Adaptor and Director

Khalia Davis(she/her) is a bicoastal multidisciplinary artist splitting her time between the San Francisco/Bay Area and New York. Directed and devised new works with prominent theaters such as Bay Area Children’s Theater, Atlantic Theater Company’s Atlantic for Kids, New York City Children’s Theater, Spellbound Theatre and more. Ms. Davis recently served as the Director of Inclusion and Education with Brooklyn Children’s Theatre restructuring their children’s musical theater programming through an anti-racism lens and currently teaches with New York City Children's Theater, the Atlantic Acting School, and for Disney Theatrical Group leading music and movement workshops and facilitating audience and community engagement. She is also an Artistic Associate for the nationally-known arts education organization The Story Pirates. As a performer, she has worked regionally and toured nationally on both coasts. Recently awarded the 2019 Emerging Leader Fellowship with TYA/USA and the NYCCT Leader Fellowship for 2019/2020. BA in Theater Arts from the University of Southern California. To learn more about Ms. Davis, check her out at www.khaliadavis.com.

Author, A Kids Book About Racism

Jelani Memory is a Husband, Father + co-founder of A Kids Book About, and a software company called Circle. He intentionally puts his energy and love into that exact priority order in his Twitter bio. At 17 years old, Jelani should have been on top of the world. He was the most popular kid in his high school, a star athlete in basketball and soccer and his grades were stellar. Yet, he was deeply depressed and realized that there must be something external — bigger than him — that could give life meaning + joy. From there, purpose has been at the center of Jelani’s life and ultimately led him to start a software company called Circle and an amazing publishing company called A Kids Book About.

Jelani is a black man married to a white woman and they have a blended family of 6 kids and the topic of race comes up often in life and in conversation with the kids, so Jelani wrote a straight-forward book about it called “A Kids Book About Racism.” That book sparked conversation and interest from all of his adult friends because it gave kids and adults permission to talk about such a difficult topic. What started as a small project is now a series of a dozen books around racism, feminism, body image, cancer, belonging, gratitude, and launching 30 new books every year!

Lyrics

Davied Morales (he/him) is an actor and rapper born and raised in the Bay Area. Last year he released an album called "Light Hearted" on all music platforms, starred in SF Playhouse's White Girl's Guide to International Terrorism as Gabe, and recently branched out into film where he was an Elf on Nickelodeon's show "Top Elf" as Zippy Twinkles. Mr. Morales received most of his training through Foothill College where he earned his AA in Theatre Arts and featured in many of their productions. Since then he has worked for companies such as City Lights Theatre Company where he played Nelson in The Siegel, and Anthony in I and You., Shotgun Players where he played Tray in Brownsville Song (B-side for Tray). Morales has also understudied at TheatreWorks in their production of Calligraphy and Proof, and at A.C.T. in their production of Gloria. Throughout the week Davied works at The Red Ladder Theatre Company, teaching improv workshops in prison.

Composer, Sound Designer, Post-Audio Engineer

Justin Ellington (he/him)

Broadway Credits include: Other Desert Cities

Off-Broadway credits include: Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Playwrights Horizons); The Rolling Stone, Pass Over, Pipeline (Lincoln Center); Mrs. Murray’s Menagerie (ArsNova); The House That Will Not Stand, Fetch Clay Make Man (New York Theatre Workshop); He Brought Her Heart Back in a Box, The Winter’s Tale (Theatre for a New Audience); Familiar (Steppenwolf); Father Comes Home From the Wars, How to Catch Creation, Until the Flood (Goodman Theatre); Floyd’s, Trouble In Mind (The Guthrie); and Kill Move Paradise (Wilma Theatre). International credits include As You Like It (Stratford Festival) and The American Clock (The Old Vic).

