Linda Theus-Lee Cleo Parker Robinson Linda Theus-Lee, Dr. Michael A. Williams, Lemuel Williams Chloe Abel Alex J. Gordon Jean-Paul Weaver*

DEMOCRACY Langston Hughes Democracy will not come today, this year, nor ever through compromise and fear Read by Charles Reese Staging Winifred R. Harris Protestors The Ensemble, Cleo II THE BACKLASH BLUES Mr. Backlash, Mr. Backlash, just who do you think I am?

Read by 5 Minute Pause

Langston Hughes Charles Reese

Presentación –The Presentation Responsorio Segundo, S. Jose De Ignacio De Jerusalen (1710-1769)

Reto Entre Mulatas Y Mujeres – The Confrontation La Bella Cubana De Jose White (1836-1918)

Sueño De Perdida Ante Las Mulatas – Esclavos Y Mulata – Dreams of Deception The Slaves and the Mulatta LonanbaPARIS De Adama Drame (1996) BONJOUR – ARTISTS AS LIBERATORSSueño Tropical Gonzalo R. de La Gala de Campeche A Los Esclavos – PADAMRecompensa PADAM Danzando – Thequi Mulatta’s to the Slaves Cet air m’obsèdeOffering jour et nuit / This tune which haunts me dayMulatas and night The Mulattas’ Forbidden Dance Guillen E. D´Flonora Cet La air Rumba n’est pasDenéN.d’aujourd’hui / This tune was not born today Il vient d’aussi loin que je viens / It comes from as far away as I come Chuchumbe-Agn Inquisición En Busca De La Mulata – Composers Henri Contet and Norbert Vol. 1052 Veracruz (1766)Glanzberg The Aristocrats’ Choreographer Search for the Mulatta Winifred R. Harris – The Trial La Niña Bonita De Manuel Saumell (1817-1870) Musicians Linda Theus-Lee, Dr. MichaelJuicio A. Williams, Lemuel Williams Oración De Jose Maria (1995) Dancers The Vittier Ensemble, Cleo II Petición – The Wife Pleads for Her Resolución – The Resolution Husband to Remain Faithful to Her THE PERCEPTION OF BLACKNESS Charles Reese Danzon #2, Arturo Marquez (edited) Danzón De Juventino Rosas (1868-1894) JOSEPHINE BAKER Adivinanza –The Magic of the Mulatta Choreographer Winnifred R. Harris Changó De traditional Arreglo Mark Musician Lemuel Williams Josephine and Dan Weinstein Samiyah Lynnice with Davry Ratcliffe POSTCARDS FROM LANGSTON TO JAMES Read by Piano LA VIE EN ROSE Hold me close and hold me fast The magic spell you cast This is La Vie en Rose Composer Choreographer Musicians Dancers

Louis Armstrong Winifred R. Harris Linda Theus-Lee, Dr. Michael A. Williams, Lemuel Williams The Ensemble, Cleo II

EXCERPT FROM “MAKING JAMES BALDWIN” NIKKI GIOVANNI Read by Piano DIS-MOI JOSEPHINE Composer Choreographer Josephine

Charles Reese Dr. Michael A. Williams

Charles Reese Dr. Michael A. Williams

Josephine Baker Winifred R. Harris Samiyah Lynnice, with Martez McKinzy, John e, Roberts,Tyveze Littlejohn, YooJung Hahm, Davry Ratcliffe 15 MINUTE INTERMISSION

Presentación –The Presentation Responsorio Segundo, S. Jose De Ignacio De Jerusalen (1710-1769)

Reto Entre Mulatas Y Mujeres – The Confrontation La Bella Cubana De Jose White (1836-1918)

Esclavos Y Mulata – The Slaves and the Mulatta Lonanba De Adama Drame (1996)

Sueño De Perdida Ante Las Mulatas – Dreams of Deception Sueño Tropical Gonzalo R. de La Gala de Campeche

