Xavier Harris, a third-year MFA student in Theatre Arts, won runner up with his partner Lamar Hardy.��

“This is the festival in the U.S. for college theater,” said Theatre Arts professor Ariadne Calvano. “This just shows the quality coming out of this department. The hard work, dedication and talent of our students is getting the validation it deserves.” 

Kala Ross, a third-year graduate student, was Tate’s partner. She won the regional award last year and in Washington, DC.

“To get it two years in a row is just huge,” Calvano said.��

Numerous other students, faculty and staff were at the festival as well to stage Theatre Arts’ production of “,” by Anna Deavere Smith.��

The show was one of only three invited to perform this year out of more than 50 that submitted applications.��

“There was a lot of student leadership in this production, a tribute to the training they are getting,” Calvano said. “Several representatives from the Kennedy Center commented on the level they are at.”

“Fires in the Mirror” received the Golden Hardhat award for the most organized and safe load in and load out for a production under the direction of Charles Nasby, Theatre Arts’ technical production manager, and his son Lionel Nasby, who is a senior undergrad in the department.��

Several faculty were awarded accommodations  for the show as well, including Calvano for stage direction, Janna Segal for dramaturgy and Zhanna Goldentul for costume design.

Tate and Ross will go on to compete this spring for the distinguished  at the in Washington, DC.

Those who’d like to see Tate perform next on a UofL stage won’t have to wait long. Tate is starring in Theatre Arts’ production of John Guare’s “Six Degrees of Separation.” Directed by Geoffrey Nelson, the play examines the premise that everyone is connected by a chain of six acquaintances. It runs Feb. 20-March 1 in The Playhouse. for more information and to buy tickets.

In ’ new production, “Detroit ’67,” by Dominique Morisseau, main characters Chelle and her brother, Lank, are running an unlicensed after-hours juke joint out of their basement. It’s a risky business, especially during a brutal police crackdown that sets off riots throughout the city. When Lank offers refuge to a mysterious stranger, he and Chelle clash. Pent-up emotions erupt, and they navigate the chaos both outside and within.

“Detroit ’67” is directed by Johnny Jones and runs Thursday, Jan. 26 through Sunday, Feb. 2 in Thrust Theatre, with a community night on Thursday, Jan. 30, which features a talk back and all tickets are discounted to $10. for specific dates and times.

The play is a part of Morisseau’s “Detroit Project,” which explores the complicated yet hopeful history of her hometown. While her other plays, “Pipeline” and “Skeleton Crews,” have been staged in Louisville, “Detroit ‘67” has not. This is its Louisville debut.  

Jones, who also directs UofL’s , said the play touches on universal themes of family, love and survival. Detroit, the quintessential American city, falls apart, but the people there live on.

“Detroit is never the same after the riot, that neighborhood is never the same, but you still have the people survive it. What we all want to believe is that we can all overcome situations and challenges,” he said.  

, a graduate Theatre Arts student, is playing Chelle for her thesis role. She recently corresponded with UofL News about her experience.

UofL News: What made you choose UofL’s Theatre Arts program?

Tia Ade-Salu: I was extremely attracted to the Graduate and its inclusion of African theatrical practices. Based on my past experience as an actor, I knew that it was important for me to receive advanced training that included techniques and theories related to my cultural heritage.

UofL News: What do you like about the role you’re playing? What attracts you to it?

Tia Ade-Salu: One thing I love is that Chelle and I have so many similarities. We’re both the eldest siblings in our families, stern, sentimental, afraid to let go of people and objects that are familiar to us, and careful planners. Another thing I love is that the playwright (whose also a fellow Michigan alumna) made sure the character had complexity. Even though Chelle is wise and able to judge people, she still has a few blind spots of her own.

UofL News: What do you think audiences will take from the show?

Tia Ade-Salu: There’s nothing wrong with dreamin’! I believe that’s the biggest message from the play. No matter how many deaths, disappointments, or destruction occur in one’s life, dreams are necessary for renewal and growth. Without them, there is no reason for living. For Chelle, in particular, the dream of undying love, is what will keep her going.

UofL News: What do you plan to do when you graduate?

Tia Ade-Salu:��I plan to continue exploring new theatrical works and film that illuminate my heritage. As a first-generation Yoruba-American I’ve had a long road towards discovering my true identity and how to use it in my artistry. With my own acting studio, The WAY, I will help other actors specify their identities and use them to deepen their craft as well.

to purchase tickets to “Detroit ’67,” which runs Jan. 26-Feb. 2 in Thrust Theatre.�� 

to see pictures of the show.��

Kala Ross, a graduate student earning her MFA in performance in UofL’s Department of Theatre Arts, scored a highly competitive and coveted . She’s playing the characters of Belle and Mrs. Fred, as well as a member of the ensemble.

