for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf – Meet the Creative Team

for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf BY ntozake shange DIRECTED BY dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates choreographed by christine catherine wyatt Meet the creative team
Director / Video Performance Artist \| DR. TAWNYA PETTIFORD-WATES§ Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Ph.D. Professor of Acting and Directing Pedagogy at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Co-Artistic Director & Founder of The Conciliation Project, a non-profit social justice theatre company www.theconciliationproject.org. Dr. T is a playwright, director, actor, poet, and writer. She has appeared in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s Broadway production of for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf performing in both the 1st national and international touring companies. Her television, film, industrial, voice over, and commercial credits are extensive. Favorite directing projects include uncle tom:deconstructed for The Conciliation Project www.theconciliationproject.org, PASSING STRANGE for Firehouse Theatre, The Niceties for The Conciliation LAB, and FENCES for the Virginia Rep all to critical acclaim. Most recently, “WHITESPLAINING” a collaboration with Theatre VCU and The Conciliation Project. The work of The Conciliation Project has intentionally engaged communities around issues of race, racism, and historic and systemic oppression. Fun fact: She’s featured voice talent for the video game HALO. She’s a featured scholar in Black Acting Methods: critical approaches, a best seller on Amazon. Her chapter “The Conciliation Project as a Social Experiment: Behind the Mask of Uncle Tom-ism and the Performance of Blackness” was featured in an anthology titled, African American Arts, Activism, Aesthetics and Futurity, edited by Dr. Sharrell D. Luckett. A sampling of Dr. T’s articles, presentations, and workshops can be found at www.coveringtheground.com.
Choreographer \| CHRISTINE CATHERINE WYATT Christine C. Wyatt is a choreographer, dancer/performer, and facilitator of movement experiences. Originally from Baltimore, MD, she started her dance training at the age of 9. With a decade of performance experience and training in music, theatre, and dance, Christine went on to earn her BFA in Dance & Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. For the past 10 years, she’s been teaching, choreographing, and performing with multi-generational communities and youth throughout the U.S. Her work with MK Abadoo/MKArts, Alicia Díaz, and Dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates demonstrate her Africanist movement values and the deep influence of art as resistance. Her passion for anti-racist, community based work keeps her interest in the performing arts alive. This iteration of for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf at the University of Iowa marks 5 years of collaborating with the director, Dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates. Choreographing PASSING STRANGE (2018), Les Blancs (2021), Whitesplaining (2022), and several other productions directed by Dr. T were a joy and this production is a rite of passage. It has been an honor working with this cast of inspiring Black women and Women of Color.
Intimacy Director \| CRISTINA GOYENECHE
Dramaturg \| POONAM DHIR** Poonam Dhir is a queer playwright, poet, Punjabi descendent, and settler currently based in Iowa City, where they are an MFA candidate in playwriting and a 2023-24 Iowa Arts Fellow at the Iowa Playwrights Workshop. Poonam’s work explores identity, trauma, memory, and the relationship between belief and belonging. They contemplate themes of migration, displacement, and loss. They are the recipient of a 2022 Lambda Literary Fellowship in Playwriting and a finalist for the 2021 PEN Canada New Voices Award, Poetry. Poonam is an Artist-in-Residence at Infinithéâtre and was selected to participate in Nightwood Theatre’s 2022-23 Write From the Hip Program led by Donna-Michelle St. Bernard. You can read their latest pieces in The Capilano Review, Vallum, Contemporary Verse 2, PRISM International and Best New Poets.
Stage Manager \| MEENAKSHI CHINMAI Meenakshi is a third-year MFA stage manager. Her love for theatre started from acting in several children’s plays, but things took a turn and her passion for stage management started when she met her mentor Dr. Terry John Converse. She is very happy and proud to be a part of the UIowa stage management cohort. She is very grateful to her mother Charu for being such a strong influence in her life and supporting her in pursuing a career in theatre. She is grateful to be a part of such an amazing legacy play She extends her heartfelt gratitude to her mentors Melissa Turner, Sam Paradis, Briana Maxwell, Bryon Winn. She is grateful for all the support from her friends on the team Jeffrey Oakley, Bella Fortunato, and Cj.Johnson. Meenakshi is extremely grateful for her friends Savanha and Maggie for supporting her in every way and being a strong grounding force throughout this process. Lastly she would like to thank her ASM Reese Morgan for being such a great team mate and creating such a joyful and supportive environment. Enjoy the Show!**
Scenic Designer \| CJ JOHNSON**
Costume Designer \| I.M. FORTUNATO**
Lighting Designer / Media Designer \| JEFFREY OAKLEY**
Sound Designer \| VICTOR MALDONADO
Voice/Dialect Coach \| CAROLINE CLAY
Voice/Dialect Coach \| MARY MAYO
Choral Director / Composer of “I found god in myself” \| MAKEDA MCCREARY
Assistant Stage Manager \| REESE MORGAN Reese Morgan is a recent graduate from the University of Iowa theatre arts and journalism & mass communication programs. She has spent her time post-graduation working as a freelance theatre artist in the area. Her recent productions as a lighting designer include Legally Blonde & Newsies Jr. with Waterloo Community/Blackhawk Children’s Theatre, and It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play with Riverside Theatre. As a stage manager, Reese has recently worked on Herein Lies the Truth and The Trip to Bountiful at Riverside Theatre, and acted as both Stage Manager and Lighting Designer for Black Women Walking with seek first entertainment. Reese currently works at Hancher Auditorium and the University of Iowa in the Theatre Arts Props Department. She is excited to be back and working with the university, and is very thankful for the mentorship and support from Melissa Turner and Maggie McClellan.
Assistant Lighting Designer \| COLIN KIERNAN*

for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf
BY ntozake shange
DIRECTED BY dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates
choreographed by christine catherine wyatt
Meet the creative team