Recompensa A Los Esclavos – The Mulatta’s Offering to the Slaves La Rumba De N. Guillen E. D´Flonora En Busca De La Mulata – The Aristocrats’ Search for the Mulatta La Niña Bonita De Manuel Saumell (1817-1870) Petición – The Wife Pleads for Her Husband to Remain Faithful to Her Danzón De Juventino Rosas (1868-1894)

Mulatas Danzando – The Mulattas’ Forbidden Dance Chuchumbe-Agn Inquisición Vol. 1052 Veracruz (1766) Juicio – The Trial Oración De Jose Maria Vittier (1995) Resolución – The Resolution Danzon #2, Arturo Marquez (edited)

Adivinanza –The Magic of the Mulatta Changó De traditional Arreglo Mark and Dan Weinstein

KATHERINE DUNHAM AND HER COMPANY AT CHEZ JOSEPHINE “Ragtime” from “Treemonisha” World Premier 1972 / Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Premier 2008) Choreographer Katherine Dunham Music Scott Joplin Restaging Theo Jamison Original Costume Design John Pratt Costume Adaptation Joey Santos Lighting Adaptation Trey Grimes Dancers Alyssa Baker & Tyveze Littlejohn, Jessica Horton & Jean-Paul Weaver

Lauren C. Smith & Davry Ratcliffe, YooJung Hahm & John e. Roberts “Treemonisha” is an opera composed by the famed African-American composer Scott Joplin. Though it encompasses a wide range of musical styles other than ragtime, and Joplin himself never referred to it as such, it is still sometimes incorrectly referred to as a “ragtime opera”. The world premiere took place on January 27, 1972, as a joint production of the music department of Morehouse College and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in Atlanta, Georgia, directed by noted African-American dancer Katherine Dunham and conducted by Robert Shaw, one of the first major American conductors to hire both black and white singers for his chorale. Performance of “Ragtime” by the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble was made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Doris Duke Fund for Dance of the National Dance Project, a program administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, JP Morgan Chase Foundation and MetLife Foundation. The recorded music for “Ragtime” was conducted by Gunther Schuler, and performed by the New England Music Conservatory at Wolf Trap, and was provided to Cleo Parker Robinson Dance courtesy of Mr. Robert Lee, Katherine Dunham archivist.

BARREL HOUSE BLUES (World Premier 1938 / Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Premier 1994) Choreographer Katherine Dunham Music Jess Stacy Original Costume Design John Pratt Costume Reconstruction Alex J. Gordon Lighting Design Trey Grimes Dancers Cleo Parker Robinson (Sept 28) Chloe Abel (Sept 29, 30)

Martez McKinzy, Jasmine Francisco “Barrel Presentación House Blues” was setPresentation on the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble 1994 byYthe legendary Reto Entre in Mulatas Mujeres – –The Katherine Dunham, with theS. assistance two other American dance legends, Julie Balafonte and Vanoye The Confrontation Responsorio Segundo, Jose De of Ignacio Aikens, bothDe ofJerusalen whom were(1710-1769) original members of the Katherine Dunham Dance Cleo Parker La Bella Cubana DeCompany.

Jose White (1836-1918) Robinson Dance Ensemble premiered this signature work of Ms. Dunham’s at the American Dance Festival Sueño De Perdida Ante Las Mulatas Esclavos Mulata in 1994. “I anticipate withYgreat joy – performing again one of Ms. Dunham’s most celebrated works in – Dreams Deception The Slaves thenow, Mulatta concert.” Robinson said.and “Until no one in the Dunham Company other thanof Ms. Dunham herself has Lonanba (1996) it, I feel her spirit.” Sueño Tropical Gonzalo R. de La ever danced this De role,Adama so eachDrame time I perform Gala de Campeche Recompensa A Los Esclavos – REMEMBRANCE OF LOVE Mulatas Danzando – The Mulatta’s Offering to the Slaves Choreographer Winifred R. Harris The Mulattas’ Forbidden Dance La Rumba De N. Guillen E. D´Flonora Music Ne Me Quitte Pas (Don’t Leave Me) Chuchumbe-Agn Inquisición Composer En Busca De La Mulata – Jacques Brel Vol. 1052 VeracruzLemuel (1766)Williams Musicians Linda Theus-Lee, Dr. Michael A. Williams, The Aristocrats’ Search for the Mulatta Nina Bonita De Manuel Saumell (1817-1870) Ralaya Goshea with Theresa Berger andTrial Tyveze Littlejohn Juicio – The La Niña Oración De Jose Maria Vittier (1995) Petición The Wife for Her BLACK IS THE–COLOR OFPleads MY TRUE LOVE’S HAIR – The Resolution Music Husband to Remain Faithful to Her TraditionalResolución Folk Song, adapted

