The third in Dominique Morisseau’s acclaimed Detroit trilogy, Skeleton Crew is poetic and powerful. Set at the start of the 2008 recession, a makeshift family of workers at the last exporting auto plant in the city navigates the possibility of foreclosure. Power dynamics shift, and the co-workers are pushed to the limits of survival. When the line between blue collar and white collar gets blurred, how far over the line are they willing to step?
Skeleton Crew
Sept 28 - Oct 29, 2017
Journey to 1967 in the city of Detroit. Motown music is getting the party started
Meet The Cast
Ella Joyce
Faye
Ella Joyce is best known and beloved for her television role of Eleanor on TV’s family sitcom “Roc,” which earned her an NAACP nomination. Her TV guest star appearances include the recurring role of Jasmine on “My Wife & Kids,” “The Jamie Foxx Show,” and “Seinfeld;” and she co-starred in “Belle‘s” on TVOne. Ella recently appeared in the very dramatic episode “Sparrow” on BET’s “Being Mary Jane.”
Ella’s movie credits include the role of Sarah in Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions of A Marriage Counselor, Sister Watkins in Warner Bros.’ popular film Preacher’s Kid, Detective Waller in the popular action film Set It Off, the Nurse in Bubba Ho-Tep, Lucky Girl, Disney’s Selma, Lord Selma, Second Chance Christmas, and Our Family Wedding. Independent video-on-demand films include Forbidden Fruits, Dead of Winter, Uncle P, the hilarious Who Made the Potato Salad? and Stranger Inside. She’s also remembered as the young, distraught mother in the classic, multiple award-winning music video of TLC’s “Waterfalls.” Ella appears in the film Nina, based on the life of singer Nina Simone.
Ella works extensively in regional theatre, earning both the Jefferson Award and the Black Theatre Alliance Award (BTAA) for her portrayal of Lily Ann Green in Crumbs From the Table of Joy at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre. Ms. Joyce recently performed at The Matrix Theatre in August Wilson’s King Hedley II, directed by Michele Shay. Ms Joyce performed in the world premieres of two August Wilson plays: Two Trains Running, opposite Laurence Fishburne at Yale Repertory Theater, and King Hedley at the O’Reilly Pittsburgh Public Theater. She performed at the Bermuda Arts Festival opposite the legendary Ruby Dee in Ron Milner’s Checkmates. She performed as Rose in Fences; in Neil Simon’s Barefoot In the Park, and in Yolanda King’s Stepping Into Tomorrow at the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, NC; she helped establish this festival as a board member, with the late Larry Leon Hamlin. As a Beinecke Fellow at Yale Repertory School of Drama, Ella was invited to perform in Bossa Nova by Kirsten Greenidge, originating from the Sundance Playwriting Lab in Utah. Her many stage credits have taken her to numerous regional theaters across the country.
As a talented voiceover artist, Ella’s work includes a recent podcast production of Bronzeville, produced by Laurence Fishburne and Larenz Tate. Her books on tape include playing the voice of Zora Neale Hurston in Ron Milner’s Ruby McCollum Story, produced by Susan Lowenberg’s Los Angeles Theater Works. Ella received an NAACP Image Award nomination for BET’s “Storyporch” (the children’s TV reading series). Ella spent five years touring her own one-woman play A Rose Among Thorns: A Tribute to Rosa Parks to 28 cities around the country, receiving numerous awards, citations, wonderful press reviews, testimonials, and accolades. Her play info is archived at www.aRoseAmongThorns.com.
Ella is a dance enthusiast and has a trademark on “Funkacize,” her own exercise technique based upon soul and funk music and dances from the 60s and 70s. www.funkacize.com.
For more information on the actress, please visit www.EllaJoyce.com.
Ella has received two Spirit Of Detroit awards and is originally from Detroit.
Shawntay Dalon
Shanita
Shawntay is a born and raised Detroiter. She has graced the stage since the tender age of eight as a dancer, spoken word artist, inspirational speaker, and actor. A writer/director/producer, Shawntay’s short films, feature films, and stage plays have been produced through her company CalienTay Productions, winning an audience and awards along the way. Shawntay plays the recurring role of Chrissy on Comedy Central’s series “Detroiters.” Check her out on Season Two beginning in February 2018.
