A Gospel Black Nativity Playbill

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BLACK NATIVITY

By Langston Hughes

Adapted By: D. Wambui Richardson Musical Arrangement/Composition by Donarius Mims Produced by special arrangement with DRAMATIC PUBLISHING, Woodstock, Illinois

CAST OF CHARACTERS Ensemble 1............................................................................................................................ Crystal Williams Ensemble 2..............................................................................................................................Maranda Barris Ensemble 3....................................................................................................................................Kyle Spears Ensemble 4...............................................................................................................................Kayla Marshall Ensemble 5..............................................................................................................................Octavian Lewis Ensemble 6...........................................................................................................................Kris Black Jasper Ensemble 7............................................................................................................................... Sydney Hewitt Ensemble 8........................................................................................................................... Dameron Growe Ensemble 9...................................................................................................................................Rickie Jones

BAND Pianist.....................................................................................................................................Donarious Mims Bass...................................................................................................................................................Chuck Hill Drums....................................................................................................................................... Marquis James

PRODUCTION TEAM Director...................................................................................................................... D. Wambui Richardson Assistant Director........................................................................................................... Edmund Simpson II Musical Director...................................................................................................................... Donarius Mims Stage Manager......................................................................................................................Cherie Williams Assistant Stage Manager........................................................................................................ Rayven Harris Choreographer........................................................................................................................Kayla Marshall Sound Design............................................................................................................................ Rayven Harris Sound Technician................................................................................................................... Marquis James Master Electrician ................................................................................................................ Zachary Gafford Lighting Designer & Crew Build.......................................................................................... Colin Schwartz Costume Designer...........................................................................................................................Hope Cox Scenic Designer & Scenic Painter..........................................................................................Jennye James Technical Director.........................................................................................................................Taylor Allen Artistic Director.............................................................................................................................. D. Wambui

Audio and video recording of any kind is strictly prohibited.

This playbill is a production of PERFORMING ADS

A SPECIAL THANKS FROM OUR DIRECTOR At a time when the world seems so divisive and divided, the simple act of saying Merry Christmas can cause heated debate. “Why didn’t you say Happy Holidays?” or “What if I don’t celebrate Christmas?” are a few comments often spouted. However, like St. Nicholas Day, Immaculate Conception Day, Bodhi Day, Feast Day of our Lady Guadalupe, Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa, and Christmas, there is room for us all in December.

Langston’s Hughes Black Nativity gives cause for celebration on Christmas Day. Yes, it is a day of family, togetherness, and love, but at its roots is the celebration of God’s gift to the world. Langston Hughes' Black Nativity tells the story of the Nativity from an African-American perspective through a combination of scripture, poetry, dance, and song with griotstyle narration. Jubilee Theatre’s A Black Gospel Nativity aims to honor the traditional griot-style narrative while complementing the production with a fresh sound and contemporary approach.

While placing the CHRIST in Christmas, A Black Gospel Nativity aims to celebrate family, community, and togetherness, all while sending love into a world that desperately needs it. From our home to yours, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, God Bless, and a Happy New Year!

-D. Wambui Richardson

FROM OUR BOARD PRESIDENT Welcome Back To Live Theatre The Next 42 From Jubilee Theatre Board President On behalf of the Board of Directors, staff, and actors of Jubilee Theatre, I thank you for attending this performance and, by doing so, taking a part in the success of Jubilee Theatre’s 43rd Season.

Each time you come to the theatre, you let us know that you value the work we do to bring landmark productions to the stage for you to experience first-hand. While your ticket price helps cover the cost of the production; you may not realize that admissions only cover a portion of running the theatre.

Ticket sale revenue accounts for approximately 45 to 50 percent of Jubilee’s annual operating budget. The balance comes from donations, both large and small, from generous patrons like you!

We hope you will consider including Jubilee Theatre in your charitable giving plans. Whether your contribution is $10, $50, $500, or $5,000, each gift allows us to dedicate more resources to present theatrical works that reflect the African American experience.

We are proud of our 43-year history of providing live theatre to the Fort Worth community, and with your help, we look forward to the next 42.

Thank You,

Anita Heiskell Anita Heiskell, President Jubilee Board of Directors

LANGSTON HOUGHES Langston Hughes poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, columnist, and a significant figure of the Harlem Renaissance.

Born in Joplin, Missouri, in 1902. His father divorced his mother shortly thereafter and left them to travel. As a result of the split, he was primarily raised by his grandmother, Mary Langston, who had a strong influence on Hughes, educating him in the oral traditions of his people and impressing upon him a sense of pride; she was referred to often in his poems. After Mary Langston died, Hughes moved to Lincoln, Illinois, to live with his mother and her new husband. He began writing poetry shortly after enrolling in high school.