Assistant Director

Alexis Kulani Woodard (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist from Albany, Georgia, a Spelman College Alumna and a Spelman Leadership Fellow at the Alliance Theatre. Directing Credits include: Romeo + Juliet, Eurydice (Spelman College), Finished What We Started (Morehouse College), as well as assistant directing for Hands of Color (Synchronicity Theatre), Hamlet (The Tiny Theater Company), and the developmental workshop of Seize the King (Alliance Theatre). Upcoming Directing Credits include: Hands Up (Alliance Theatre). Upcoming Assistant Directing Credits include: A Christmas Carol (Alliance Theatre). Alexis has also worked backstage on several productions such as Salt City (Spelman College), Holler If You Hear Me (True Colors Theatre) and Hospice + Pointing At The Moon (Alliance Theatre).

Stage Manager

Mercedes Lewis (she/her) is pleased to be working with Bay Area Children’s Theatre  for the second time around with this fabulous cast and crew. She has stage managed for seven years working with theatre companies such as Altarena Playhouse, Theatre Rhinoceros, California Shakespeare Theatre, Quantum Dragon Theatre, Company 1, Starchild Enterprise and Spotlite Stage Company. She received her B.A. in Theatre at San Jose State University, studying stage management and lighting design, and has an AA in Dance at Laney College. She is also a choreographer and dancer of many genres, though her favorites are Modern and Lindy Hop.  She would like to give a special thanks to her husband Omar Lewis, sons Quincy and Rashad for being her joy and comfort throughout this production.

Editor

Akin Salawu (he/him) is a writer, director and editor. He is also a two-time Tribeca All Access Winner with a BA from Stanford and a Screenwriting MFA from Columbia. At Stanford, Akin founded ergo student theater troupe and was awarded the Sherifa Omade Ego Prize for mounting culturally diverse theater. Akin was a member of The Public Theater’s Inaugural Emerging Writers Group, Ars Nova’s Uncharted Musical Theater residency, & and his first musical was part of The University of the Arts’ 2017 Polyphone Festival. Additionally, Akin wrote 2 short plays on Ferguson for Chicago's American Theater and wrote Chapter 5 in the book, The Obama Movement.

Animator

Dwayne Gayle graduated from Pratt Institute as a CG artist and has created works for the NFL, Pfizer, Bayer, DeLonghi, Sony, and CBS. He owns the analog pencil as does the mouse. Dwayne has a voracious appetite for leveling up his knowledge base and pushing the trends. For this we rely on Dwayne for inspiring and maintaining the spirit of innovation.

Costume Designer

Ron S. McCan's (he/him) love affair with costume design began at age 12 when he became fascinated with Irene Sharaff's designs in the epic film "Cleopatra". As a Costume Designer, Ron has worked with ABC/Disney, BBC Worldwide, the San Francisco Opera, American Conservatory Theatre, the Mendocino Music Festival, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, among others. His credits include: (Television) Dancing With The Stars, GCB, (Theatre) Company, Gypsy, Steel Magnolias, Damn Yankees, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, My Fair Lady, She Loves Me, The Skin Of Our Teeth, The Colored Museum, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Boys from Syracuse, Bizet's Carmen, Gian Carlo Menotti’s L'Amour à trois, The Wild Party (LaChuisa), and Bob Marley's Three Little Birds, with Bay Area Children's Theatre. In 2015, he received a double nomination for Best Costume Design of a Musical from the BroadwayWorld.com Awards, and is also the recipient of two Rita Moreno California High School Musical Honors for his work as Director of the Musical Theatre Department at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts. Ron has also spent over 20 years advocating for the rights of youth and working with various organizations and city governments in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the nation to create programs and structures that were inclusive of the wants and needs of young people. He has worked with The San Francisco Youth Commission, San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, Governor Gavin Newsom, Former Mayor Willie L. Brown, Lavendar Youth Recreation and Information Center (LYRIC), Community Network For Youth Development, The Boys and Girls Club of America, The Friends of the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts Foundation, and The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship and has been recognized by the California State Assembly and The San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Educational Materials Team