by Nina Simone Danzon #2, Arturo Marquez (edited) Danzón De Juventino Rosas (1868-1894) Choreographer Winifred R. Harris Musicians Linda Theus-Lee, Dr. Michael A. Williams, Lemuel Williams Adivinanza –The Magic of the Mulatta Nina Changó Simone De traditional Arreglo Mark Ralaya S. Goshea Dancers The Ensemble and Dan Weinstein TODAY FEELS LIKE A POEM (REPRISE) – LOOKING TOWARDS CHANGE Spoken Word Charles Reese Music “What’s Goin’ On” by Marvin Gaye Musicians Linda Theus-Lee, Dr. Michael A. Williams, Lemuel Williams Dancers The Ensemble PRAY ON JUST A WHILE LONGER Music Vocals

Traditional Spiritual, adapted by Linda Theus-Lee Linda Theus-Lee

I WISH I KNEW HOW IT WOULD FEEL TO BE FREE Composers Billy Taylor and Dick Dallas Choreographer Winifred R. Harris Musicians Linda Theus-Lee, Dr. Michael A. Williams, Lemuel Williams Dancers The Ensemble AND THE JOURNEY CONTINUES… Program casting, selections, and order are subject to change without prior notice.

Audio/video recording (including phones and tablets) is strictly prohibited without previous written consent from Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. *Guest Dancer to the Ensemble

Winifred R. Harris (Associate Artistic Director) Ms. Harris, choreographer, artist, teacher and community activist, has created a significant body of work with a strong balance of technical prowess and gestural expression. Having trained under Cleo Parker Robinson, she danced professionally for ten years with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble before moving on to Dallas Black Dance Theater and a solo stint in New York and abroad. In October 1991, she relocated to Los Angeles, CA, founding her own award-nominated contemporary modern dance company. In recognition of her dedication and commitment to underprivileged youth, Ms. Harris received several awards from the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles for her teaching efforts within that community. Having served on faculty at various universities and studios nationwide, including Cal Arts (her alma mater), Cal State Los Angeles and Spelman College, she returned to Cleo Parker Robinson Dance in 2010 as Ensemble Rehearsal Director and became Associate Artistic Director in 2014.

Chloe Abel: A Kansas City native, Ms. Abel trained for twelve years under full scholarship at the Kansas City Ballet School.

She studied in New York at the Ailey School as a Fellowship recipient, and received her BFA in Dance, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. Her professional career includes performances with Quixotic Performance Fusion, the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey, the Owen/Cox Dance Group, and Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company. Ms. Abel is now in her seventh season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and is also Rehearsal Director for the Ensemble.

Theresa Berger: Originally from Ankeny, IA, Ms. Berger, under the direction of Nancy Moore Overturff, studied and performed with the Iowa Dance Theatre and the Performing Edge, Moore Dance’s pre-professional company. With a BFA in Dance from the University of Iowa, she moved to Denver where she danced with both Kim Robards Dance and Moraporvida Contemporary Dance.

Now in her third season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble after being an apprentice, she is also a faculty member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance.