Hughes moved to Mexico in 1919 to live with his father for a short time. In 1920, Hughes graduated high school and returned to Mexico. He wished to attend Columbia University in New York and lobbied his father for financial assistance; his father did not think writing was a good career and offered to pay for college only if Hughes studied engineering. Hughes attended Columbia University in 1921 and did well but found the racism he encountered there to be corrosive—though the surrounding Harlem neighborhood was inspiring to him. His affection for Harlem remained strong for the rest of his life. He left Columbia after one year, worked a series of odd jobs, and traveled to Africa working as a crewman on a boat, and from there on to Paris. There he became part of the Black expatriate community of artists.

Langston Hughes was a singular voice in American poetry, writing with vivid imagery and jazz-influenced rhythms about the everyday Black experience in the United States. While best-known for his modern, freeform poetry with superficial simplicity masking deeper symbolism, Hughes worked in fiction, drama, and film as well.

Hughes purposefully mixed his own personal experiences into his work, setting him apart from other major Black poets of the era, and placing him at the forefront of the literary movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. From the early 1920s to the late 1930s, this explosion of poetry and other work by Black Americans profoundly changed the artistic landscape of the country and continues to influence writers to this day. Hughes felt strongly that showing all aspects of Black culture was part of reflecting life and refused to apologize for what he called the "indelicate" nature of his writing.

Hughes incorporated the rhythms of modern speech in Black neighborhoods and of jazz and blues music, and he included characters of "low" morals in his poems, including alcoholics, gamblers, and prostitutes, whereas most Black literature sought to disavow such characters because of a fear of proving some of the worst racist assumptions.

SPECIAL THANKS Now serving in my 6th season as Artistic Director of Jubilee Theatre of Fort Worth.

I continue to be humbled by both the history of Jubilee and the audience it serves.

As Artistic Director my personal philosophy is that theatre should be a place where thoughts are provoked, and audiences of different mindsets are brought together in the shared exploration of the human experience. It is because of this philosophy that I celebrate the supportive audience of Jubilee, the City of Ft. Worth, our Board of Directors, and the continued financial support of our sponsors and donors.

Together we not only explore the rich tapestry of the African American experience through theatre, but we also certify African American theatre as “American Theatre”.

In this, the 43rd season of Jubilee Theatre, let us all laugh, cry, rejoice, heal, connect, and explore season 43, Reflections.

Truly, the greatest pleasure a man can have is to call something home. Thank you, Fort Worth and Jubilee Theatre, for allowing me to call this home.

Yours in theatre, -D. Wambui Richardson

A BRIEF TIMELINE OF LANGSTON HUGHES 1902 Born in Joplin, Missouri. His parents separate soon after his birth, his father eventually settling in Mexico.

1921 Enrolls at Columbia University with his father’s unwilling support. While at Columbia, Hughes is immersed in the culture of Harlem, meeting W.E.B. Du Bois, Countee Cullen, and other Black cultural leaders. He publishes poetry, including “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.”

1922 Withdraws from Columbia and works on trading ships, traveling to Europe and the west coast of Africa.

1926 Publishes The Weary Blues to positive reviews. Enrolls in Lincoln University and publishes “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain.”

1931 After traveling through Cuba and Haiti, publishes essays and poems criticizing capitalism, marking a major ideological turn to the left. Publishes The Negro Mother and Other Dramatic Recitations, which includes “The Black Clown.”

1932 Travels through the Soviet Union, China, and Japan, and publishes several revolutionary poems including “Goodbye Christ.”

1934 Living in California publishes short story collection The Ways of White Folks to critical praise.

1935 Hughes’ play Mulatto opens on Broadway. The producer, Martin Jones, is hostile to Hughes’ feelings that the staging is sensationalized.

1937 Travels to Europe to cover the Spanish-American War for the Baltimore Afro-American and other Black newspapers. Meets many writers including W. H. Auden, Bertolt Brecht, Federico García Lorca, and Ernest Hemingway.

1938 Returns to the U.S. and founds the Harlem Suitcase Theater.

1939 Writes the script for the motion picture Way Down South. To his dismay, progressive critics accuse him of selling out to Hollywood.

1940 Publishes his autobiography The Big Sea. Is picketed in Los Angeles by members of an evangelical group criticized in “Goodbye Christ.” Alarmed, Hughes publicly repudiates the poem as an aberration of his youth and then is attacked in the communist press.

