In Detroit ’67, award-winning Detroit playwright and DPT Advisory Board member Dominique Morisseau takes the audience on a journey to 1967 in the city of Detroit. Motown music is getting the party started, and Chelle and her brother Lank are making ends meet by turning their basement into an after-hours joint. But when a mysterious woman finds her way into their lives, the siblings clash over much more than the family business.
Detroit ‘67
May 13 - June 5, 2016
Journey to 1967 in the city of Detroit. Motown music is getting the party started
Meet The Cast
Amari Cheatom
Lank
Off Broadway—Signature Theatre: Zooman and the Sign; The Public Theater: The Lower Ninth, The Book of Grace; Sundance Theatre Festival: Origin Story; When January Feels like Summer; New Federal Theatre: The Toilet; A Ballad of Sad Young Men; Age of Grace. Regional—True Colors Theatre: Cracking Zeus, Fetch Clay Make Man; Freddie Hendricks Youth Ensemble of Atlanta. The Juilliard School—The Winter’s Tale (King Leontes), Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Bynum Walker), King Lear (Edmund the Bastard), Beau Willimon’s War Story (Sean), St. James Infirmary (Banner). Film—The Mikki Howard Story, Deeper Than Blue, The Alchemist Cookbook; Newlyweeds (Shaka King); Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino); Knucklehead (Ben Bowman); Night Catches Us (dir. Tanya Hamilton, with Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington); Disparity of Forces. TV—Numbers (CBS), Chase, Detroit 187 (ABC), Georgetown (ABC).
Jessica Frances Dukes
Bunny
Center Stage: Beneatha’s Place, Clybourne Park (Best Actress for both). Off-Broadway—Playwrights Horizons: Bootycandy (Obie Award). Regional—Arena Stage: King Hedley II, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; Arden Theatre: Stick Fly; Geva Theatre: A Raisin in the Sun, The Piano Lesson; Indiana Repertory: The Piano Lesson; Cleveland Playhouse: Trip to Bountiful; Woolly Mammoth Theatre (company member): Bootycandy, The Vibrator Play, Full Circle, Eclipsed, Fever/ Dream, Antebellum (Helen Hayes ens/nom), Starving; Folger Theatre: The Conference of The Birds; Olney Theatre: The Piano Lesson; Studio Theatre: Passing Strange, Caroline, or Change; Round House Theatre: Trip to Bountiful and Permanent Collection; Ford’s Theatre: Jitney; Tribute Productions: Spunk (Helen Hayes Best Actress nom); Theater Alliance: The Bluest Eye, Insurrection: Holding History (Helen Hayes ens/nom) and more. TV—The Good Wife (CBS); A Raisin in the Sun Revisited (PBS); NBC Showcase Alumni (2015). Education—MFA from Catholic University.
Brian Marable
Sly
Detroit Public Theatre: Detroit ‘67, Skeleton Crew, Pipeline; Baltimore Center Stage: Detroit ‘67; The Old Globe and People’s Light Theater: Skeleton Crew; Performance Network: The Mountaintop (Martin Luther King, Jr.), The Piano Lesson (Boy Willie); Purple Rose Theatre Company: Superior Donuts (Franco). Film/ TV—Have a Little Faith (Hallmark Movie), The Citizen (2012, Monterey Media), Low Winter Sun (AMC), Standing in the Shadows of Motown (James Jamerson). Education— Howard University, Wayne State University.
Sarah Nealis
Caroline
Off Broadway—SoHo Playhouse: Bill W. & Dr. Bob. Regional— Contemporary American Theater Festival: We Are Pussy Riot, Everything You Touch; Alley Theatre: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; Asolo Rep: Venus in Fur; Magic Theater: What We’re Up Against; Denver Center, Huntington Theater, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cleveland Playhouse, Indiana Rep, Syracuse Stage, Cal Shakes, NJ Rep. Film/TV—Keep In Touch (Best First Feature – Calgary Int’l Film Festival), I Love You But I Lied (LMN). Education—BA from UC Berkeley; ACT (SF); Caymichael Patten Studios (NYC).
Michelle Wilson
Chelle
Broadway—A Raisin in the Sun (Ruth u/s). New York—Public Theater: Detroit ’67 (Chelle, world premiere, dir. Kwame Kwei-Armah); Premiere Stages: Follow Me to Nellie’s, The People Before the Park; NYC Fringe Festival, The Classical Theater of Harlem, O’Neill Playwright Festival. Regional—New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Steppenwolf, Goodman, Indiana Rep, Stella Adler Theater; developmental work at The Lark, Center Stage. Film/TV—Blue Bloods, ER, Reverse Cowgirl, Nehemiah, Sink, The Bicycle.