Marquicia Dominguez (they/them), known as QuiQui to most, is a Director, Actor, and Teaching Artist in the Seattle area. In 2012 they received a B.F.A in theatre from Cornish College of the Arts and received a Master’s in Education: Applied Behavior Analysis Programing and Instruction from Arizona State University in 2018. Additionally, they are a 200-hour certified yoga teacher and have been offering private yoga classes since 2013. QuiQui has worked with such companies as:  ACT, Book-It, Greenstage, Seattle Repertory, and Seattle Shakespeare Company. QuiQui currently works as a Teaching Artist for Seattle Theatre Group’s Broadway Inclusion Program. Outside of theatre, they are a Board Certified Behavior Analyst where they use imagination and creativity to teach life skills to individuals with autism. Their desire is to create inclusive arts programs for all types of learners, no matter that individual’s abilities.

Educational Materials Team

Amberlee Joers (she/her) is a Seattle-based arts administrator, Teaching Artist, and theatre artist. She is Seattle Theatre Group’s (STG) Broadway Education Administrator and manages Disney Musicals In Schools and facilitates trainings for educators and Teaching Artists. Much of her work is focused on providing quality theatre arts programming for Title I schools and inspiring individuals to explore their inner brilliance using arts as their vehicle. Amberlee endeavors to build and support greater equity, access, and inclusion in the arts and helped STG launch their Sensory Friendly & Inclusive Performances in partnership with Theatre Development Fund (TDF) and Sensory Access. Additionally, she has collaborated with Teaching Artists and community partners to develop STG's Broadway Inclusion Program, where participants of all ages with neurodiverse needs and their families and caregivers explore musical theatre and movement-based activities in a creative and safe environment. Her other work includes theatre arts programming for refugee students in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), STG+MCP (Melodic Caring Project) in Hospitals that brings local and national artists to hospital patients, and most recently, organizing the creation of STG's Digital Access Program, an online platform of recorded and livestream content open to the public. She has also taught with Seattle Children's Theatre, Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE program, Youth Theatre Northwest, and Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, among others. Amberlee received her B.A. from Oklahoma State University and is a graduate of Washington's Teaching Artist Training Lab and Creative Dance Center's Summer Institute for Teachers, which focuses on brain compatible methodology through movement. Amberlee strives to foster arts environments and experiences where people can connect, create, and celebrate.

Educational Materials Team

Johamy Morales (she/her) holds an MFA in acting from The Ohio State University, with a specialization in outreach and devising new work, and a BA in Theatre from San Diego State University. Johamy currently serves as the Director of Education at Seattle Children’s Theatre (SCT) and as a Trustee for Theatre Communication Group (TCG). Johamy has served on the Colorado Creative Industries and TCG’s Rising Leaders of Color as a panelist. Prior to working with SCT, Johamy served as the Education Director for Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colorado and directed the Comparative Arts Department and the Junior Musical Theatre Program at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Michigan. Johamy has worked with Arena Stage in Washington D.C. and the La Jolla Playhouse through their education programs as a teaching artist. Johamy is an alumnus of the Allen Lee Hughes Fellowship at Arena Stage and the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England, where she studied Contemporary & Classical works with Deborah Warner and Fiona Shaw. Johamy toured with the cast of New World Jukebox where she performed in the 2006 Grahamstown National Arts Festival, in Grahamstown, South Africa and with San Diego State University in, Carnaval de Calaveras, with performances in Oaxaca, Veracruz, and Mexico D.F. in 2004. In February of 2017, Johamy collaborated with the US State Department, the US Embassy & Consulate and several NGO’s to promote awareness of domestic and gender violence in Kolkata and Ranchi, India. As an educator, artist, and director Johamy has worked with various schools and nonprofit organizations both nationally and internationally including Hope College, Fort Lewis College, University of San Diego, Esperanza Charter School, Wexner Center, Dennos Museum, Students in Transition Empowerment Program, Traverse City Continuation School, Blackbird Arts and Columbus Refugee & Immigration Services.

