The Colored Museum
September 25-October 5, 2008 By George C. Wolfe |
The Colored Museum premiered at Crossroads Theatre in 1986 where resident artist- future Broadway Director/Writer George C. Wolfe - wrote an insightful satire that launched Mr. Wolfe's brilliant career and put a small theater in New Brunswick, Crossroads, on the national theater scene.
The Colored Museum, a precursor to TV's “In Living Color” and other introspective satires, lampoons the myths and stereotypes of African-American culture. Traveling through a metaphorical journey in a 'museum,' several vignettes spoof cultural aspects of black culture such as slavery, hair, and Big Momma.
Crossroads is pleased to announce the return of Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, director of acclaimed 2004 Crossroads production History of the Word.
Inga Ballard is pleased to make her debut at
Crossroads in this timely production. Inga was last seen
as Motor Mouth Maybelle in “Hairspray” at Sacramento
Music Circus. Other roles at Music Circus include B.J
in “Smokey Joe’s Café”, Sarah’s Friend in “Ragtime”
and Queenie in “Showboat”. Her other credits include
Madame Thenardier in “Les Miserables”, Motor Mouth
Maybelle in “Hairspray”, Miss Sherman in “Fame” and Saraghina in “Nine”
at North Shore Music Theatre; Mable in “Crowns” at City Theatre in Pittsburgh;
Alma in “Yellowman” at Pittsburgh Public Theatre; Sue Baylis in “All
My Sons” at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville; Anne Putnam and Sarah Goode in
“The Crucible” at Syracuse Stage. Additional roles include Sarah’s Friend
in the 1st National Tour of “Ragtime”, Ella in “Ella” at Arizona Theatre Co.,
Mazeppa in “Gypsy” at Westchester Broadway Theatre and CA. Musical
Theatre; Maude in “Finian’s Rainbow” at Goodspeed Opera House. TV
credits include “Law & Order CI” and “All My Children”. Inga received her
B.A in Drama from UC Davis and her M.F.A. in Acting from USC. Inga is a
proud member of Actor’s Equity and SAG.
LaTonia Phipps is a recent (May 2008) graduate
of Brooklyn College, where she received her MFA in
Acting. She is an alum of the Eugene O’Neil National
Theater Institute and has trained at the St. Petersburg
Theater Arts academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. The
Colored Museum is the beginning and stepping stone of
LaTonia’s professional career and extraordinary talents.
LaTonia is grateful to have shared this learning experience with such a fun
and talented group of people. “She wishes to thank all of her friends and
family for their love and support and dedicates this performance to her
mother who walks with her daily.”
Derric Harris Derric is blessed to be debuting at
Crossroads in the year of Obama Change. Theatre
Favs: Sykes/Sweet Back (Spunk), Sizwe (Sizwe Bansi Is
Dead), featured dancer in Fosse (1st National Tour), Willie
(Master Harold and the Boys). Broadway: Kiss Me, Kate,
Dance of the Vampires, and 4 City Center Encores! Look
for him on both the big and little screens...and in numerous
print ads. God is so good! Boogie, ich habe dich sehr lieb!!
Tiffany Jewel Since receiving her MFA from Columbia
University this past year, Tiffany has appeared on Law& Order Criminal Intent and two national commercials
(Verizon & Chase Bank). She performed at the Orlando
Shakespeare Festival (The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale),
Here Arts Center (LIMBS), Columbia University (Imperceptible
Mutabilities, Richard III, The Seagull, Waiting for Godot), Symphony
Space Theatre (They Called Me...& Other tories), and Los Angeles Shakespeare
Festival (Two Gentlemen of Verona). Tiffany is truly honored to be
debuting at the Crossroads Theatre and would like to thank everyone who
has supported her journey.
Timothy Ware is proud to join the Crossroads Theatre
Family for this historic moment. Some credits include:
Broadway National Tours: Mamma Mia (1st African-
American Sky), Mamma Mia Las Vegas (Eddie), and
Jesus Christ Superstar. Regional: Purlie (Pasadena
Playhouse/ Goodman Theatre), Like Jazz (Mark Taper
Forum), and Godspell (Alabama Shakespeare Festival). Assocaite Choreographer: Beehive and Guys and Dolls (ASF). Director/
Choreographer: Jelly’s Last Jam and Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Kuntu Repertory
Theatre). Co-founder of the Eclectic Dance Co. (Alabama State University).
Timothy is a graduate of Alabama State University with a B. A. in Theatre
Arts and has studied in the MFA acting program at UCLA. This is for Eugene.
Arthur Toombs was born in Camilia Georgia. At a young age his family
moved to New York where he was exposed to all kinds of Afro Cuban
rhythms. His passion for drumming began and he has been dedicated to
the art ever since.
