Restorative Theatre Performance Project

Restorative Theatre Performance Project (RTPP), is an intervention styled training initiative that centers the establishment of baseline standards and best practices for wellbeing and harm reduction in academic theatre training programs using restorative practices.

RTPP is designed to work in tandem with existing collegiate theatre performance training philosophies (playwriting, directing and actor) because academic theatre training programs play a critical role in the reorientation of student theatre training culture to decenter harm and transform faculty/student collaboration, leadership, creative expression and practitioner wellbeing.

The restorative practice is one that moves away from a performance and training culture that centers harm and a punitive hierarchical power structure which remains pervasive in the story and meaning making endeavors of theatre audition, rehearsal and performance.

In response, RTTP has the goal of transforming academic learning environments that mirror industry practices that result in challenging environments that hinder curiosity, creativity, skill building, freedom of expression and discovery. RTPP seeks to empower students, faculty and staff through training that equips them to radically transform academic and eventually professional theatre performance spaces to better serve student practitioners and ultimately the audiences who benefit from artistic gifts.

RTPP aims to support the creation of training environments that engage restorative practices to center mutual collaboration, cultural competency, judgement free zones, physical care, wellbeing, safety, respect, consent, intimacy, de-character/de-role practices and specialized mentorship. Currently the vehicle for further development of the applied methodology is the curated production, Young Griots: New Works for the Stage.

Instead of giving young artists a "dose of reality" which supports a focus on harmful practices we've come to accept as "part of the industry", the Restorative Theatre Performance Project will train emerging student artists to create the industry in which they can thrive. Students will learn tools and ways of knowing and being that allow them to participate in, create, manage and transmute restorative practices in audition, rehearsal and performance spaces.

Young Griots: New Works for the Stage in Performance

Performance Photos: Echo Chamber by Kevoy Somerville

Photos by Benita Gladney

Rehearsal Photos: Echo Chamber by Kevoy Somerville

Photos by Denise J. Hart

The vehicle for the development of the RTPP applied methodology is a curated student play development event, Young Griots: New Works for the Stage. All plays are written by playwriting students at Howard University,

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

Young Griots is a student play development initiative that celebrates the powerful voices of young emerging playwrights.

Plays, Playwrights & Cast

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

Performance Photos: 5 Minutes by Essence Jackson

Photos by Benita Gladney

Rehearsal Photos: 5 Minutes by Essence Jackson

Photos by Denise J. Hart

Performance Photos: Two Sides to Black by Efeoghene Rhonor

Photos by Benita Gladney

Rehearsal Photos: : Two Sides to Black by Efeoghene Rhonor

Photos by Denise J. Hart

Performance Photos: Incline by Joycelyn Jackson

Photos by Benita Gladney

Rehearsal Photos: Incline by Joycelyn Jackson

Photos by Denise J. Hart

5 Minutes by Essence Jackson

Echo Chamber by Kevoy Somerville

Incline by Joycelyn Jackson

Two Sides to Black by Efeoghene Rhonor

Thank you's & Reviews

Bringing Black Joy to the Stage

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 CLICK HERE for full article.

Under the title Young Griots: New Works for the Stage, the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts Department of Theatre Arts at Howard University showcased works from four students in its Playwrights minor program. The production, directed by Professor Denise J. Hart, was performed October 9 through 11, 2025.

All times can be said to be difficult in some ways, but in the face of our current difficult times, Young Griots: New Works for the Stage offered visions of a way forward. As I watched and absorbed the efforts of these young playwrights at the beginning of their journeys, I felt a sense of hope that continued to grow as each successive play unfolded.

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