WASHINGTON – Twelve Howard University Department of Theatre Arts students will star in a free staged reading of “Death and the King’s Horseman” by Wole Soyinka taking place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 26, 2022, at the Michael R. Klein Theatre at the Lansburgh.
Over the past two years, Shakespeare Theatre Company has worked alongside Howard University Department of Theatre Arts for a series of events, showcases and experiences. The partnership aims to deepen these community connections and engage with new talent that will shape the future of theater. Within this two-semester course with Shakespeare Theatre Company, students explore a classic play and find ways to expand the term “classic” while learning how a major classical theater operates. This staged reading is the culmination of their work over the last two semesters.
To reserve your free in-person seat, please visit the link here.
This staged reading will also be livestreamed by the National Museum of African American History and Culture. To RSVP to the livestream, please visit the link here. This production is generously sponsored by Beech Street Foundation.
About the Creative Team
Wole Soyinka, Playwright
Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright, poet, author, teacher and political activist. In 1986, he became the first African to receive the Nobel Prize for literature. He served as a dramaturgist at the Royal Court Theatre in London, and he has taught at a number of universities across the globe, including Cambridge University, the University of Sheffield and Yale University. Soyinka founded the theatre group “The 1960 Masks” in 1960 and the “Orisun Theatre Company” in 1964. Soyinka has published around 20 works of drama, novels and poetry.
LeeAnét Noble, Director/Director of Equity and Enrichment at STC
Noble is Shakespeare Theatre Company’s director of equity and enrichment. She graduated magna cum laude from Howard University with a degree in theater. As an actor, director and choreographer, she has worked with STOMP, Drumstruck, Disney’s “The Lion King Experience,” Bono, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Sheryl Crow and more. Her original one-woman shows have premiered off-Broadway at The Zipper Theatre and at 54Below in New York City. She is the director of the upcoming touring production and digital film “10 Seconds,” a play based on police relations with youth in Washington, D.C., produced by Imagination Stage. Alongside her mother, Lauretta Noble, she is the co-director of the internationally, critically acclaimed dance troupe, Team Vicious. Her original productions have been produced at Madison Square Garden, The Stade de Bercy and The Kennedy Center. Her work diversifying fashion has been inducted into museums around the world, including The Museum of Modern Art. As an educator she has worked at Montgomery College and Howard University and has conducted workshops, master classes and lectures at Spelman College, Morgan State University, Hunter College, Coppin State University, Clark Atlanta University, Bowie State University, Morehouse College and The Fashion Institute of Technology. She is passionate about creating change through the arts. For more information, please visit LeeAnet.com.
Ricky Ramón, Attending Professor, Howard University Department of Theatre Arts
Ramón has been an educator, administrator and artist for more than 20 years at secondary schools, universities, nonprofits and professional theater companies. Since joining Howard University as a faculty member in the Department of Theatre Arts, Ramón has directed the musicals “Urinetown” (2019) and “Pippin” (2020) and has professionally directed and stage managed over 60 plays and musicals at Atlantic Theater Company (NYC), Adventure Theatre, Rep Stage, Theater Alliance, Imagination Stage, Woolly Mammoth Theatre and Teatro Vivo (Austin). He is a Helen Hayes Awards judge for professional theater in Washington, D.C. Ramón earned a Master of Education in arts in education from Harvard University, a Master of Fine Arts in acting and directing from Texas Tech University, and a Master of Arts in performance studies from New York University-Tisch School of the Arts. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater and English from the University of Notre Dame. He is originally from Pearsall, Texas.
Amiah McGinty, Assistant Director/Women/Ensemble
McGinty is a junior BFA acting major at the illustrious Howard University. She is a passionate storyteller and theater-maker who loves both acting and directing; therefore, she is honored to have the opportunity to serve both as the production’s assistant director and portray one of the women. You may have also seen her work when she starred as Mali in the world premiere of “21 Strings” by Nsangou Njikam or when she directed her original short film “Resurface” for the Howard Player’s Annual 8x10 play festival. McGinty has learned so much from this creative process and is overjoyed to have worked on such an amazing play.
Lauren Smith, Choreographer/Woman/Guard
Smith is a graduating senior BFA musical theater student at Howard University. Her past credits include “Urinetown” (Tiny Tom), “Pippin,” and the musical review “Coming Home” (Ruth, “Raisin”) all on the historic Ira Aldridge Stage at HU. Smith is grateful for this opportunity to work with Shakespeare Theatre Company once again after dazzling in previous gala performances and previews. For more of her performances, visit her Instagram page at: @_lilo4u.
About the Cast
Ezinelia Baba as Girl
Baba is a sophomore theater arts major with a concentration in acting and a minor in psychology at Howard University. She is very passionate about traveling, hanging out with her friends and family and learning new languages. Baba is very grateful and excited to be a part of this amazing production of “Death and the King’s Horseman” at the Shakespeare Theatre Company and thankful for everyone who has supported her.