Belle is the love interest of Ebenezer before he evolves into the infamous Scrooge and Mrs. Fred is the wife of Scrooge’s nephew.��

“I get to see two dynamics of love through these characters,” Ross said.

Ross, who is also the recipient of the prestigious , said the role is an excellent opportunity to prepare for her post-graduation career. She’s enjoyed getting to know fellow cast members who work and live across the country. Actors’ sterling reputation in the theater world attracts some of the best and brightest to star in its productions.

“I’m honored to be in the room with working professionals who are doing what I want to do,” she said. “It’s very affirming. I’ve had conversations with them about their journeys.”

Baron Kelly, Theatre Arts’ director of graduate studies and head of acting, directed Ross in several UofL productions and helped coach her for her current role at Actors. She’s a tremendous talent, he said.��  

“It has been evident that Kala is ready to work professionally,” he said. “This Actors Theatre opportunity validates everything she has exhibited as a graduate student and what’s in store for her professionally.”

For her thesis role, Ross played the role of Tonya in Theatre Arts’ fall production of “King Hedley II” by August Wilson. The show kicked off Theatre Arts’ that picks up again .

If you can’t make it to see Ross in “A Christmas Carol,” she’ll be singing on New Year’s Eve with the Jerry Tolson Quintet at Brendon’s Catch 23. Tolson is professor of music education and Jazz Studies at UofL’s School of Music.

If all that is still not enough holiday performance pizzazz, Theatre Arts Professor Russell Vandenbroucke has yet another opportunity. He adapted Truman Capote’s short stories “A Christmas Memory” and “A Thanksgiving Visitor” into the play Vandenbroucke directs a cast that includes many UofL students and alumni.

“A Christmas Carol” runs through Dec. 23 in the Pamela Brown Auditorium.��

The play, which explores perspectives on the 1991 riots in New York City, is written as a one-woman show.��But director Ariadne Calvano has cast eight actors to portray two-to-three roles each, which are both similar to and different from how they identify, whether by race, gender, ethnicity, class, religion, etc.��

“I began the process with a question: Can we ever truly understand something from another person’s point of view?” she said. “The production will challenge the audience to try to shift their perspective, experience and identity, rather than passively sitting in judgment.” 

The play is based on riots that occurred in the Crown Heights after a Hasidic man’s car jumped a curb, killing Gavin Cato, a black 7-year-old. Later, in what appeared to be an act of retaliation, Yankel Rosenbaum, a Hasidic rabbinical student, was stabbed to death.��

The play will contain an interactive element. The app “Poll Everywhere” will gauge audience perspective on complex issues throughout the performance.   

“This show remains relevant in many ways,” Calvano said. “Communication between folks from different backgrounds continues to polarize America today. It would be simplistic to boil down the show to tensions between the black and Jewish communities in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, or to believe that there is a single Jewish or Black perspective. Part of the challenge of this play is to unpack the levels of connection between the people represented while also marking their individualism.”

There also will be two post-show panel discussions led by UofL dramaturg Janna Segal:

Nov. 8: Theater artists will share how Smith’s work has influenced them. Panelists include: Calvano; Janelle R. Dunn, learning and creative engagement associate at Actors Theatre; Diana Grisanti, co-artistic director of Theatre 502 and Keith McGill, comedian, actor and Actors Theatre teaching artist.

Nov. 14: Conversation will address how the play resonates with Louisville today. Panelists include Rabbi David Ariel-Joel from The Temple; Cathy Hinko, executive director of the Metropolitan Housing Coalition and Marian Vasser, UofL director of Diversity ����ֱ�� and Inclusive Excellence.

This is the second production in Theatre Arts’ “” which kicked off in August with “King Hedley II.” 