1942 Publishes Shakespeare in Harlem, which eschews radicalism and returns to themes and forms of his work from the 1920s, including the blues.

1943 Introduces readers of the Chicago Defender newspaper to the character Jesse B. Semple in a popular weekly column. Publishes Jim Crow’s Last Stand, a volume of verse about segregation and civil rights.

Hughes is harassed on the lecture circuit by conservative forces.

1944 Debates segregation on national radio. The FBI surveils Hughes for alleged communist activity and is attacked by the Special Committee on Un-American Activities of the House of Representatives.

1947 Opens his opera Street Scene (with music by Kurt Weill) on Broadway. Begins work with composer Jan Meyerowitz on an opera based on his play Mulatto. Right-wing attacks on Hughes continue, though he denies having ever been a member of the Communist Party.

1948 Hughes is denounced as a communist in the U.S. Senate by Albert Hawkes of New Jersey. Hughes writes a new collection of poems about Harlem, called Montage of Dreams Deferred.

1952 Publishes Laughing to Keep from Crying, his first collection of short stories since 1934. Hughes begins to devote increasing time to writing books for children and young people.

1953 Hughes is subpoenaed to testify before Senator Joseph McCarthy. He concedes past mistakes as a radical but implicates no one else on the left. He is “exonerated” by the committee, but conservative attacks on him continue.

1954 Hughes publishes Famous American Negroes, a volume for young readers, and makes no mention of W. E. B. Du Bois and Paul Robeson, at the time both closely identified with communism and under strong attack from conservatives.

1955 Publishes The Sweet Flypaper of Life, inspired by the Harlem photographs of Roy De Carava.

1960 A reading tour is disrupted by bomb threats over Hughes’ alleged communist allegiances. Hughes receives the Spingarn Medal, the highest award of the NAACP. Shakespeare in Harlem, by Robert Glenn based on Hughes’ writings, runs for 32 performances on Broadway.

1961 Writes the musical play Black Nativity and the gospel play The Prodigal Son. 1962 Visits Uganda for a writers’ conference and meets Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and other rising African writers.

1963 In speeches and elsewhere, Hughes defends the moderate civil-rights approach of the NAACP and deplores violence. After the worst riot since 1943 hits Harlem, Hughes defends the community on television and in his column for the New York Post.

1965 In the Post, Hughes attacks obscenity and profanity in new militant black writing and defends Martin Luther King, Jr. 1966 Appointed by President Johnson, Hughes travel to Senegal for the First World Festival of Negro Arts. As the leader of the American delegation, Hughes speaks on “Black Writers in a Troubled World.” After a month in Senegal, Hughes tours other parts of Africa for the State Department.

1967 On May 22, Hughes dies following complications from surgery. His body is cremated, and his ashes are placed in the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, under a mosaic cosmogram inspired by “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.”

MUSICAL NUMBERS My Way Is Cloudy Mary’s On The Road (Most Done Travellin’) My Poor Mary, What’s The Matter? (O Jerusalem In The Morning) Poor Little Jesus ( Wasn’t That A Pity And A Shame?)

Mary, What You Gonna Name Your Baby? ( Glory Be To The Newborn King) Wasn’t That A Mighty Day? Joy To The World!

Christ Is Born Rise Up, Shepard, and Follow If Anybody Asks You (Who Am I?) Go, Tell It On The Mountain

CAST CRYSTAL WILLIAMS (Ensemble 1) Crystal Williams is thrilled to return home…to The Jubilee Theater! Regional credits include:The View Upstairs, Chicken and Biscuits (Uptown Players) Cabin in the Sky, Abyssinia (Lyric Stage), Porgy and Bess (Fort Worth Opera-Bass Hall), Sister Act (Watertower Theater), This Random World (Circle Theater), The Color Purple, Alice Wonder, Harlem Blues, God's Trombones, Lysistrata (Jubilee Theater), Origin of the Specifics (Hip Pocket Theater), The King and I (Casa Manana) , Sam Shade (DVA Productions). Crystal would like to thank her amazingly supportive family, with special thanks to her Mother, Her Love, and the 4 Js! (Joseph III, Joseph IV, Jordyn and Jonah!) Crystal holds a B.A, B.F.A and an M.Ed from Texas Wesleyan University.

