PIPELINE

Dominique Morisseau

Opening night October 6 Running through November 4, 2018

Dominique Morisseau has written some quietly devastating social dramas (“Skeleton Crew”) on her way up, but now the playwright has definitely arrived with this emotionally harrowing, ethically ambiguous drama that raises barbed questions about class, race, parental duty, and the state of American education. –Variety

Dominique Morisseau, daughter of Detroit and world renowned playwright (Detroit ‘67, Skeleton Crew, Shameless, Ain’t Too Proud), brings another of her extraordinary works home to Detroit Public Theatre. In the riveting Pipeline, which premiered at Lincoln Center Theater in 2017, Morisseau gives us the story of Nya, an inner-city public high school teacher committed to her students. Desperate to give her only son the opportunities her students will never have, this mother’s hopes for her son clash with an educational system that is rigged against him.

Dominique Morisseau has written some quietly devastating social dramas (“Skeleton Crew”) on her way up, but now the playwright has definitely arrived with this emotionally harrowing, ethically ambiguous drama that raises barbed questions about class, race, parental duty, and the state of American education. –Variety

Meet The Cast

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Lisa Strum

Nya

Lisa is thrilled to be making her Detroit debut with PIPELINE. She was last seen in the world premiere of whatdoesfreemean? by the award-winning human rights playwright Catherine Filloux at The Tank in New York City with Nora’s Playhouse. Other New York credits include: Lincoln Center Theatre, Signature Theatre, and The National Black Theatre. Her solo show, She Gon’ Learn, premiered to sold out houses at The United Solo Festival at Theatre Row, where she was given one of the festival’s Best Solo Show Awards. Lisa was a featured playwright with The New Black Fest at The Lark, a finalist for the Doric Wilson Playwriting Award, and a recipient of the Playwrights Initiative Fellowship at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program in California. TV credits include: “Law & Order: SVU” and “Citizen Baines”. Lisa holds an MFA from the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program.

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Yakeem Tatum

Omari

Yakeem is a Detroit Native in his fourth and final year as a BFA student in Wayne State University’s Theatre and Dance Department.

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Courtney Burkett

Laurie

Courtney’s DPT directing credits include Cry It Out, Marie and Rosetta, Murder Ballad (Wilde Award Nomination: Best Musical; It’s All Theatre: Best of Season), American Hero, and the touring production of Detroit ‘67. Courtney played Laurie in DPT’s production of Pipeline. Prior to co-founding DPT, Courtney spent five years as Director of Theatre Programs at Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, where she trained and mentored hundreds of young actors. Directing credits at Mosaic include The Tempest, Candide, Hastings Street, Lil Ham, and The Crucible. Before Mosaic, Courtney was a founding artistic partner with Breathe Art Theatre Project, where she directed and produced many productions and appeared in boom (Winner: The Rogue Critic Best Supporting Actress). Courtney spent two years working at the University of Michigan as the managing director of the CRLT Players. In that position, she oversaw 50 applied theatre performances annually on campuses throughout the country. Courtney also served as the business manager for the University of Detroit Mercy Theatre Company. While at UDM, Courtney taught in the Department of Theatre and directed and performed in Theatre Company productions. Courtney is a fourth generation native Detroiter. She received her BFA from Webster Conservatory of Theatre Arts and her MFA from Wayne State’s Hilberry Theatre program.

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Brian Marable

Xavier

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.

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Henri Franklin

Dunn

HENRÍ FRANKLIN is an award winning SAG-AFTRA actor based out of Detroit, MI. After obtaining his Bachelors Degree from Wayne State Universityʼs Theater Program, he went on to work professionally in the fields of stage, film, television, commercials and voice over. Some of his notable career accomplishments include Days of Our Lives and Chicago P.D. on NBC, Detroiters on Comedy Central, Low Winter Sun on AMC, Batman Vs Superman for Warner Bros., commercial and voice work for Ford, Chevrolet, G.U.M., T. Rowe Price and many others plus productions of Dominique Morisseauʼs Pipeline, Detroit’ 67 and Paradise Blue. You can see him as Ahmed in Richard Wesley’s Black Terror (produced by Tina Knowles – Lawson and directed by Richard Lawson) coming soon. Henrí is honored to have been able to work with Detroit Public Theatre for several years now and looks forward to continuing to do work that continues to change people’s lives for the better! You can follow his journey at www.henrifranklin.com and @henrifranklin on social media platforms.