Meet The Cast
Dominique Morisseau
Playwright
Dominique Morisseau is the author of The Detroit Project (A 3-Play Cycle) which includes the following plays: Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company), Paradise Blue (Signature Theatre), and Detroit ’67 (Public Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem and NBT). Additional plays include: Pipeline (Lincoln Center Theatre), Sunset Baby (LAByrinth Theatre); Blood at the Root (National Black Theatre) and Follow Me To Nellie’s (Premiere Stages). She is also the TONY nominated book writer on the new Broadway musical Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations (Imperial Theatre). Dominique is alumna of The Public Theater Emerging Writer’s Group, Women’s Project Lab, and Lark Playwrights Workshop and has developed work at Sundance Lab, Williamstown Theatre Festival and Eugene O’Neil Playwrights Conference. She most recently served as Co-Producer on the Showtime series “Shameless” (3 seasons). Additional awards include: Spirit of Detroit Award, PoNY Fellowship, Sky-Cooper Prize, TEER Trailblazer Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, Audelco Awards, NBFT August Wilson Playwriting Award, Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama, OBIE Award (2), Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, Variety’s Women of Impact for 2017-18, and a recent MacArthur Genius Grant Fellow.
Kamilah Forbes
Director
Broadway — associate director credits include Holler if Ya Hear Me, A Raisin in the Sun, Lucky Guy, Stick Fly, The Mountaintop, Def Poetry Jam (tour). Recent directing — People’s Light: All My Sons; National Black Theater: Fried Chicken & Latkes featuring Rain Pryor; Arena: Blood Quilt; True Colors: Detroit ’67; Labyrinth: Sunset Baby; 651 Arts: Circle Unbroken; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: Scourge; Summer Stage: Sweet Billy and the Zooloos; Kennedy Center: Tribute to Marvin Gaye. Other — Lincoln Center Theater, Public Theater, Lark Play Development Center, Arena Stage, Alliance Theater. TV —credits include The Wiz Live (associate director, NBC); HBO’s Def Poetry Jam (producer); and HBO’s Brave New Voices (executive producer). Professional — Hi Arts/Hip-Hop Theater Festival: Producing Artistic Director; Kennedy Center: Curator in Residence. Education — Howard University.
Steve H. Broadnax III
Associate Director
Regional and Tour— Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival: The Hip Hop Project, an award-winning, full-length original play directed, choreographed, and conceived by Steve.
Writing credits include — American Taboo, Smash/Hit, Hard To Say I Love You, Sex Love, And Everything In Between.
Directing credits include — Classical Theatre of Harlem, National Black Theatre, The Black Theatre Troupe, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Moore Theatre, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, National Arts Festival (South Africa).
Acting credits include — Arkansas Repertory: Dreamgirls; R.L. at the Crossroads; Pennsylvania Centre Stage; St. Louis Black Rep; St. Louis Repertory Theatre; St. Louis Muny; Lincoln Amphitheatre; Westport Playhouse; Ozark Actors Theatre.
Professional — Associate Professor of Theatre Head Graduate Acting at Penn State University.
Education — MFA in Acting from Penn State, BFA in Musical Theatre from Webster University in St. Louis.
Michael Carnahan
Scenic Designer
Detroit Public Theatre—Detroit ‘67. Off-Broadway—Atlantic Theater Company: Skeleton Crew ; 59E59: I and You; Second Stage: The Happiest Song Plays Last; Signature Theatre: The Piano Lesson, The First Breeze of Summer, Life Could Be A Dream, The Marvelous Wonderettes, Three Mo’ Tenors, Pygmalion, Howie the Rookie, Brando. Tours—Cheers, Live On Stage; A Christmas Story The Musical. Regional—credits include Kennedy Center, Apollo Theater, Arena Stage, American Conservatory Theater, The Kennedy Center, McCarter Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Baltimore Center Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Pasadena Playhouse, Two River Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Cape Playhouse, Cape Playhouse, Laguna Playhouse, Utah Shakespearean Festival, Northlight Theatre, Signature Theatre, Bucks County Playhouse, Ogunquit Playhouse, Arsht Center, Musical Theatre West, San Jose Repertory, Center Rep. michaelcarnahandesign.com Instagram: carnypics Twitter: @mike_carnahan
Dede Ayite
Costume Designer
Recent regional — Lincoln Center Theatre: The Royale; Arena Stage: Blood Quilt, Five Guys Named Moe; The Public: Toast, The Urban Retreat, Manahatta, Hollow Roots. Other design credits include — Steppenwolf Theatre: Marie Antoinette (Joseph Jefferson Award); Dallas Theatre Center: Stagger Lee; Lincoln Center LCT3: brownsville song (b-side for tray); CalShakes Theater: A Raisin in the Sun; Two Rivers, NJPAC: The Music Man in Concert; Intar: Adoration of the Old Woman; UM, Amherst: Woyzeck; TMTC: Look Upon Our Lowliness; Improv Everywhere/BBC America: COPPER Project; soloNOVA Festival: Last Laugh; NYU: Mary Stuart; Harlem Stage: Holding it Down; Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute: Vassa; Urban Stages: Illmatic; Yale Repertory Theatre: The Piano Lesson; Summer Stage: American Schemes. International — Trinidad: Smile Orange. TV — Kurt Metzger (Comedy Central), Fox Shortcoms (FOX Network). Education — MFA, Yale School of Drama.