MARANDA BARRIS (Ensemble 2) Maranda L. Barris is a talented actress with a passion for the stage. She holds a Theatre degree from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (2016), and has recently moved to Texas from Arkansas to pursue her career in theatre. Maranda has played a variety of roles, including Tessie Tura in Gypsy, Ms. Scarlet in Clue the Play, Cruella Deville in Descendants, and Shug Avery in The Color Purple the Musical. “Thank you to all who support the Arts and enjoy the show!”.

KYLE SPEARS (Ensemble 3) Kyle B Spears is a charismatic man born and raised here in Fort Worth Texas. He is a graduate from the illustrious Texas Southern University were he studied in Vocal performance. He got his Masters for vocal performance at the University of Texas at Arlington . He has been in multiple productions such as Ragtime , Porgy & Bess , Pirates of Penzance, Dream Girls, Take the Soul Train to Christmas. He is a hard working young man who is always striving for success.

KAYLA MARSHALL (Ensemble 4) Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, Kayla is an establishing singer, actress, and dancer.

She has spent most of her life being mentored and guided by many great talents and professionals in the metroplex. All of her experience in the arts come from great exposure, being a student first, and stepping out on faith. This will be her seventh show with Jubilee; but her sixth show on Jubilee’s stage. Starring in roles such as (Massassi) in If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be A MF, (Stepsister/Dancer/Ensemble) in Dreamgirls at Bass Hall, (Rosa) in Take The Soul Train To Christmas, (Sweet Mama) in Bread ‘N Gravy “The Songs & Life of Ethel Waters”, and (Olivia) in The Color Purple. Kayla believes that every opportunity is a humbling one, and with great gifts come great responsibility. All thanks and honor go to God; the one who strengthens and allows her another chance to grow. After her debut as choreographer in Jubilee’s spring of Season 42 for Praise The Lord and Raise The Roof, she will embark on round two of this great journey. “I am fortunate to be tasked with the challenge of both actor and choreographer. It’s rare when this opportunity presents itself and I’m beyond excited to make it happen.”

OCTAVIAN LEWIS (Ensemble 5) Octavian Lewis is a multi-talented powerhouse born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Prior to the pandemic, Octavian graduated from Texas College with a Bachelors of Science in Music. His credits include “The Color Purple” at Jubilee Theatre, “Saturday Night Fever” and “Hello Dolly” at The Firehouse Theater, “Black Nativity” at the Bishop Arts Theatre Center as well as “AIDA” and “Rocky Horror Show” at the Majestic Theatre portraying the roles of a Phantom and Transylvanian. For his performance in Black Nativity, Octavian was nominated for “Best Actor in a Musical” for the 5th Annual Irma P. Hall Black Theatre Awards. He also was featured in DFW Center Stage’s Beyond the Bio after he brought the house down with his performance as Tom Collins in “RENT” at the Willow Bend Theatre (North Texas Performing Arts Rep).

Octavian would like to thank his directors, cast, family and friends for their unconditional love and support!

CAST KRIS BLACK JASPER (Ensemble 6) Kris is no stranger to being on the Jubilee stage. She made her Jubilee Theatre debut in Season 39 as 'Karen' in the production of “How I Got Over”. She’s since frequented the stage in Trey Anthony's "Da Kink in My Hair", Katori Hall's "HooDoo Love", Moses T. Alexander Greene’s “Pooled”, Kathy D. Harrison’s “Southern Boys” at Bass Hall, Lynn Nottage’s “Fabulation”, Jo Morello’s “Lil & Satchmo”, Celeste Walker's "Over 40" and "Praise the Lord Raise the Roof". Kris recently showcased her talents in Season 42 as Church Lady 1 in "The Color Purple" at The Scott Theatre. "This is my 5th season working with Jubilee Theatre and there hasn't been one production where I didn't leave without feeling gratitude. Not just for the things I've learned or the ways I've grown as an actress but the lasting relationships I've been able to make and cultivate. The process of putting a show on its feet IS work but the moments you get to make genuine connections makes it worth it. I'm confident "The Gospel Black Nativity" will be just as rewarding for you, our audience and supporters. Thank you." When Kris isn’t on the stage, you just may have seen her behind the scenes when she served as Assistant Stage Manager for "Dreamgirls" at Bass Hall or as the Stage Manager for “Take the Soul Train to Christmas” at Jubilee Theatre, “1619 Project– One Act Festival” at Bishop Arts Theatre Center in Dallas, or most recently as the Stage Manager/Narrator for the Stage Reading of “Bread & Gravy: the Life & Songs of Ethel Waters” in partnership with The Modern Museum in Fort Worth. Stay up to date on her upcoming projects: Instagram/Facebook @iamkrisblack SYDNEY HEWITT (Ensemble 7) Sydney is a local stage and film actress, singer, and stage manager in the Dallas Fort Worth area. She is a graduate of KD Conservatory and an Irma P. Hall nominee. She has had the pleasure of playing the roles of Sister Mitchell in Praise the Lord and Raise the Roof (Jubilee Theatre), Camae in The Mountaintop (Circle Theatre), Keshia in Fairview ( Bishop Arts), Sister in Southern Boys (Bass Hall), Lil in Lil and Satchmo (Jubilee Theatre), Jane in The Ballad of Jane Elkins (Teatro Dallas), Candy in Livin Fat (Jubilee Theatre), and a host of other staged plays and movies in Dallas Fort Worth. In 2022 she stage managed her first 2 shows Over Forty at Jubilee Theatre followed by Fences at Circle Theatre. She has featured in two films Love and Drugs 2 and Son of a Snake streaming on Tubi and also Fred Hammonds Sunday Night Lit visual album and BGV on his latest album Sunday Morning Fred. She has now become a member of the Jubilee administration team while still pursuing her dreams as an artist and a mommy to an amazing daughter. She is honored to share the space with such loving and talented human beings. She would like to thank God for his grace,mercy, and the many blessings he has bestowed upon her life, her Mom, Dad, and family for the tremendous amount of love and support on this journey of life as an artist, and a special shout out to her bunny Zurina. Mommy loves you! Love and peace to all.