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Mildred Victoria

Jasmine

Mildred is a proud graduate of Brooklyn College’s BFA Theatre program. Mildred Victoria is a Michigander who moved to the “Big Apple” to pursue storytelling and acting. Her most recent notable work includes The Mountaintop (Camae) at the Villagers Theatre, The Girls of Summer at St Luke Theatre (Off Broadway) and Josh the Black Babe Ruth at the Theatre for the New City in New York City. Mildred’s first love is the Theatre, but she looks forward to telling stories in all mediums across the world. Special thanks to the DPT team. Mildred sends love to her support system. Connect @MildredVictoria

Meet The Creative Team

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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.

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Candis C. Jones

Director

Candis is a director and rising artistic leader. Select credits include: Nike (A.C.T.-New Strands Festival), Visions From Eartha (Williamstown Theatre Residency), Eradication (Rattlestick-F*ck!ng Good Plays Fest.), Gloria (American Academy of Dramatic Arts), Cullud Wattah (The Lark), Awakened (NYU Grad Musical Theatre), The Fire This Time Fest (Kraine Theater), Name Calling (The Kennedy Center-Page to Stage ), Brother Rabbit (New Black Fest), Colony (The Movement/NYU Festival of Voices), 48hrs in Harlem (Harlem 9, NBT), The Homecoming Queen workshop (New Harmony Project), New Shoes (Drama League Directorfest), Morning in America (Primary Stages), Black Girl Magic (National Black Theatre), TEMBO! (Zanzibar International Film Fest). Assistant Director: Oedipus El Rey (The Public Theater), The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin (NY City Center), The Death of the Last Black Man (Signature Theatre). Awards and Fellowships: NY Women’s Foundation Lilly Award, Drama League Alum, Women’s Project Theater 2018-2020. Candis currently serves as the Playwrights Lab Manager at New Dramatists in NYC. www.candiscjones.com

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Jeromy Hopgood

Scenic & Projections Designer

Jeromy Hopgood is glad to be back designing at DPT. He is a Michigan-based designer, creating scenery, lighting, and projection designs for professional theatres across the country. Select design credits include People’s Light in Philadelphia (Skeleton Crew – Barrymore nominated projection design), Williamston Theatre (Out of Orbit, Outside Mullingar, Taking Shakespeare), Detroit Public Theatre (Skeleton Crew, Pipeline, Girlfriend), Michigan Shakespeare Festival (Julius Caesar, The Taming of the Shrew, The Seagull, The Killer Angels, Richard II, Cymbeline, Hamlet, Richard III, The Winter’s Tale), Tipping Point Theatre (The Rainmaker), Performance Network Theatre (Circle Mirror Transformation), the Lexington Shakespeare Festival (The Tempest, Merry Wives), and the Williamstown Theatre Festival during its Tony Award-winning season. In addition to his freelance work, Jeromy serves as a Professor of Entertainment Design & Technology at Eastern Michigan University, and is the author of QLab 4: Projects in Video, Audio, & Lighting Control, and Dance Production: Design & Technology, and the forthcoming Digital Media Designer’s Toolkit. Jeromy’s design work can be seen at www.hopgooddesign.com

