by Academy Award-winning writer of Moonlight Tarell Alvin McCraney
Directed & Choreographed by Jeffrey L. Page
Composer and Music Director Crystal Monee Hall
Scenic and Lighting Design by Christopher Ash
Costume Design by Millie Hiibel
Sound Design by Daniel Ison
February 18 – March 13, 2022
Run time 1 hour, 45 minutes- no intermission
For ages 13+. Contains discriminatory language and behavior, sexualized language, and nudity.
Jeffrey Page (Director) is an Emmy Award-nominated director and choreographer, and spearheaded the 2015 and 2018 Tokyo productions of the musical Memphis, which received four Yomiuri Award nominations, including Best Musical. The first African American to be named the Marcus Institute Fellow for Opera Directing at The Juilliard School, Mr. Page won an MTV Video Music Award for his work with Beyoncé, on whose creative team he worked for more than 12 years. His work was featured on Beyoncé’s “The Formation World Tour,” in her historic Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival performance, and in two of her HBO specials. Mr. Page was the associate creative director for Mariah Carey’s “Sweet, Sweet Fantasy European Tour,” and has been a featured choreographer on Fox Television’s “So You Think You Can Dance.” He currently is the creative director for singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan, most recently working with her on the 2020 BET Soul Train Music Awards. Mr. Page was in the original, award-winning Broadway cast of Fela! He choreographed the Broadway musical Violet starring Sutton Foster (Roundabout Theatre Company). Page was acknowledged by the Berkshire Theatre Awards for his work at Barrington Stage Company’s Company and Broadway Bounty Hunter. In 2016, he established Movin’ Legacy as an Indianapolis-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the ethnology and documentation of contemporary and traditional dance from Africa and the African diaspora. Jeffrey received an MFA degree in Dramatic Direction Columbia University in New York City, and serves as a lecturer at Harvard University and guest faculty in the Opera Department at The Juilliard School. In 2019 he was awarded the Chuck Davis Emerging Choreographer Fellowship from the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Currently, as co-director and choreographer, he is working with Diane Paulus and the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University to mount the Broadway revival of 1776.
JUSTEN ROSS (Pharus) is a black queer multi-hyphenate artist from Atlanta, Georgia. Actor, writer, and musician are few of many roles this ambitious soul takes on. He is a 2021 graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University’s BFA program and a 2021 Princess Grace Award recipient. Selected by Warner Bros. Studio to be a part of The Actors in Training Casting Initiative, Ross is making waves at a rapid pace. The young talent creates online content for a 100K+ following in his spare time. In the long run, he sees himself teaching young people the transformative power of performing arts from an afro-diasporic lens.
JEREMY COUSAR (Bobby) was raised in Charlotte, North Carolina where he was exposed to art at an early age (thanks mom & dad). Jeremy is a proud graduate of The University of the Arts where he received his BFA in Musical Theater and his Minor in Music Business. Some of his recent work includes a casino residency (Motorcity Live). In addition to serving onstage, he also has a deep passion for philanthropy and uses his platform to help others find their purpose. You can find Jeremy on all social media platforms @Jeremycousar.
DANA ORANGE (David Heard) is very excited to be making his PTC debut in this great show. Previous credits include Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Shrek the Musical, Sister Act (Walnut Street Theatre), To Kill a Mockingbird (Millbrook Playhouse), Actually (Philly Fringe), In The Heights (Park Playhouse), Ragtime (Eagle Theatre), Evita (Resident Theatre Company)… Much thanks to PTC, Jeffrey, this incredible cast and crew, as well as my amazing support system, who show me an abundance of love each and every day!
JAMAAL FIELDS GREEN (AJ) is an actor/singer/writer/director from New City, New York. Graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre from the Hartt School in 2018. He is very excited to be making his return to the stage since closing the Chicago company of “Hamilton: An American Musical” as John Lauren’s/Philip Hamilton in 2020. Also known as J. Hasan (Hasan is his middle name), He creates and performs his own music which is available on all streaming platforms. Aside from that, he owns his own production company/label DAYDRMR. He is forever thankful to his family, friends and team. TV Credits: Freeform’s “That Thing About Harry” and “Chicago PD”.