Director / Video Performance Artist | DR. TAWNYA PETTIFORD-WATES§

Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Ph.D. Professor of Acting and Directing Pedagogy at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Co-Artistic Director & Founder of The Conciliation Project, a non-profit social justice theatre company www.theconciliationproject.org. Dr. T is a playwright, director, actor, poet, and writer. She has appeared in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s Broadway production of for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf performing in both the 1st national and international touring companies. Her television, film, industrial, voice over, and commercial credits are extensive. Favorite directing projects include uncle tom:deconstructed for The Conciliation Project www.theconciliationproject.org, PASSING STRANGE for Firehouse Theatre, The Niceties for The Conciliation LAB, and FENCES for the Virginia Rep all to critical acclaim. Most recently, “WHITESPLAINING” a collaboration with Theatre VCU and The Conciliation Project. The work of The Conciliation Project has intentionally engaged communities around issues of race, racism, and historic and systemic oppression. Fun fact: She’s featured voice talent for the video game HALO. She’s a featured scholar in Black Acting Methods: critical approaches, a best seller on Amazon. Her chapter “The Conciliation Project as a Social Experiment: Behind the Mask of Uncle Tom-ism and the Performance of Blackness” was featured in an anthology titled, African American Arts, Activism, Aesthetics and Futurity, edited by Dr. Sharrell D. Luckett. A sampling of Dr. T’s articles, presentations, and workshops can be found at www.coveringtheground.com.

Choreographer | CHRISTINE CATHERINE WYATT

Christine C. Wyatt is a choreographer, dancer/performer, and facilitator of movement experiences. Originally from Baltimore, MD, she started her dance training at the age of 9. With a decade of performance experience and training in music, theatre, and dance, Christine went on to earn her BFA in Dance & Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. For the past 10 years, she’s been teaching, choreographing, and performing with multi-generational communities and youth throughout the U.S.

Her work with MK Abadoo/MKArts, Alicia Díaz, and Dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates demonstrate her Africanist movement values and the deep influence of art as resistance. Her passion for anti-racist, community based work keeps her interest in the performing arts alive. This iteration of for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf at the University of Iowa marks 5 years of collaborating with the director, Dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates. Choreographing PASSING STRANGE (2018), Les Blancs (2021), Whitesplaining (2022), and several other productions directed by Dr. T were a joy and this production is a rite of passage. It has been an honor working with this cast of inspiring Black women and Women of Color.

Intimacy Director | CRISTINA GOYENECHE

Dramaturg | POONAM DHIR**

Poonam Dhir is a queer playwright, poet, Punjabi descendent, and settler currently based in Iowa City, where they are an MFA candidate in playwriting and a 2023-24 Iowa Arts Fellow at the Iowa Playwrights Workshop. Poonam’s work explores identity, trauma, memory, and the relationship between belief and belonging. They contemplate themes of migration, displacement, and loss. They are the recipient of a 2022 Lambda Literary Fellowship in Playwriting and a finalist for the 2021 PEN Canada New Voices Award, Poetry. Poonam is an Artist-in-Residence at Infinithéâtre and was selected to participate in Nightwood Theatre’s 2022-23 Write From the Hip Program led by Donna-Michelle St. Bernard. You can read their latest pieces in The Capilano Review, Vallum, Contemporary Verse 2, PRISM International and Best New Poets.

Stage Manager | MEENAKSHI CHINMAI**

Meenakshi is a third-year MFA stage manager. Her love for theatre started from acting in several children’s plays, but things took a turn and her passion for stage management started when she met her mentor Dr. Terry John Converse. She is very happy and proud to be a part of the UIowa stage management cohort. She is very grateful to her mother Charu for being such a strong influence in her life and supporting her in pursuing a career in theatre.

She is grateful to be a part of such an amazing legacy play She extends her heartfelt gratitude to her mentors Melissa Turner, Sam Paradis, Briana Maxwell, Bryon Winn. She is grateful for all the support from her friends on the team Jeffrey Oakley, Bella Fortunato, and Cj.Johnson. Meenakshi is extremely grateful for her friends Savanha and Maggie for supporting her in every way and being a strong grounding force throughout this process. Lastly she would like to thank her ASM Reese Morgan for being such a great team mate and creating such a joyful and supportive environment. Enjoy the Show!

Scenic Designer | CJ JOHNSON**

Costume Designer | I.M. FORTUNATO**

Lighting Designer / Media Designer | JEFFREY OAKLEY**

Sound Designer | VICTOR MALDONADO

Voice/Dialect Coach | CAROLINE CLAY

Voice/Dialect Coach | MARY MAYO

Choral Director / Composer of “I found god in myself” | MAKEDA MCCREARY

Assistant Stage Manager | REESE MORGAN

Reese Morgan is a recent graduate from the University of Iowa theatre arts and journalism & mass communication programs. She has spent her time post-graduation working as a freelance theatre artist in the area. Her recent productions as a lighting designer include Legally Blonde & Newsies Jr. with Waterloo Community/Blackhawk Children’s Theatre, and It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play with Riverside Theatre. As a stage manager, Reese has recently worked on Herein Lies the Truth and The Trip to Bountiful at Riverside Theatre, and acted as both Stage Manager and Lighting Designer for Black Women Walking with seek first entertainment. Reese currently works at Hancher Auditorium and the University of Iowa in the Theatre Arts Props Department. She is excited to be back and working with the university, and is very thankful for the mentorship and support from Melissa Turner and Maggie McClellan.

Assistant Lighting Designer | COLIN KIERNAN*

*Undergraduate student
**Graduate student
§Member of the AEA, SAG-AFTRA, SDC unions
UI Theatre is dedicated to providing hands-on theatre experience for both undergraduate and graduate students.