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Shely Newport

Costume Designer

Shelby is Resident Costume Designer, department chair, and an associate professor at the University of Michigan-Flint. She received her M.F.A. from Purdue University and completed her undergraduate studies at Cornell College. Shelby recently designed costumes for the world premiere of Birthday Candles at Detroit Public Theatre. She regularly designs regionally at Tipping Point Theatre, Kickshaw Theatre, and Flint Youth Theatre, and is a Resident Artist at Purple Rose Theatre Company. Her designs have been seen internationally in London and Margate, England. Last summer, Shelby worked on a collaborative production with Detroit Public Theatre and the University of Michigan-Flint of Public Enemy: Flint. You can see more of Shelby’s work at www.shelbynewport.com

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Jennifer Fok

Lighting Designer

Jennifer is a New York City based Lighting Designer for theatre and dance. Select designs have been seen at Lincoln Center Education, HERE Arts Center, Portland Stage, Intar, Teatro Sea, Theatre At Monmouth, The Flea, NCPA Beijing, Stella Adler, Queens Theatre In The Park, Company One , Flynn Space, Ars Nova, Dixon Place, Theatre 167, Wild Project, Bushwhick Starr, Jack, Martha Graham Studio, Ithaca College, Colby College, Bates Dance Festival, among others. BFA in Theatre Production and Design from Ithaca College.

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Curtis Craig

Sound Designer

Curtis is happy to return to the Detroit Public Theatre, where his work was heard previously in Skeleton Crew. His recent sound design work has been heard with the Classical Theater of Harlem, People’s Light and Theatre, Clarence Brown Theatre, Actors Theater of Louisville, Denver Center Theatre Company, Seattle Rep, Chautauqua Theater Company, the World Famous Apollo Theater, the Royal Family Performing Arts Center, New York Fringe, Watertower Theater, Dallas Theater Center, and Pennsylvania Centre Stage. In 2017, his sound design and composition from the Denver Center production of All The Way was awarded the Silver Medal in Sound Design at the World Stage Design exposition in Taipei, Taiwan. He previously exhibited his work at World Stage Design expo in Cardiff, Wales and he won the Gold Medal in Sound Design for Pentecost in 2009 in Seoul, South Korea. He is the head of both the undergraduate program in Theater Design & Technology and the Sound Design program at Penn State University. His work can be seen and heard at www.curtiscraig.com.

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Pegi Marshall

Props Designer

Mother of twins, Union Scenic Designer, props artisan, set builder, scenic painter, and advocate for green and sustainable theatre practices. Once upon a time, Pegi professed to students at such places as Baltimore School for the Arts, Morgan State University, Wayne State University, University of North Carolina and California Polytechnic State University. Nowadays, she is happy to get a full night of sleep and overjoyed that her children are growing up witness to her making art for the stage with her beloved Mike James!

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Katherine Nelson

Production Stage Manager

Katherine has been stage managing with Detroit Public Theatre since its inaugural season, with highlights including the coproduction of Detroit ’67 with Baltimore Center Stage and the world premiere of Birthday Candles. They have also stage managed with the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts and Chautauqua Theater Company. Additionally, Katherine is a costume designer. Recent Off-Broadway design at The New Victory Theatre (Riddle of the Trilobites). In addition to design credits with Detroit Public Theatre, regional designs include shows with Purple Rose Theatre Company, Flint Youth Theatre, Flint Repertory Theatre (Wilde Award nomination: Best Costume Design, Riddle of the Trilobites), Tipping Point Theatre, Williamston Theatre, and the Wharton Center. They are a graduate of the Purple Rose Theatre Company apprenticeship program. Katherine is a proud member and National Councilor of Actors’ Equity Association. www.knelsondesigns.com

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Skyler Tarnas

Production Assistant Stage Manager

Skyler is proud to be assisting on his fifth Detroit Public Theatre show! A playwright and Ann Arbor resident, Skyler graduated from the University of Michigan in 2017 and has been trying to make himself a useful member of the theatre community ever since. His work most recently received a staged reading at Theatre Nova’s 2019 Michigan Playwrights Festival, and you can usually catch him performing in Ann Arbor’s Shakespeare in the Arb summer shows. He will be attending Northwestern University in the fall to obtain an MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage. Thanks to DPT for all the support!

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Season 12 Line Up

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