DAMERON GROWE (Ensemble 8) Dameron Grove has been heavily involved with music his entire life, singing in school and church choirs, local productions, and performing. I graduated from East Texas Baptist University with a Bachelor's in Music Education and Southern Methodist University with a Master's in Voice Performance. Currently, I teach in Fort Worth ISD previously taught in Mansfield, Dallas, and Cedar Hill school districts at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. In addition to teaching, I play piano for the First Presbyterian Church in Duncanville, serve as Tenor section leader for the Duncanville Community Chorus, served on the worship team at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, TX, and currently serves on the worship team at Empowerment Worship Center of Dallas. Previously, I was a regular headliner at the Dallas House of Blues Gospel Brunch and former lead singer for the group "Movmnt Band". As a performer, I sing and help train and teach local groups vocal technique while still being a regular soloist and chorister with the Mansfield Philharmonic Orchestra of Mansfield, TX, and the Music Ministry Conservatory in Dallas.

Most recently, I performed with Cedar Hill High School in Footloose and was a part of the Youtube web series "And This is My Story". I am so excited to be a part of this production.

CAST RICKIE JONES (Ensemble 9) Rickie Jones is an Actor who’s been seen performing across the DFW Metroplex in numerous shows. Such as Grease, A Raisin in the Sun, The Wiz, and even Dreamgirls!

Rickie is excited to join the cast of Black Nativity, as this is Rickie’s fourth show with Jubilee Theatre! Since the age of fourteen, Rickie has studied performance and worked with some of DFW’s biggest names. During his time away from stage Rickie writes and produces his own music. He has two full length albums available for streaming on all platforms. Rickie would like to thank the production staff and all of those in attendance who support live theatre. If you’d like to continue supporting Rickie following the show please follow him on instagram @ rickiesmusic and stream his music on all streaming platforms.

BAND DONARIUS MIMS (Pianist / Musical Director) Born and raised in Fort Worth Texas, Donarius started his journey as a musician at the age of 5 years old playing drums in his local Fort Worth Church. Since then, he has grown into an A-rate keyboardist/Pianist, arranger and producer traveling the world playing different stages with both labeled and independent recording artists.

CHUCK HILL (Bass)

MARQUIS JAMES (Drums) Marquis James is a native of Dolton, Illinois. He’s glad to call Fort Worth, Texas, home since 2020. Marquis has been married to his wonderful wife, Monique, for 19 years. They have four amazing daughters. Marquis started playing drums at church at an early age and has continued to develop that gift. He has over 20 years of training and experience with other musical talents, such as drum programming, music production, and artist development.

Marquis has worked with both industry and independent artists, and has song credits on albums by Shekinah Glory Ministry, Elder Phil Tarver, and Dexter Walker, and Zion Movement. Marquis is a Full Sail University Alumni with a bachelor’s degree in Audio Production. He is a Post-Audio Engineer at Kenneth Copeland Ministries, and is thrilled to join the music community in the DFW and the Jubilee Theatre.