Jasmine Francisco : A native of Houston, TX, Ms. Francisco attended Debbie Allen Dance Academy Summer Intensives in Houston and Los Angeles, and Joffrey Ballet Jazz Summer Intensives in New York and Miami. She received her B.F.A. with a concentration in Modern Dance from Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts. While there, she trained with numerous master teachers, performed works by Garfield Lemonius and Troy Powell, and understudied Jessica Lang. Her choreographic work “Tales of Courage” was presented at The American College Dance Association conference in 2015. After two seasons with Lula Washington Dance Theatre in Los Angeles, Ms. Francisco joins Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble for her first season and serves on faculty with the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance.

Alex J. Gordon: A Beaumont, TX native, Mr. Gordon first trained at Washington University in St. Louis, receiving his BA in architecture with a minor in modern dance. During college, he joined The Slaughter Project Dance company, guesting with numerous Saint Louis based companies. After attending the American Dance Festival on scholarship, he joined The Missouri Contemporary Ballet in Columbia, also becoming their resident costume designer. Guesting as a dancer and designer for Deeply Rooted Young Choreographers Showcase, he then moved to Chicago to join Thodos Dance Chicago, becoming resident designer for the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. While there, Mr. Gordon costumed for numerous companies including Cerqua Rivera Dance Theater, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and Chicago Academy for the Arts, and taught for Ballet Chicago, Glenwood Dance Studios and The Boys & Girls Club. This is Mr. Gordon’s second season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble.

Ralaya S. Goshea: Born in Detroit, Ms. Goshea trained at the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts and Oakland University, receiving her BFA. She has performed with the Brown Dance Project, Patterson Rhythm and Pace, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, SMAGDance Company and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC). After being a member of Cleo II and an apprentice to the Ensemble, she is now in her sixth season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble.

Samiyah Lynnice : A Florida native, Ms. Lynnice began her training at the Academy of Ballet Arts and Artz 4 Life Academy, Inc. in Tampa Bay. A graduate of New World School of the Arts, she received her Bachelor in Fine Arts from The Hartt School in Hartford, CT. She toured nationally as a principle dancer with DunDu Dole West African Ballet and starred in the Chocolate Nutcracker as ‘Claire’ and ‘The Dream Princess”. She has performed works by master choreographers including Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Doug Varone, and Darrell Grand Moultrie, and attended summer workshops with Dance Theater of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Martha Graham Dance Company, RIOULT, and White Mountain Dance Festival. This is Ms. Lynnice’s first season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and as a faculty member with the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance.

YooJung Hahm: Born in Seoul, Korea, Ms. Hahm first trained with the Muyoungnara academy in Ilsan, Korea, and later with the Seoul Arts High School and the Korea National University of Arts. Near the conclusion of her KNUA studies, she received a scholarship from Alvin Ailey in NYC through her performances at the Seoul International Dance Competition.

After graduation she moved to Manhattan, training in Horton technique for a year at the Ailey Dance School. She also performed at LAUNCH:10 with the North West Dance Project in Portland. This is Ms. Hahm’s third season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble.

Cedric Dewayne Hall: First dancing with the Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre’s CONSORT Youth Dance Training and Development Program, Mr. Hall later became a full company member. He was featured in numerous musicals including “The Wiz”, “West Side Story” and “Footloose”, and has worked with renowned choreographers Terrance Greene, Dianne McIntyre, Gary Abbott, and Kevin “Iega” Jeff. This is Mr. Hall’s twelfth season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble where he also serves on faculty with the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance and as Director of the CPRD Junior Youth Ensemble.

Jessica Horton: Born in Tuscaloosa, AL, Ms. Horton trained at Shelton State Dance Department and the Alabama School of Fine Arts, receiving the Woodward Dishion Memorial Award. She also trained through The Ailey School, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference. With a BFA in Dance from Wright State University, she performed with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II, and as a post-graduate, was a counselor for Summerdance with Ballet Academy East in New York. Having been a member of Cleo II and an apprentice to the Ensemble, she is now in her third season as a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and is Director of the CPRD Youth Ensemble.

Tyveze Littlejohn: A graduate of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, FL, Mr. Littlejohn toured throughout Mexico with Ballet Eddy Toussaint de Montreal. He subsequently joined the Lexington Ballet in Kentucky, dancing leading roles in “Giselle” and “The Nutcracker”.