Arthur played his first drum over 30 years ago. He trained at the legendary
Bernice Johnson Dance Theater of the Arts in New York , working alongside
master drummers. He would eventually become lead drummer. He also
played for the Devore Dance Center as well as countless dance centers in
New york City.
His dynamic and powerful drumming style landed him performances at
the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and legendary jazz club Birdland in
NYC with vocalist and actress Valarie Pettiford. He has also gone on to drum
in Off Broadway productions including “History of the World” and “Ghost.”
Arthur has performed with some of the most revered drummers,
percussionists, musical directors and composers including Baba Olatungi,
Chief Bey, Roger Squitero and Ron Abel.
Back to his drumming roots, Arthur is currently lead drummer at Movement
of the Children Dance Center in Queens, New York.
Khailah Marie Johnson (Little Girl) is a 4th grader at the MacAfee Road School in Somerset. She is nine years old and is an honor roll student. She is involved in Gifted & Talented and plays in the band. Her extracurricular activities are dance, singing, cheerleading, orators and gymnastics. She is also a great swimmer.
Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj (Director) Mr. Maharaj is civil and arts activist. Rajendra is the Associate Artistic Director of the award wining Syracuse Stage which is celebrating its thirty-sixth season. He has held artistic residencies with The Public Theater, Freedom Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Kennedy Center, Crossroads Theatre, Lark Play Development Center, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, and Amas Musical Theatre. Mr. Maharaj is the Co. Founder and Director of River Voices, an African American and Latino Playwriting festival in collaboration with the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. His regional credits include: Freedom Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, St. Louis Black Rep, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Prince Musical Theatre, Theatre of the Stars, The Goodman Theater, Syracuse Stage, and Alliance Theatre. His New York city credits include: the Public Theatre, Classical Theatre of Harlem, Lark Play Development Center, New Federal Theatre, Second Stage, Rebel Theater, Making Books Sing, and Here. He is a former director in training of the daytime Emmy Award winning directing team at ABC’s All My Children. He is a founding member and the Producing Artistic Director of Rebel Theater. Mr. Maharaj has penned several plays including: Little Rock, Mississippi Night, Diss Diss & Diss Dat, Twenty-Five, Gray, Children of the Dream and BlackfootNotes. He is the Co.-Conceiver of two spoken word plays Exposures and History of the Word. He has recently been commissioned by the Tony award winning Alliance Theater and The King Center to create a new work inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech. Mr. Maharaj was a former visiting lecturer at Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, and in the Spring will be an Adjunct Professor at Syracuse University’s School of Drama. Academically, he holds a Masters Degree in Fine Arts in Directing from CUNY Brooklyn College. Mr. Maharaj is an alumnus of Lincoln Center Directors Lab, a member of Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Dramatists Guild of America, Negro Ensemble Co., and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and Theater Communications Group. Mr. Maharaj is the recipient of several prestigious grants and awards including National Endowment for the Arts/Theatre Communications Group Career Development Program for Directors TCG New Generations Grant in partnership with the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Brooklyn Arts Council Grant, Puffin Foundation, Time Warner Diverse Voices Fund, and the Van Lier Directing Fellowship. He is also the recipient of the Woodie King Jr. Award for Outstanding Direction and four Vivian Robinson AUDELCO awards for his direction and choreography. He was the Assistant to the Director on the Tony Award Winning Broadway revival A Raisin in the Sun at the Royale Theatre. He is the director of the Broadway bound musical adaptation of E. Lynn Harris’ New York Times Bestselling novel “Invisible Life” with music and lyrics by R&B legends Ashford& Simpson. Rajendra would like to dedicate his work in Colored Museum to Naomi Elizabeth Maharaj and Donatella, Maria Maharaj for providing the greatest joy and laughter in my life.
Winston Batchelor (Assistant Director) Playwright assistant “Children of
the Dream” at Tony award winning Alliance Theater creating work inspired
by Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech; Playwright assistant “It Happened
in Little Rock” commissioned by Arkansas Repertory Theatre commemorating
50th anniversary of desegregation of Little Rock’s Central High School;
Co-authored “Union Square” at Kennedy Center’s Artist-in-Residence program
Washington, DC.; and is a June 2005 CUNY Brooklyn College English
Honors BFA graduate. Winston thanks his parents, Rajendra Maharaj, and
Ricardo Khan for this opportunity.