PRODUCTION D. WAMBUI RICHARDSON (Director & Artistic Director of Jubilee Theatre) D. Wambui Richardson Artistic Director of Jubilee Theatre. Richardson brings to Jubilee Theatre and the DFW area more than 20 years of experience in all levels of the Black theatre community, as well as in the theatre industry in general, having served as a Director, Playwright, Art’s Educator, and Executive Leader.

Formerly residing in Baltimore, and a Native of New Orleans, Richardson was a Freelance Director, Resident Teaching Artist for Baltimore Center Stage, and the Executive Director of Academies for the National Academy Foundation School of Baltimore. He has also worked with the St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre, Woodbridge Playwright’s Laboratory, Syracuse Stage, Abington Theatre (Off-Off Broadway), and Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre (Off-Broadway) and is a proud member of the Drama League. Some of Richardson’s directorial credits include: Sugar Mouth Sam Don’t Dance Here No More [Off Broadway]; Les Liaisons Dangereuse [Syracuse Stage]; A Stronger Soul Within a Finer Frame [Touring Production for St. Louis Black], F.E.M.A 1603 [World Premiere], Zooman & the Sign, In the Blood, Every Tongue Confess, The Seagull, Measure for Measure, Truth Stands [East Coast Premiere] and The Face of Emmett Till.

Richardson’s Jubilee credits include; Sistas, the musical, N, Berta, Berta, Southern Boys, To Be Young Gifted & Black, HooDoo Love, Over 40, Dreamgirls, and The Color Purple.

EDMUND SIMPSON II (Assistant Director) Edmund Simpson II is a Dallas native and graduate of KD Actors Conservatory. This year, he spent some time in Theatre Coppell productions Young Frankenstein and The Odd Couple. Last October was his Assistant Director debut for Trouble In Mind at Dallas Theater Center and is happy to be back at Jubilee Theatre as an Assistant Director. His favorite role to date was him as The Lion in The Wiz. He was most recently seen in Soul Rep Theatre What Fits Inside A Human Heart, written by Erin Malone Turner. “As people of African descent, it should be our top priority to protect one another no matter our sexuality, gender identity, or economic status. We all have generation responsibilities to break curses”.

CHERIE’ WILLIAMS (Stage Manager) Cherie' Williams is a native of Augusta, GA but has lived in the DFW area for 16 years. And she works in several areas and capacities in the profession of Theatre. She attended college at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, GA where she majored in Mass Communications: Television & Radio Broadcasting. That experience brought her to an internship here in Dallas at The Black Academy of Arts & Letters (TBAAL) during the summer of 2007. That experience prompted her to move from Georgia to Texas to work for TBAAL full time in their Box Office as a Manager. Since moving to Texas she has worked in theater Box Office Administration and Facility Management, and she also currently works as a writer, director, stage manager, actor, and makeup artist with several theatres as well.

Now as a theatre arts teacher for Fort WorthISD she teaches all she's learned in these different roles to her students and strives to give them professional experience and help them to find a new found respect and love for the art of Theatre. Cherie' is a lover of all things theatre, tv, and film and has a great passion for using her creativity in any way to bring these mediums to life! She is extremely excited and grateful to be working with Jubilee as a stage manager once again for another stellar production!

PRODUCTION KAYLA MARSHALL (Choreographer) Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, Kayla is an establishing singer, actress, and dancer.

She has spent most of her life being mentored and guided by many great talents and professionals in the metroplex. All of her experience in the arts come from great exposure, being a student first, and stepping out on faith. This will be her seventh show with Jubilee; but her sixth show on Jubilee’s stage. Starring in roles such as (Massassi) in If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be A MF, (Stepsister/Dancer/Ensemble) in Dreamgirls at Bass Hall, (Rosa) in Take The Soul Train To Christmas, (Sweet Mama) in Bread ‘N Gravy “The Songs & Life of Ethel Waters”, and (Olivia) in The Color Purple. Kayla believes that every opportunity is a humbling one, and with great gifts come great responsibility. All thanks and honor go to God; the one who strengthens and allows her another chance to grow. After her debut as choreographer in Jubilee’s spring of Season 42 for Praise The Lord and Raise The Roof, she will embark on round two of this great journey. “I am fortunate to be tasked with the challenge of both actor and choreographer. It’s rare when this opportunity presents itself and I’m beyond excited to make it happen.”