Educational Materials Team

Brodrick Santeze Ryans (he/him) is currently serving as the Education Coordinator at Seattle Children’s Theatre, supporting the Drama School, Community Engagement and Arts Based Learning Programs. Brodrick is a current 2020 TYA/USA Emerging Leader in TYA Fellowship. He is an arts leader, actor, teaching artists and podcast founder and host. His podcasts TIMEOUT w/ Brodrick is dedicated to bridging the gap between BIPOC culture, creative art forms and educational theatre. Brodrick strongly believes in the work of arts education. “It is through arts education that we can inspire, direct and implement creative change in young people and how they move through society. It is our job as artists and educators to help young people tell their stories.”Brodrick’s background as a performer helped him to morph into the position of teaching artists and coordinator. He has worked as the Operations Coordinator for the School of Social Work at The University of Alabama, a tour director and actor for Missoula Children’s Theatre, and as a professional freelance actor and artist. Brodrick holds a degree in Behavioral Sciences and Humanities from The University of Mobile, where he took classes focusing on Music, Theatre, Education, and Communications. Some of his past credits include; The Wiz, Dreamgirls, Disney’s Newsies, Footloose, Ragtime, Carmen Ghia in The Producers, Major Metcalf in Mousetrap and Sweaty Eddie in Sister Act. “Our future success is dependent on the work that we are doing with young people now.”

Educational Materials Team

Nikki Toombs (she/her) is a notable American playwright, director, actress, and producer who hails from the “Magic City” of Birmingham, Alabama. She has authored eight plays, has directed 40+ productions, and is a nationally commissioned presenter and curriculum specialist. As a talented and passionate arts educator, performer, and enthusiast she has completely immersed herself in the world of the arts. Her innovative approach, artistic impact, and undeniable connection with youth in the arts have earned her national recognition in the American Theatre Magazine for being one of the “Top 20 People to Watch” in the industry. Toombs’ creative talents are limitless as she continues to solidify her position on the list of luminaries who are transforming the world – both on and off the stage. Throughout her impressive career, this virtuoso has held many titles from playwright, to actress, to commissioner and more. Currently, Toombs proudly serves as the Director of Education at Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company in Atlanta, Georgia where she directs, produces, and hosts the Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition, and directs the Theatre for Young Audiences program. This creative is no stranger to the stage. She has directed over 40 productions and written eight stage plays (Normal, B.L.A.C.K., Twisted Colors, Tell, Waiting til’ 3, Lemons, Hallways, and Parallel). She has served as assistant director at both Theatre Emory and Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company. In the fall of 2019, she was commissioned to write, direct, and produce the first children’s program Shout! Sing Out! for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia. Toombs is also the executive producer for the center’s Picture T.H.I.S. youth digital series. She is a skilled actress and some of her noted performances were from the productions: Iron Moon, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, The Visit, My Children, My Africa and 365 Days of Plays. Toombs is affiliated with various professional education and artistic organizations which include: The Playwrights’ Center, International Literacy Association, Reading Recovery Council of North America, Southeastern Theatre Conference, Educational Theatre Association, Theatre Communications Group, Art Leaders of Metro Atlanta, and Sigma Alpha Iota Professional Musical Fraternity for Women. Nikki Toombs received a Bachelor of Science degree from Alabama A&M University in Normal, Alabama. She continued her education and received a master’s in Arts Intergraded Curriculum from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Educational Materials Team

Jason Turner (he/him) is currently the Museum Educator and Tour Guide for the Northwest African American Museum where he has been utilizing his educational and musical skills for many years. He studied at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA in Communications Studies with a minor in Music Composition. After college, Jason taught and performed music for Seattle Public Schools and also some private schools in the Seattle area. He has conducted and has written original compositions for theater and writes and produces music for recording artists.