Jen Schriever
Lighting Designer
enter Stage: Stones in His Pockets. Broadway—Danai Gurira’s Eclipsed (starring Lupita Nyong’o); John Leguizamo’s Ghetto Klown (also filmed for HBO). Off Broadway — Signature: Night is a Room; Second Stage: Mala Hierba, American Hero; The Public: Toast, A Second Chance; Labyrinth: Sunset Baby; Soho Playhouse: Triassic Parq; Woman’s Project: Bright Half Life; Abrons: I’m Looking for Helen Twelvetrees. Regional — Goodman: Rapture Blister Burn; Goodspeed: Theory of Relativity; Studio: Between Riverside and Crazy; Woolly Mammoth: Guards at the Taj, Marie Antoinette; Signature: Sunday in the Park with George; Papermill: The Other Josh Cohen; Folger: Romeo And Juliet, The Conference of the Birds, The Taming of the Shrew; Williamstown: American Hero. Dance — Liz Lerman: Healing Wars. Opera — Metropolitan: Pearl Fishers, Die Fledermaus; Mariinsky (Russia): La Traviata, Faust, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Professional — Adjunct Professor Purchase College. Member: Wingspace.
Justin Ellington
Sound Designer
Broadway — Other Desert Cities. Off Broadway — New York Theatre Workshop: Fetch Clay Make Man, The Seven; Lincoln Center Theater: Other Desert Cities; MCC: The Break Of Noon, The Pride. Recent regional — Dallas Theater Center: Romeo and Juliet, Stagger Lee; People’s Light: All My Sons; True Colors: Detroit ’67 (both with Kamilah Forbes); Alliance Theater: Top Dog Underdog, King Hedley II; McCarter Theater: Fetch Clay Make Man; Stratford Shakespeare Festival: As You Like It. Other credits include — National Theater London, Royal Shakespeare Company, New York Stage and Film, Hartford Stage, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Williamstown, Chautauqua Theater Company, Center Theater Group. Awards—2010 Grammy Award winner, 2011 ASCAP Award winner. www.justinellington.com
Alex Basco Koch
Projection Designer
Center Stage – Pride and Prejudice, Marley, One Night in Miami…, The Mountaintop, ReEntry (also Round House, Actors Theater of Louisville). Broadway — Walter Kerr: Irena’s Vow. Off Broadway and other New York—Signature Theatre: The Liquid Plain; Waterwell: Goodbar (Under the Radar 2012); TerraNOVA Collective: Feeder; Repertorio Espanol: En el Tiempo de las Mariposas, La Casa de los Espiritus; Urban Stages: ReEntry, The Oxford Roof Climber’s Rebellion; Ensemble Studio Theatre: Lenin’s Embalmers. International — Mori Theater, Chile: La Casa de los Espiritus. Regional — Court Theatre (Chicago): The Invisible Man (also Studio Theatre in DC); Director’s Company, Theater MITU, Electric Pear, Shalimar, SummerStage, Little Opear Theater, The New Ensemble. Professional — Technical design for New Georges at sLD and Big Art Groups Dead Set II & III. www.alexbascokoch.com
Lauren Imwold
Production Dramaturg
Center Stage – Pride and Prejudice, Marley, One Night in Miami…, The Mountaintop, ReEntry (also Round House, Actors Theater of Louisville). Broadway — Walter Kerr: Irena’s Vow. Off Broadway and other New York—Signature Theatre: The Liquid Plain; Waterwell: Goodbar (Under the Radar 2012); TerraNOVA Collective: Feeder; Repertorio Espanol: En el Tiempo de las Mariposas, La Casa de los Espiritus; Urban Stages: ReEntry, The Oxford Roof Climber’s Rebellion; Ensemble Studio Theatre: Lenin’s Embalmers. International — Mori Theater, Chile: La Casa de los Espiritus. Regional — Court Theatre (Chicago): The Invisible Man (also Studio Theatre in DC); Director’s Company, Theater MITU, Electric Pear, Shalimar, SummerStage, Little Opear Theater, The New Ensemble. Professional — Technical design for New Georges at sLD and Big Art Groups Dead Set II & III. www.alexbascokoch.com