TRISTAN ANDRÉ (Junior) Brother. Sun. Black memory cultural worker. Lover of his community. You are that community. Tristan, an alum of the MFA Professional Actor Training Program at UNC-Chapel Hill, is a Southern multi-hyphenate artist whose credits include PlayMakers Repertory Company’s Life of Galileo, Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood, Leaving Eden, Twelfth Night and The Crucible, and DC’s Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner. Tristan is an art and social justice practitioner who works as a Teaching Artist with DreamYard Organization throughout the South Bronx. He has also collaborated with other social justice organizations throughout the Southeast region such as Marian C. Jackson Center in Chapel Hill, NC, and Durham’s Black August in the Park | Tristan is represented by About Artists Agency and is a member of the Actors’ Equity Association. Peace and love to all.
AKEEM DAVIS (Headmaster Morrow) Akeem Davis, from Miami, Fl, is a graduate of The Florida State University. Regional credits include Arden Theatre Company: A Doll’s House, Gem of the Ocean; Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: The Arsonists; Folger Theatre: District Merchants, King John; Theatre Horizon: Lobby Hero, In The Blood; InterAct Theatre: The Dangerous House of Pretty M’bane, Marcus/Emma; Theatre Exile: Buzzer; Simpatico Theatre Project: The Brothers Size. A Helen Hayes and Barrymore Award nominated actor, as well as recipient of the Haas Award for Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist, Akeem is a proud man of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Love to Tay. For Ash.
PJ BENJAMIN (Mr. Pendleton) Celebrating his 51st year as a union actor. A veteran of over 100 productions with long runs on Broadway and on tour as The Wizard in Wicked, Mr. Cellophane in Chicago, Leading Player in Pippin and Arnold in Torch Song Trilogy. Other Broadway: Sophisticated Ladies; Charlie and Algernon; The Pajama Game and Sarava. Favorite plays: All My Sons; Long Day’s Journey Into Night and The Last Romance. TV: Fosse/Verdon; FBI Most Wanted; Law and Order SVU; Madame Secretary; The Good Wife; and Person Of Interest. Voice of the Dodo Birds in Ice Age. P J and wife, actress Louisa Flaningam, own the historic Captain Timothy Hill House Museum on Chincoteague Island, Virginia.
Crystal Monee Hall (Music Director and Composer) is a singer/songwriter, composer, vocal arranger and producer and music director based in New York City. Her varied career has included roles on Broadway (RENT and Kristen Chenoweth’s For the Girls), sold out tours with Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead) and Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), and guest appearance on the CW’s “Walker” and HBO’s “High Maintenance.” She has released three original albums, with work from her most recent EP “If You Breathe” called ‘riveting’ by Billboard Magazine.
Composing, arranging, directing, performance and vocal production credits include: Ayodele Casel (Chasing Magic), Walker (CW network), A Beautiful Noise (Gospel Arrangement, Biden/ Harris Campaign), Ben Platt: Live From Radio City Music Hall, Donkey Hodie (PBS Kids), Nature Cat (PBS Kids), Alma’s Way (PBS Kids), Fearless (Mandy Gonzalez’ Album), Black Ink Crew (VH1), Broadway Inspirational Voices, Craig David’s “All We Needed,” (official song of the BBC’s 2016 Children In Need campaign), Cynthia Erivo (PBS Special), Mickey Hart Band, Kristen Chenoweth (For the Girls, Broadway), After the Storm (Ahrens and Flaherty), Quilters (NYU Tisch New School on Broadway), Sister Act (NYU Tisch New School on Broadway), Thomas Rhett, Renee Elise Goldsberry, John Legend, Patti Austin, Oleta Adams, Mariah Carey, Elton John, Kesha (Grammys 2018), Roy Ayers, Scott Alan, Shayna Steele, Jason Mraz, Spencer Day, Mandy Gonzalez, Ledisi, Kanye West, The Last Internationale. Find our more about Crystal at crystalmoneehall.com, and follow her on social media @crystalmonee.