Skeleton Crew is Shawntay’s sophomore production with Detroit Public Theatre. Last year she played the role of Averie in Colman Domingo’s Dot. Always an admirer of Dominique Morisseau’s work, Shawntay is ecstatic to be back doing what she loves in the city that she loves! For updates and more info on Shawntay, visit www.shawntaydalon.com.
Brian Marable
Reggie
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.
Brian Taylor
Dez
Brian is a proud native Metro-Detroiter. Brian’s work includes film, television, commercials, theatre, and voice overs – most recently on Comedy Central’s “Detroiters,” a pilot for Amazon entitled “The Climb,” and a Pizza Hut commercial for ESPN that aired nationally. As a young actor, Brian was trained at Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit. He has since developed his craft utilizing the Sanford Meisner method with notable instructor Loretta Grimes of the Red Bud Acting Studio in Ann Arbor, and the Ivanna Chubbuck method with film actress Tasha Smith. Brian is excited to take on the complex role of Dez in the Detroit premiere of Skeleton Crew with Detroit Public Theatre!
Meet The Creative Team
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.
Steve H. Broadnax III
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.
Daniel Robinson
Scenic Designer
Daniel Robinson makes his Detroit Public Theatre debut with Skeleton Crew. Recent work includes Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s new play Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine for Penn State Centre Stage and the AUDELCO-nominated The First Noel, produced by the Classical Theatre of Harlem at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theatre. His 30-year design career includes productions for Pennsylvania Centre Stage, The United Solo Festival, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Missouri Repertory Theatre, The American Heartland Theatre, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Mill Mountain Theatre, Seacoast Repertory Theatre, and outreach tours for Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Television design includes the Mid-Atlantic Emmy-winning “Centre Court” with Rene Portland for WPSU Public Television. He serves as Head of Design for The School of Theatre at Penn State University and is a member of United Scenic Artists-Local 829. He holds a BFA from the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University and an MFA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Taran Muller Zackrison
Costume Designer
Taran is a freelance costumer and instructor. She has been designing and making costumes since her undergraduate days at the University of Michigan. She has designed costumes for Penn State University, U of M, The Play Group Theatre, and Broadway Workshop. She has created costumes for Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, The Rockettes, Ringling Bros. Circus, The Wiz Live, The Lion King, Wicked, Aladdin, and several other Broadway shows and tours. This is Taran’s first show with Detroit Public Theatre, and she couldn’t be happier to have worked on such a moving show with such a great team!
Aaron Tacy
Lighting Designer
Aaron Tacy is a freelance lighting designer based in NYC who honed his craft at the University of Michigan, Spoleto Festival USA, Williamstown Theatre Festival and IMCD Lighting Inc. He works as an assistant and associate at regional theatres, on international tours, and on Broadway. He also works in Fashion, Events, and Architecture. Select credits include Off-Broadway: Cry Eden, Feeling Blue, The Island Boys, and Sea Legs: A Nautical New Musical; Regional: Detroit Public Theatre and Really-Really Theatre Group.
Curtis Craig
Sound Designer & Composer
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.
Jeromy Hopgood
Projection 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
Jennifer Maiseloff
Props Designer:
Jennifer graduated with a MFA in Scenic and Costume Design from The Royal Academy for Dramatic Arts in London, England, and a BFA from College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Selected scenic and prop design: Don’t Dress For Dinner (Tipping Point Theatre), 3C (The Ringwald Theatre), Glengarry Glen Ross (The Ringwald Theatre), MacDeath (Planet Ant Theatre), The Detroit Musical (Planet Ant Hall), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Performance Network Theatre). Thank you so much to Patrick, Steve, Dan, Courtney, and the amazing cast and crew! www.jennifermaiseloff.com
Patrick Hanley
Production Stage Manager
Patrick works as the Production Manager for DPT. He has previously worked with DPT as a stage manager (Skeleton Crew) and house manager, and continues to be involved with DPT’s Shakespeare in Prison program as a facilitator and fight choreographer. He currently serves as the Education Director for Water Works Theatre Company, directing both the Teen Ensemble and KidsAct! programs. Patrick holds a BFA in Acting from Wayne State University. His selective performance and stage management credits include productions with Matrix Theatre Company, Shakespeare in Detroit, the Elizabeth Theatre at the Park Bar, and numerous shows with Planet Ant Theatre.