RAYVEN HARRIS (Sound Designer/ Assistant Stage Manager) David Lanza is a freelance audio engineer and sound designer based in Fort Worth TX. In addition to working as resident sound designer for Amphibian Stage and KWC Performing Arts, David has worked with various organizations including Jubilee Theatre, Stage West, Dallas Theater Center, Booker T Washington HSPVA, All Saints Episcopal School, Keller High School, The Littlest Wiseman, Shiny Box Productions, Watertower Theatre, Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts, UNT Theatre, TCC Theatre, and TCU Theatre. David has also acted as production sound operator for national tours of Menopause The Musical, A Tuna Christmas and Tuna Does Vegas, as well as the annual Dance Salad dance festival in Houston, TX. Additionally, David has sound-designed and mixed animated media projects produced for and by companies including Nickelodeon, Alfalfa Studios, Kate Spade, and The Ford Foundation. David holds a Bachelor of Science in Audio Engineering Technology from Belmont University.

HOPE COX (Costume Designer) Hope Cox (Costumer) is excited to be back at Jubilee Theatre for this production. Her work with Jubilee's production of Obama-ology earned her the Irma P. Hall Black Theatre Award for Best Costume Design of a Play. Some of her favorite costuming credits include A Raisin in the Sun (Theatre Arlington), Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls (LCT), Pride and Prejudice (MainStage) and Of Mice and Men (The Firehouse Theatre). Hope feels so blessed to have the opportunity to work with such a talented cast and crew. You can find more information on Hope's upcoming projects on her website www.hopecox.com JENNYE JAMES (Scenic Designer / Scenic Painter / Crew Build) Jennye James (Scenic Artist) is the Scene Shop Foreman and Adjunct Instructor for Texas Wesleyan University's Theatre Department, as well as a graduate of the program. She has worked as a scenic painter, properties master, set designer, and technical director for many local theaters including Jubilee Theatre, Amphibian Stage Productions, Trinity Shakespeare Festival at TCU, Theatre Arlington, and Casa Manana.

TAYLOR ALLEN (Technical Director) Taylor is thrilled to have had the opportunity to work on this show. She holds a BFA in Theatre Design and Technology from Texas Wesleyan University. Her previous technical direction credits include Plenty of Time, Dreamgirls, and Take the Soul Train to Christmas at Jubilee Theatre. Additional credits include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (technical director and scenic designer), Chamber Music (technical director), and Shuddersome: Tales of Poe (technical director) during her time at Texas Wesleyan University. She looks forward to continuing to work in the DFW area.

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JUBILEE THEATRE DONORS SEASON 42 ANGELS ($25,000 AND ABOVE) STEVEN E AND JUDY JOHNSON MICHEAL GONZALEZ SID W. RICHARDSON FOUNDATION JOSEPH AND ELEANOR HINGTEN KELLI E TERRY AMON G CARTER FOUNDATION RICHARD AND MARY DABNER KARINA OLADE BASS, EDWARD P. LINDA LEE JOSE SALDIVAR JP MORGAN CHASE BANK LISA DALTON JINGY LI GWEN BUSH ALDO MONTOYA SUPERSTARS ($10,000-$24,999) LISA TAYLOR-KENNEDY KATELYN J KIESER R4 FOUNDATION GAIL WALTERS DESIREE FULTZ JONATHAN P. FORMANEK FOUNDATION MATTIE PETERSON COMPTON DEBBIE SCOTT MAE CORA PETERSON NANCY TUFFIN STARRING ACTORS ($5,000-$9,999) ARVEDA LEWIS CELIA REESE GEORGE MOREY TTEE AUDREY WICK CHERYL THOMPSON NORTH TEXAS GIVING DAY DAN JOHNSTON JACIE HOOD FORT WORTH PROMOTION HARRY PARKER SHARON HILL KAREN JOHNSON DAVID COFFEE SUPPORTING ($1,000-$4,999) JAN ROBINSON KAREN ROBINSON SPEKTRIX PAT CHEONG DOROTHY HARWOOD BROOK WHITWORTH TRUST YVONNE JOHNSON PAULA WARD TARRANT COUNTY COLLEGE DISTRICT PARIS JONES TERRANCE BOYKIN EDWARD AND JULIET WILLIE SCALES MALEKA MAHDI PATTERSON RACHEL FORD ETHAN KLOS MERCEDES BENZ FINANCIAL SERVICES KATIE LONG CHARLES LANGHAM PATRONS ($50-$99) CAROL DABNER BANK OF AMERICA FOUNDATION LYNN C. BASDEN TRACY LEWIS OAK CLIFF CHAMBER OF COMMERC JASMAN HAYES BACHHI DONNA TERRY NYJA ROBY GREG RICKS ENSEMBLE ($500-$999) NIKITA ADETIBA ZAINCORIE TAYLOR NETWORK FOR GOOD ARTHUR GARCIA LINDA & DAVE BOYD ALLIANCE MEMBER SERVICES READY FRESH ALEX VORSE J ALLEN BROWN MONIQUE WINFREE TAMMY EKRUT METLIFE M KIRKSEY SHARON BLACKMAN BENEVITY LATESHIA EKEOCHA SHELIA BARNETT URBAN ONE HOLLY E WONG ELIZABETH KENSEK YOURCAUSE LLC HANNAH MECKE BACCYEE MELISSA FLEMING DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH DAVID BURSHEARS INITIATIVES, INC. DANNA ELMORE COMMUNITY PARTNERS DANIEL HAGOOD COLBY RADFOR AMAZON SMILE DANIEL & LINDA ZIEGLER CHEVAUGHN JACKSON AMPHIBIAN STAGE PRODUCTIONS CLARRISA JOHNSON BRANDY M GRANT ARTES DE LE ROSA ANITA THROWER ARTISAN CENTER THEATRE UNDERSTUDY ($100-$499) VERONICA CHUCA ARTS FIFTH AVENUE ALBERTSONS STEPHANIE MACON ARTS FORT WORTH BANK OF AMERICA SARAH SHULL AT&T UNITED WAY PROGRESSIVE LITERARY PORSCHEA A WOODS BARSE JEWELRY AOL GIVING MYLA MARIE ABEJUELA BIG BROTHER BIG SISTER AND ART CLUB MURRELL AND COMPANY BISHOP ARTS THEATRE CENTER SHARON RAE JENKINS KYLE ANTHONY HALEY BOB’S STEAKHOUSE AND CHOPHOUSE DR. JAMIE AND NANCY DICKERSON JENDI GIBBS CASA MANANA EDWARD D JONE INVESTMENTS ISAURA CHAIREZ CAST YOUR BREAD CATERING RAYMOND JAMES FRANCISCO MARCO CIRCLE THEATRE AMAZON SMILE RICHARDSON ERIC CLARK COWTOWN WINERY