While dancing in Nicaragua’s International Ballet Gala, he also worked extensively with disabled children. In 2015, he joined Ballet Palm Beach, dancing the title role in “Gatsby”. Having been an apprentice to the Ensemble, he now joins Cleo Parker Robinson Dance for his first season as a member of the Ensemble.

Martez McKinzy : Originally from Kansas City, MO, Mr. McKinzy studied with Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey under the direction of Tyrone Aiken. Having been a member of Cleo II and an apprentice to the company, he is now in his third season as a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and is also a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance faculty.

Davry Ratcliffe : A Columbus, OH native, Mr. Ratcliffe first trained at Fort Hayes Performing Arts MEC under Marva “China” White (Dance Theatre of Harlem) in the Pre-Professional program. Involved in numerous productions, he has worked with renowned choreographers including Laurieanne Gibson, Gil Dudilduo, and several of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” competitors. He spent a season with the Dayton Contemporary Dance 2nd company, while shaping a non-profit company to advance professional development and community outreach through hip hop culture. After two seasons with Cleo II, he is now in his third season as a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and on faculty with the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance.

John e. Roberts : A St. Louis native, Mr. Roberts first trained at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA), graduating with a BFA from the University of Missouri Kansas-City (UMKC) Conservatory with an emphasis in Dance Performance and Choreography. His training includes studies with Antonio Douthit -Boyd, Alicia Graf-Mack, and Kirven DouthitBoyd (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre), Christopher Page-Sanders (Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and Nu-World Contemporary Danse Company), Rolando Yaines (Milwaukee Ballet), Jessica Taylor (DAMAGED Dance Company), Alonzo King (LINES Ballet Company), and Gary Abbott (Deeply Rooted Dance Theater). Mr. Roberts performed with Ballet Eclectica and COCADance and participated in numerous musical theater performances at COCA through the FOX Charitable Foundation. This is Mr. Roberts second season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and his first year as a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance faculty.

Alyssa E. Baker * Rhianna Jordan * Lauren O. Smith

Jean-Paul Weaver

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE ESpecial thanks to the Ensemble, Board of Directors, Sponsors, Education Partners, Administrative & Technical Staff, Youth Ensembles, Musicians, Guest Artists, Faculty, Students, Parents, & Volunteers of CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE and the Administrative and Technical Staff of THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER NEWMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS We also thank the following for their extraordinary support of this production.

David Andrews Artreach Marilyn Benson Pat Brooks Colorado High School Activities Association (Tom Robinson) Colorado Public Radio The Colorado Sun Comcast The Denver Post Community Marie-Christine Dunham Pratt 5 Points News (Brother Jeff Fard) Marceline Freeman (In memoriam) Robertta Freeman (In memoriam) Abuelita Olga Gonzalez (In memoriam) Theo Jamison KUVO Jazz (Susan Gatschet) National Endowment for the Arts Stan and Chris Obert Jonathon “JP” Parker (In memoriam) Martha Parker (In memoriam) Reina Parker and Family Publication Printers Malik and Vianey Robinson The Robinson Family Rocky Mountain Public Media Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) Rhetta and Kenny Shead The Urban Spectrum (Bee Harris) Leslie Sue Parker Wallace James Wallace (In memoriam) Letitia Williams

THE ARTISTIC & PRODUCTION TEAM Cleo Parker Robinson Founder / Artistic Director Producer Director/ Choreographer Winifred R. Harris Associate Artistic Director Chloe Abel Ensemble Rehearsal Director Rhetta Shead Production Manager Trey “Trezie” Grimes Technical Director / Audio and Video Design / Lighting Design Davry Ratcliffe Props Master Alex J. Gordon Costume Design Ralaya S. Goshea Wardrobe Mistress Mary Hart Playbill / Volunteer Coordinator Jody Gilbert Playbill Design Stan Obert CPRD Photographer David Andrews CPRD Videographer