Thrust Theatre is on UofL’s Belknap Campus, 2314 S. Floyd St. All plays start at 8 p.m. with 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday matinees. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for UofL faculty and staff and $10 for UofL students. To order tickets or for more information, call the box office at (502) 852-6814 or click .��

“Fires in the Mirror” Cast

Undergraduate students:��Chasidy Moore – Anonymous Lubavitcher woman, Rabbi Joseph Spielman and Sonny Carson; Junaid Shazad – Robert Sherman, Anonymous Young Man #1 and Rueven Ostrov; Megan Meyer – Scenic Designer; Lionel Nasty – Technical Director; Cece Phillips – Props Designer; Tyler Hieb – Lighting Designer; Steven York – Sound Designer

First Year MFA Students:��Lamar Hardy – Reverend Al Sharpton, Angela Davis and Micheal S. Miller; Candace Spencer – Ntozake Shange, Rivkah Siegal and Norman Rosenbaum; Brandi Threatt –  Anonymous Girl, Leonard Jeffries and Carmel Cato

Second Year MFA Students:��Alex Gordon – Aaron Bernstein, Henry Rice and Rosalyn Malamud; Tyler Tate – George C. Wolfe, Letty Cottin Pogrebin and Reverend Cannon Doctor Heron Sam; Jordan Tudor – Assistant Director

Third Year MFA Student:��Manuel Viveros – Minister Conrad Mohammed and Anonymous Young Man #2            

Theatre Arts Professor Sidney Monroe Williams is directing his second production with the UofL Rep Company, “Zomo the Rabbit: A Hip Hop Creation Myth.” The play, which is a remix of a West African trickster tale, follows Zomo, a young rapping rabbit on a quest for power who learns the creative value of cooperation while unwittingly creating hip-hop culture. This interactive show fuses hip-hop music, playful costumes and Louisville landmarks which are sure to engage children and their families.

The cast for the production is comprised of this year’s second-year Master of Fine Arts candidates, including Tyler Tate (Zomo the Rabbit), Jordan Tudor (Sky God), Caisey Cole (Leopard), Alex Gordon (Wild Cow) and undergraduate Aliyah Brutley (Big Fish). The ‘MC’ of the production is undergraduate, CeCe Philips, who serves as the stage manager. Third-year MFA candidate, Xavier Harris, serves as the ‘B-Boy,’ creating 90s hip-hip choreography for the production. New faculty member Jerome Wills is the ‘graffiti artist’ and ‘DJ’ as he creates the set and sound design. The mastermind behind the 90s fashion is UofL’s costume-designer, Melissa Shepard.

“I have to express my gratitude for this fierce ensemble and crew that manage to cram flips, choreography, lightning set changes, rhyming and audience interaction into 60 minutes of pure goodness,” Williams said.

The show is recommended for youth in kindergarten through 6th grade. The debut is this weekend at UofL before the show hits the road for a number of area school performances along with other engagements, including a .

“Zomo the Rabbit: A Hip Hop Creation Myth” plays 11 a.m. Oct. 19 and 1 p.m. Sun., Oct. 20 at Thrust Theatre, 2314 S. Floyd St. Tickets are $5. to purchase tickets.��

“We’ve been waiting to share our love of hip-hop with you,” Williams added.��

“King Hedley II,” the ninth play in August Wilson’s 10-play cycle that examines African American life in the 20th Century, tells the story of an ex-con trying to rebuild his life in 1985.

Hedley, the main character, wants to support himself by selling refrigerators and to start a family in Pittsburgh. Set during the Reagan administration, the play critically questions whether trickle-down economics benefited urban African Americans.

Baron Kelly, the play’s director and head of graduate acting at UofL, sees the relevance of the play into today’s society.

“All of the themes of inequality, zero opportunities and no sense of history or spirit left in the corners of Reagan’s America still reverberate today in communities across this country,” said Kelly. “Poverty and police killings of black people still blight African American communities across America with pervasive inequality and rage.”

“King Hedley II” is an appropriate start to Theatre Arts’ “Season of Black Plays,” said Johnny Jones, director of the African American Theatre Program for the department.��

Wilson’s 1996 speech, “The Ground on which I Stand,” was one of the inspirations for the season’s theme. Wilson’s speech called for American theaters to tell more stories about the African American experience.

Theatre Arts faculty and staff selected six plays that engage race and blackness on various levels and they will produce each work along with activities to foster engagement, inclusivity and cultural consciousness throughout UofL and surrounding communities.��

“I really want people to think about how these plays speak to America as a whole, not just one group of people — that really is the goal,” said Jones.

The production will open Thurs., Sept. 19 and will continue its first week run through Sept. 21. The production will continue its second week run Sept. 26-29.��Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees are at 3 p.m.

“King Hedley II” will run at the Playhouse, 1911 South Third Street.��Purchase season tickets, which are $50, . Tickets for individual performances also are available or call 502-852-6814.

