Young Griots: New Works for the Stage
Director
Director
Restorative Theatre Performance Project
A curated evening of plays written by my playwriting students at Howard University, Young Griots: New Works for the Stage, is a student play development program that celebrates the powerful voices of young emerging playwrights and served as vehicle for the applied methodology of Restorative Theatre Performance Project.
In fall 2025 I launched the proof of concept phase of my research project, Restorative Theatre Performance Project (RTPP), an academic training model designed to work in tandem with existing collegiate and professional theatre performance training philosophies.
RTPP focuses on expanding upon the theoretical examination of academic performance methodology that centers the student and faculty training experience on mutual collaboration, care, wellness, safety, protected intimacy and specialized mentorship. The vehicle for the applied methodology was a curated production at Howard University, Young Griots: New Works for the Stage, which I also curated and directed.
The restorative process is one that moves away from a theatrical training and performance culture that centers "the show must go on" along with a punitive hierarchical power structure that is pervasive in audition, rehearsal and performance. Instead, RTPP will empower students, faculty and staff through training that equips them to transform academic and eventually professional theatre performance spaces. Because we are not human doings, we are human beings, we should center this truth in all artistic endeavors.
The Restorative Theatre Performance Project will help emerging young artists to participate in, create and manage audition, rehearsal and performance spaces that will center process, knowledge, curiosity, care, empathy, wellness, wholeness and transmute principles of restorative justice into the theatrical audition, rehearsal and performance experience.
Phase 2 will take place at Howard University in fall 2026. During phase 2 I will secure a colleague partner and gather more qualitative data as I make adjustments to findings during phase 1.
Plays, Playwrights & Cast
Two Sides to Black written by Efeoghene Rhonor, senior Musical Theatre major & playwriting minor:
Cast: Mahlet Gebreyesus, T. Lang, Niani Braxton, Kameron Outland
5 Minutes written by Essence Jackson, senior TV and Film major & playwriting minor
Cast: Cody Holmes, Skylar Wilson
Echo Chamber written by Kevoy Sommerville, junior Acting major & playwriting minor
Cast: Mahlet Gebreyesus, T. Lang, Niani Braxton
Incline written by Joycelyn Jackson, senior TV and Film major & playwriting minor
Cast: Cody Holmes, Skylar Wilson
Young Griots: New Works for the Stage in Performance
Rehearsal Photos: Echo Chamber written by Kevoy Somerville
Photos by Denise J. Hart5 Minutes by Essence Jackson
Echo Chamber by Kevoy Somerville
Incline by Joycelyn Jackson
Two Sides to Black by Efeoghene Rhonor
Thank you's & Reviews
The next generation of Black storytellers is stepping into the spotlight at Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts Oct. 9-11 to present “Young Griots: New Works for the Stage,” a showcase of four original 10-minute plays written by student playwrights exploring love, identity, and the many shades of Black joy.
Directed by Professor Denise J. Hart, the production highlights the creative voices of Essence Jackson, Kevoy Sommerville, Joycelyn Sophia Jackson, and Efeoghene Rhonor, students in Howard’s Playwriting minor program. “5 Minutes,” “Echo Chamber,” “Incline,” and “Two Sides to Black” will debut at the Al Freeman Jr. Environmental Theatre Space in Childers Hall.
This is the inaugural showcase from the department and they are anticipating it for years to come. “I conceived this project, which I've coined Young Griots: New Works for the Stage. It was designed to support these very talented student writers who I have been training for over 20 years, and to create a fully student-centered production—from the playwrights and actors to the designers and producers, " said Professor Denise J. Hart
"Ever since the 2020 pandemic, Black joy has been a trending topic,” said Hart. “Whether it’s on stage or screen, audiences want to experience stories that reflect the diverse expression of the Black diaspora. These playwrights reclaim and interrogate Black joy through deeply vulnerable relationships — siblings, partners, marriages, and friendships — and I’m moved by how they pursue joy by any means necessary.”
The student playwrights view the experience as both an artistic milestone and a journey of personal growth. “Before coming to Howard, I had no intention of becoming a playwright,” said Sommerville. “Being here has shown me that I have a voice worth sharing with the world — and a responsibility to be a contributor, not just a consumer.”
Dr. Khalid Y. Long, associate dean for research and creative endeavors and interim chair of the Department of Theatre Arts, emphasized the showcase’s importance to Howard’s artistic mission. “Events like this help us fulfill our role as the center of the Black dramatic narrative,” he said. “These plays demonstrate rigor, creativity, and a deep seriousness about the craft of storytelling.”
When asked about the audience reception, Professor Hart said the proof is in the pudding. “It was absolutely outstanding, and that’s because the audience response tells the tale. When you have a production where the audience doesn’t want to leave the lobby afterwards, that’s a very significant sign of how deeply they were engaged,” she said.
As one of the nation’s leading institutions for arts education, the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts continues to honor its namesake’s legacy by nurturing bold voices and expanding the canon of Black theatre. With “Young Griots,” Howard once again affirms its place as a cradle of creativity where young artists write, act, and imagine futures rooted in truth, culture, and joy.
DC Theatre Arts review is simply wonderful! CLICK HERE for full article.