Christopher Ash (Scenic Design) Philadelphia-based Designer and Filmmaker. Previous PTC productions include Sweat, Having Our Say, and Rizzo. Christopher Ash’s work has been seen in 13 countries and been recognized for 15 awards. Equally at home designing projections, scenery or lighting for theatre, opera, and dance as well as direction and cinematography for film. Broadway credits include, Sunday in the Park with George, Saint Joan, Network, The Prince of Broadway, The Crucible, and On The Town. His opera designs have been seen at The Met, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Canadian Opera, and Houston Grand Opera, and Christopher holds an MFA in design from the Yale School of Drama.
Millie Hiibel (Costume Design) is thrilled to be back at PTC where she designed the costumes for Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo. Recent: (Opera Philadelphia) TakTakShoo, Soldier Songs, We Need to Talk, Denis & Katya. (Music Theatre Wales and Opéra national de Montpellier) Denis & Katya, (Opera Maine) Elixir of Love, Magic Flute, Marriage of Figaro, La Traviata, (NYC) I Love You Because (Village Theatre), The Little Prince (New Victory Theater). Regional theater: Philadelphia Theatre Company, Delaware Theater Company, Arden Theatre Company, The Wilma Theater, Lantern Theater Company, The Playhouse Square, Bristol Riverside, Enchantment Theatre Company, and many more. (Dance collaborations) Pam Tanowitz, Jessica Lang, Camille A. Brown, Kate Watson-Wallace and Chien-ying Wang. She also is a stylist for photo shoots and commercials and has designed costumes for many historical films including the Emmy Award winning History Making Productions. Millie has been twice nominated for Philadelphia’s Barrymore Award for Excellence in Theater, and was a 2007 F. Otto Haas finalist. Millie is the costume director for Opera Philadelphia as well as a part-time lecturer at University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University, and visiting lecturer at Temple University.
Daniel Ison (Sound Design) is excited to be working on his second show at PTC. Off Broadway: Associate Sound Designer Hot Wing King (Signature Theatre). Broadway: Associate Sound Designer: Skeleton Crew (Manhattan Theatre Club) Regional: The Garbologists (PTC), Gem of the Ocean, Streetcar Named Desire (Arden Theatre);Wilde Tales, Frankenstein, Julius Caesar, Aesop’s Fables (Quintessence); Box Clever, Our Few and Evil Days (Inis Nua); The Audience Disturbs Marcel (Tiny Dynamite); Collected Stories (Act II Playhouse); Ready Steady Yeti (Azuka Theatre); Othello, All My Sons (Curio Theatre); Tartuffe (Mauckingbird). Film/Television: Howard (Zorinah Juan). Education: BA Music Composition (Eastern University). Awards: Barrymore Winner Sound Design, Gem of the Ocean. Barrymore Nominee Sound Design, Untitled. Barrymore Nominee Original Music, Art of Swimming.
Rob is an actor, musician, and educator in the Philadelphia region. Favorite music direction credits include: Mary Poppins, Godspell, Putting It Together, Chicago, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, This Is the Week That Is, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Working. Rob’s onstage credits include Twelfth Night, Peter and the Starcatcher, I Left My Heart…, The Winter’s Tale, Racine’s Britannicus, The Light Princess, Sweeney Todd, Pacific Overtures, Big Red Sun, and Field Hockey Hot. He is currently a visiting assistant professor and coordinator of the musical theatre minor program at the University of the Arts.
Jamel Baker (Production Assistant) is excited to be working with PTC on this amazing project! Jamel Baker is a freelance stage manager and has worked with many companies throughout the city including Tribe of Fools (also a company member), Simpatico, Azuka, Passage Theatre and more. Jamel holds a BFA from Millersville University.
CASTING Harriet Bass (she/her/hers) and Gama Valle (él/him/his)Bass/Valle Casting, fka Harriet Bass Casting, is a leading NYC boutique casting office. To know more about their upcoming projects and casting philosophy please visit www.bassvallecasting.com.