Josh Bradford (Lighting Designer) recent designs include The Conscientious
Objector and The Dining Room for Keen Company, The Oxford Roof
Climber’s Rebellion for Urban Stages, The Children of Vonderly and for
Ma-Yi, Everythings Turning into Beautiful for The New Group, Birth and After
Birth for The Atlantic, and History of the Word for The Vineyard. Regional
credits include the Asolo, the Longwharf, Merrimack Rep, the Raue Center,
and the Emelin Theater. He began studying design at Middlebury College
and holds an MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Catherine Homa-Rocchio (Costume Designer) is currently the Costume Shop Supervisor at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. Previously she spent nine years as Costume Supervisor at McCarter Theater in Princeton, where she designed Emily Mann’s Greensboro: A Requiem and Nilo Cruz’s A Park In Our House, along with several New Play Festivals. Other Design credits included Luna Stage in Montclair and Rutgers Newark Theater Department. She has also worked at the Juilliard School and the Santa Fe Opera as well as freelancing as a Costume Draper.
Adam Koch (Scenic Design) Recent REGIONAL: Rooms (Metrostage & Geva
Theatre Center), The Million Dollar Quartet (Goodman Theatre), Kiss of the
Spiderwoman (Signature Theatre), Bonnie & Clyde, A Tuna Christmas; Tick,
Tick, Boom!; Little Shop of Horrors (Paper Mill Playhouse), Frozen, Brooklyn
Boy, and The Sound of Music. UPCOMING: Godspell (Syracuse Stage),
See What I Wanna See (Signature). ADDITIONAL: Side Show, Hello Again,
Trust, The Little Prince, The Mousetrap, Death of a Salesman, The Secret
Garden, The Odd Couple, The Music Man, Rumors. AWARDS: USITT 2007
Oren Parker Award for Excellence in Scene Design, and the 2007 Kennedy
Center Design Fellowship. Member of United Scenic Artists U.S.A. 829.
Luckydave (Projections Design) is proud to work with Crossroads for such
a momentous season. Recent Off-Broadway credits include “Flamingo
Court” (New World Stages), “A View from 151st St” (LAByrinth Theater
Company), “Fate’s Imagination” (Gotham Stages), and “Intríngulis” (LAB).He has assisted Jan Hartley on “Celia: A Musical Journey” (NWS) and
“Let Me Down Easy” (Longwharf Theater). He’s worked quite proudly
Off-Off-Broadway with “Uncle Jimmy’s Dirty Basement” for several years.
He’s a Stable Member with Horse Trade Theater Company, and an Artist-in-
Residence at Ars Nova Theater for 2008.
Jessica J. Meirs (Properties Master) – Jessica is a 2007 BFA Theatre Design graduate of Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Recently, she completed an internship at The Juilliard School Properties Department, working on productions including The Magic Flute, Ghosts, House of Blue Leaves, and Le Comte Ory: A Comic Opera. Jessica now works as a freelance Properties Master and Scenic Painter. She has thoroughly enjoyed being a part of The Colored Museum’s production team at Crossroads Theatre.
Elizabeth Rhodes (Sound Designer) New York credits include the world premiere of Steve Martin’s adaptation of The Underpants, the premieres of John Patrick Shanley’s Dirty Story and Sailor Song. LAByrinth credits include Stephen Belber’s A Small Melodromatic Story, Robert Glaudini’s Dutch Heart of Man and Erin Cressida Wilson’s Trail of Her Inner Thigh. Other New York credits include Chuck Mee’s Paridise Park with dir. Daniel Fish (Signature); Penalties & Interests, and Sweet Storm (Public Lab); Future Me with original music by Stew (SPF); The Winter’s Tale with dir. Barry Edelstein (Classic Stage Company); Trial By Water (Ma-Yi); A Soldier’s Wife (The Mint); Regional credits include Lee Blessing’s Winning Streak (George Street Playhouse), Stones in His Pockets (Alley Theatre).
Brian Westmoreland (Production Stage Manager) Broadway: Phantom of the Opera, A Doll’s House, Juan Darien. Pre-Broadway Tours: Annie Warbucks and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Off-Broadway: Forbidden Broadway, Wanda’s World, Back From The Front, Magpie, Nancy Friday’s My Secret Garden, Broadway Kids Sing Broadway, Hard Feelings, Moonshine, Inky, Disconnect and TAILS. Other credits include It Happened In Little Rock, Imagine Tap!, Eliot Feld’s Ballet Tech, The King And I (National Tour starring Hayley Mills), Connecticut Ballet, Fiddler on the Roof, Cole, Dorian Gray, Delilah, On The Town, Presto Change-O, Richard Maltby Jr’s The Sixties Project and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2005 and 2006 U.S. Open. From 1999 until 2005 Brian toured throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia as the Production Stage Manager for the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Brian is a graduate of UCLA.
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