Tymetrias Bolden as Jane Pilkings
Bolden is excited to be performing in this wonderful production of “Death and the King’s Horseman” at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in collaboration with Howard University. She is a sophomore at Howard University, majoring in theater arts with an acting concentration and minoring in TV and film. When she’s not in school, Bolden loves spending time with her loved ones, discovering new music and making endless memories. She wants to thank her family for all their love and support.
Rashad Davis as Elesin Oba
Davis makes his regional theater debut in “Death and the King’s Horseman.” Currently studying in Howard’s BFA acting program, his university credits include work with the Howard Players in “Children of Killers” and “21 Strings” as well as writing and directing his own shows “The Scar” and “Tha Block is Hot.” Outside of theater, Davis works as a recording artist, record producer and songwriter. Davis would like to thank his family and his friends for their undying and unconditional support.
Khyrin DeBose as The Aide-de-Camp
DeBose is extremely excited to perform on the world class Shakespeare Theatre stage and is even more ecstatic to make his professional debut. DeBose is a junior musical theater major at Howard University, and, when he isn’t studying the books of endless acting theory, you can find him streaming on Twitch @KLDeBoss7. He hopes you truly enjoy the show!
Chloé Gill as Iyaloja
Gill is a sophomore theater arts major with a concentration in acting from the Flint area in Michigan. Gill is also a playwright, poet and activist. Gill is very excited to be a part of this production of “Death and the King’s Horseman” and is very thankful to all of the cast and guests who were along for the journey for their insight and collaboration. Gill would also like to give thanks to her family and friends for encouraging her along the way.
Patrick Hamilton as Simon Pilkings
Hamilton (he/they) is from Fresno, California, where his love for music and storytelling blossomed. He is a graduating BFA musical theater major at Howard University and is so excited and grateful to Shakespeare Theatre Company as well as the creative team for this opportunity!
Kennedi Hendrix as The Bride/The Young Woman/Stage Directions
Hendrix is currently a second year theatre arts-acting major with a minor in
theater administration from Waller, Texas. Her favorite part about being in Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of “Death and The King’s Horseman” is having the opportunity to collaborate with her peers and getting to dive into the beautiful Yoruba culture. She would like to thank LeeAnét Noble, Professor Ricky Ramón, Shakespeare Theatre Company, the cast, her family, and everyone in the audience for attending!
Jacques Jean-Mary as Olunde
Jean-Mary is a junior BFA acting major at Howard University from Brooklyn, New York. His most recent work was a student-produced short film he worked on over the Summer, “The World We Created,” by Camille Petinaud. In his spare time, he enjoys watching movies starring his favorite actors and dancing. Jean-Mary is super excited to deepen his craft and enhance his storytelling through the role of Olunde.
Elizabeth Mpanu-Mpanu as The Praise-Singer
Mpanu-Mpanu (she/her) is a senior musical theater major at Howard University from Fairfax, Virginia, by way of Florida. She is so very happy to have the opportunity to experience this show. She is thankful for all the things she has been able to do and learn while helping to put the show on its feet. She would like to give special thanks to her family, especially to her big brother, Tony, to her friends and cast mates, and special thanks to Ricky Ramón and LeeAnét Noble. Thank you for coming and enjoy the show!
Jared Alexander as Sergeant Amusa/The Resident
Alexander is a graduating senior acting BFA candidate at Howard University. He is thrilled to grace the stage once again, since the beginning of the pandemic. His most recent credits include the roles of Innocent in the Howard Player’s 2020 mainstage production “Children of Killers” by Katori Hall and Lou in Howard University Theatre Department’s 2019 mainstage production “Spell #7” by Ntozake Shange. In 2021, he had the pleasure of directing a virtual staging of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” in the RCR Festival, produced by Howard alumna Maya Shed. He is currently working on the #ReclaimTheChild project, which involves a coalition of artists commissioned to give a voice and soul to an underrepresented enslaved child shown in a portrait of Elihu Yale at the Yale Center for British Art.
Shawn Smith as The Prince/Stage Directions
Smith is thrilled to be involved in this production of “Death and The King’s Horseman” at Shakespeare Theatre Company. He is currently a sophomore theater arts major with an acting concentration at Howard University and continues to train, audition and emerge as a young actor, artist, vocalist, writer and musician. Outside of school, he enjoys reading, spending time with family, and bingeing R&B. Smith couldn’t be more thankful for his family’s support.
John Woods III as Joseph
Woods III is a senior acting major at Howard University from Columbia, Maryland. He has an extensive background in theater; some of his theater credits include playing John in “Aftermath” (Lucille Lortel Theatre); Mercer Ellington in “Daydream” (Kennedy Center); and Jay in the regional premiere of “Beat Bugs: A Musical Adventure,” in which he was a part of the original cast (Red Branch Theatre Company/Touring Cast). Along with theater, Woods III has been in a number of television productions; his last television appearance was on “Reelz’ Copycat Killers.” He also has starred in a number of feature films, commercials and short films, including “Coyote In Inglewood,” Comcast’s “BTheOne,” and “Dakota.”
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About Howard University
Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 14 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.