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DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE DALLAS COWBOYS DALLAS CHILDREN'S THEATRE DALLAS OPERA DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INC. ALUMNAE CHAPTER ETHEL RANSOM CLUB EVENTFULLY YOURS FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FORT WORTH ZOO FREDDIE WATKINS PHOTOGRAPHY FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS HALTOM'S JEWELERS HIP POCKET THEATRE IBM MATCHING GRANTS PROGRAM KIDS WHO CARE LIVE THEATRE LEAGUE OF TARRANT COUNTY MIDNIGHT HOUR DESIGN NAPPIOLOGY NTP PLUMBING ONE POINT HEALTH SERVICES SAFEWAY/TOM THUMB SINACA STUDIOS STAGE WEST STOLEN SHAKESPEARE GUILD SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY- MEADOWS SCHOOL OF THE ARTS TEXAS BALLET THEATRE TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY THEATRE TEXAS RANGERS THEATRE ARLINGTON THEATRE THREE THEATRE NETWORK OF TEXAS THEATRE WESLEYAN THE LIGHT BARBERSHOP TIFF'S TREATS UNDERMAIN THEATRE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICES VETROGLASS VIGOR HEALTH VISIT FORT WORTH

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Anita Heiskell, President Joe Brown, Vice President Arveda Lewis, Treasurer Dora Sergeant, Secretary James Smith, Marketing Chair La’Wonda Peoples, Development Chair Charles Langham Myra Savage Monique Winfree

BOARD EMERITUS Marian Eastman Joseph K. Dulle Margie Major

JUBILEE THEATRE STAFF D. Wambui Richardson, Artistic Director Janaé Willis-Beard, Education and Development Director Sydney Hewitt, Office Coordinator Veta Rodriguez, Box Office Coordinator Donna Young-Bob, Box Office Staff Kenja Brown, Box Office Staff Olivia Holland, Box Office Staff Dionne Warren, Box Office Staff

506 Main Street Fort Worth, TX 76102 Administrative Office: 817-338-4204 www.JubileeTheatre.org

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SEASON 43

nEXt 42: Operations Development Initiative As we embark on the transformative journey of our nEXt 42 Initiative, we are thrilled to share the vision of propelling Jubilee Theatre into a new era of cultural enrichment and community engagement. To achieve this ambitious goal, we recognize the need for essential operational enhancements that will fortify our foundation and propel us toward sustained growth.

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