The season’s five mainstage shows, along with a production, were either written by black playwrights, feature black characters or address race as a central theme.

“Our season is a rare, unique opportunity for the community to grapple with broad, wide-ranging African American experiences,” said department chair Kevin Gawley. “With few exceptions, regional theaters usually present only one minority play a season. Our season brings the African American experience to the forefront, delving deeply into crucial questions surrounding race, past and present.”

Johnny Jones, director of the African American Theatre Program, said the idea for the season got rolling in the classroom.

His students read “” by Suzan-Lori Parks, a creative essay that asks the question: What constitutes a black play? They also discussed August Wilson’s seminal speech “,” which makes the case that “African American theatre is distinct, distinguished and fully deserving of the kind of funding and respect too often reserved for white culture and institutions.”

His students researched the mix of plays offered at regional theaters around the country and found that each typically does only one minority play in a season.  

As the season’s theme emerged, so too did questions Theatre Arts hopes audience members and the community can consider together.

“I really want people to think about how these plays speak to America as a whole, not just one group of people — that really is the goal,” Jones said.

The department will offer programming with each show, like talk backs and panel discussions, to facilitate those kinds of conversations.

The season presents a unique opportunity for graduate students in the African American Theatre Program, as well. Most of them are earning Theatre Arts’ , a program of study like no other. Of the 12 grad students, 10 are of African descent.

The department has done thematic seasons before, with a season of women playwrights two years ago and last years’ lessons of the past, stories of the future theme which examined historic stories in a current context. But the uniqueness of the season is already turning heads.��

Jones said that when the department was at the National Black Theatre Festival this summer, someone compared UofL’s current Theatre Arts to Yale’s drama department in the 1990s, when it was a particularly strong leader in drama exploring race.

“As a third-year MFA student, I am proud to be a part of a legacy that promotes the work of black artists,” said Kala Ross. “I am honored to tell the stories of my people as they are stories for all people. In August Wilson’s speech ‘The Ground on Which I Stand,’ he says, ‘All of human life is universal, and it is theater that illuminates and confers upon the universal [or] the ability to speak for all men.’ A theatre department that embraces blackness speaks to the social awareness of the program. A ‘season of black plays’ is another season of excellence.” 

A Season of Black Plays

• Sept. 19-29: “King Hedley II” by August Wilson. Directed by Baron Kelly. The ninth play in August Wilson’s 10-play cycle, the play examines African American life in the 20^th Century. The play tells the story of an ex-con trying to rebuild his life in 1985.

• Oct. 19-20: “Zomo the Rabbit” by Psalmayene 24. Directed Sidney Monroe Williams. UofL’s , a troupe of graduate students who annually perform for dozens of schools, will present “Zomo the Rabbit,” a hip hop take on the classic African tale.

• Nov. 7-17: “Fires in the Mirror” by Anna Deavere Smith. Directed by Ariadne Calvano. The play explores Black and Hasidic Jewish people’s perspectives on 1991 riots in Brooklyn.��        

• Jan. 23-Feb. 2: “Detroit ’67” by Dominique Morisseau. Directed by Johnny Jones. Set to a Motown soundtrack, the play unpacks the 1967 race riots that ravaged Detroit.��

• Feb. 20-March 1: “Six Degrees of Separation” by John Guare. Directed by Geoffrey Nelson. Characters examine the premise that everyone is connected by a chain of six acquaintances.

• April 8-19: “Milk Like Sugar” by Kirsten Greenidge. Directed by Sidney Monroe Williams. Play follows a trio of teen girls who make a pact to get pregnant together.��

All plays are at Thrust Theatre, 2314 South Floyd St., except for “King Hedley II” and “Six Degrees of Separation” which will run at The Playhouse, 1911 South Third St. Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees are at 3 p.m.

Purchase season tickets, which are $50, . Tickets for individual performances also are available or call 502-852-6814. Additional events occur throughout the year. For the most up-to-date scheduling go online.��

The two won first place in the regional finals in South Carolina earlier this spring, which earned them a chance to compete at the national competition, with their travel expenses paid for by the Kennedy Center.

“This is a first for the department and a huge deal,” said Baron Kelly, a theatre professor who helped Ross and Hood prepare their winning performances.��   

Ross said an adjudicator from the competition chose her as an actor to compete in the regional finals and she chose Hood to be her partner.

She had only two weeks to prepare three pieces for the regional competition in South Carolina: two scenes with Hood and one solo piece. It was a challenge fitting preparations into their already hectic schedules as Hood is a teaching assistant working on her thesis and Ross is a graduate assistant in Theatre Arts’ .

But, the whole department pulled together to support them along the way, they said.

Dr.��Ari Calvano was the director of “Taming of the Shrew,” which was the play that received the nomination to compete in the competition. Kelly served as the coach of sceness and Professor Rachel Carter helped establish their characters’ dialect. Fellow students helped as well, they said.

“I believe we were as prepared as we were because of the resources offered through this program,” Ross said.

Ross and Hood headed to D.C. ready to win and were excited about the opportunities the competition could offer.

“It’s great networking with top-notch professionals, people who’ve made a mark on the industry,” Hood said. “I think it’s important to surround yourself with people who are doing the things you want to do.”

The award comes with a $5000 scholarship for Ross, as she was the competition’s initial nominee, and $1000 to Hood, as her partner.

Frankie Lewis is a self-trained fashion designer whose impressive resume includes working on costumes for the Louisville Ballet and P!nk’s Beautiful Trauma Tour. She has been a featured designer on the KMAC Couture: Art Walks the Runway show and has founded her own company, Ann DeEvelyn Clothing. A Louisville native, Los Angeles is her new home base, but she travels frequently to the city where it all started for her.

“I hope Card Nation is proud of me,” Frankie wrote in an email.

Frankie credits UofL, and especially the place she calls, “The Shop,” with launching her career. She graduated in 2010 with a bachelor of science degree in theater with a focus on acting and costume design/construction.

“The theater department at UofL has amazing opportunities for students, one of them being the costume shop,” she said. “There I was able to learn valuable skills that have led to so many opportunities. The relationships I’ve made there will be ones that I keep the rest of my life.”

It was her network of UofL friends and colleagues that helped Frankie land both the ballet and P!nk jobs.

“‘The Shop,’ as I call it, functions like a family,” she said, “in that different generations of students look out for or seek help from other generations. My first employee was a costume shop graduate who I never shared any actual school time with.”

Frankie said she always dreamed of being on “Project Runway,” which is in its 17th season (). She is one of 16 designers competing for the largest cash prize in the show’s history at more than $250,000.

“I’ve always dreamed of being on ‘Project Runway,’ and when I received the official call that I was chosen this year, I cried and thanked God,” she said. “My family and close friends and I are going to hang out on the couch and watch together.”

and check out her designs on and her Instagram account, @frankiee_leww. Catch the 90-minute “Project Runway” on Bravo at 8 p.m. EST.

Theatre Arts kicks off “,” Thursday, a powerful, true drama of six women who went to Vietnam. The play portrays each young woman before, during and after her tour in the war-torn jungle and ends as each leaves a personal token at The Wall in Washington.

The show marks the directorial debut of a mainstage production by , an assistant professor in Theater Arts, who joined the department last year.�� 

“This play is unique because it is one of the few plays about the Vietnam War that highlights the experiences of women,” Williams said.��“As it stands, we do not know how many women volunteered or served in Vietnam because they were not documented. This play speaks to that erasure to make sure audiences don’t forget how significantly we were all impacted by the 20 years of this war.”

Williams’ specialty is theater that explores intersections of gender, race and class, with particular focus on queer theory and performance.��

Before joining UofL, Williams worked with lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer youth in Boston, at , a theatre company that strives to present the diversity of LGBTQ lives through performance art.

Williams’ says his artistic goals are to “spark dialogue, raise visibility and celebrate marginalized bodies.”

Theatre Arts renowned , which presents plays to area elementary schools, and its unique , drew him to UofL. He now teaches classes such as Acting the Black Experience, Tools for a Global Theatre and History of African American Theatre.

Williams said the cast of a “A Piece of My Heart” is comprised of a particularly strong group of undergraduates: Aaliyah Compton, Bridget Kim, Fiona Blackburn, Jordan Tudor, Olivia Herren, Lexi Johnson and Zach Stone.

The show is unique in that it’s set in the memories of the characters, he said.

“This has been an exciting challenge for our production team to create a world of memory, history and relevance to modern times. The set design is dynamic with varying platform levels reshaping the Thrust Theatre; sound effects mixed with haze and fog to simulate warfare; and costumes ranging from the late 50s to mid 70s capturing iconic decades of fashion.”

The show runs 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 21-23 and Feb. 28-March 2. There is a 3-5 p.m. matinee March 3. Purchase tickets .��

to see more images of the show.