1995/96 Howard Players Executive Board

Sign on the Howard Players Office door. Image circa 1965.

I'm a 1996 graduate of the Department of Theatre Arts and was elected to serve as the 1995/96 president of the historic student drama group, the Howard Players.

The preceding 1994/95 president Carmen J. Neely, was a force! During her presidency she and her cabinet put the Howard Players back on the map in terms of becoming a consistent and active presence in the theatre department. In fact, through the stellar season of producing undertaken by her presidency the Howard Players have maintained a continuous uninterrupted active production status!

Prior to 1994 the Howard Players struggled to assert its presence in the department. However, Kyle Leland Rivers, the 1992 Howard Players president, was instrumental in rebuilding bridges between the Howard Players and the department administration during his tenure.

During its history starting in 1919, the Howard Players have been revered while serving as the primary theatrical producing entity on Howard's campus and at other times have became dormant as the students struggled to maintain autonomy to express the organizations student-centric goals and values which sometimes clashed with the ideology of the administration.

One thing to note is when you become a student in the Department of Theatre arts you are automatically considered a member of the Howard Players. However, there is a slight distinction made between dues paying members and non dues paying members. Whether a student could afford to pay dues or not, they are forever a Howard Player!

My Quest to Become Howard Players President

In looking through my personal archives, I came across a true gem! Below is my brief statement of interest I submitted for consideration to become the 1995/96 President of the Howard Players:

I am interested in becoming President of the Howard Players. Having been an active member and having worked closely with the previous President, have provided me with an understanding of the organizations focus and goals. As president I hope to not only continue its level of excellence, but to extend it as well. I hope to do this by continuing to implement meet-able goals for the organization. This would occur on an outreach level as well as within the walls of the University. I am also interested in running for Vice President.

My campaign was successful and I was elected to serve as the 1995/96 President. The full executive cabinet rounded out to be a team of powerful women:

President - Denise J. Hart
Vice President - Candace Jackson
Secretary - Kameshia M. Duncan
Treasurer - Kamilah Forbes

1967 Howard Players membership card. Courtesy, Richard Wesley

1967 Howard Players membership card. Courtesy, Stephen Byrd

Continuing the Legacy Student Festival of New Plays

During the fall semester with the support and guidance of our outstanding faculty advisor, Sybil Roberts, my cabinet and I planned the Spring Festival of New Plays under the moniker of CONTINUING THE LEGACY. This was definitely no easy task. We had lots of planning meetings, developed a festival mission, prepared a full proposal to submit to the department chair, Professor Al Freeman Jr., received feedback, then incorporate that feedback into our proposal. After a ton of development and coordination, finally, we received word that the Spring Festival of New Plays was a go for spring 1996! It would feature plays written by students and selected through a student voting process.

Spring Semester 1996 Season Theme: Continuing the Legacy

MY SOUL IS A WITNESS written by student Denise J. Hart (Howard Players student production)

Directed by student Jackie Carter

Date: Feb. 20-23, 1996

Produced in Ira Aldridge Theatre

Cast: Yetunde Adigun, Mika Hoyle, Janis McDavid, Dexter K. Tennie
Design/Creative Team: Derrick Sanders, Lighting. Rabiyah Asha Kincey, Sound Designer. Taneka L. Riley, Sound Engineer. Zeal, Costume Designer. T.W. Starnes Master Electrician. Ambo Tazanu, Make-Up Designer. Greg Reid, Properties Master. Sybil Roberts, Dramaturg
Stage/Production Management: Krishna Smith, Stage Manager. Nicole Wilkerson, Production Manager, Monte J. Wolfe, Production Manager Assistant

ALASKA written by student Marcus McQuirter (Howard Players student production)

Directed by student Lenora Pace

Date: February 29 - March 2, 1996

Produced in Ira Aldridge Theatre

Cast: Ginger (Tamara Curry), Hasani Issa, Neil Lewis, Walter Lindsay, James Newsome, Charyl Pitts, Derrick L. Sanders, Sean Akil Wingate, Vonet Woods, Kemba Wright
Design/Creative Team: George H. Epting, Lighting/Sound Supervisor. Zeal, Costume Designer. Vincent Siders, Sound Designer. Taneka L. Riley, Sound Engineer. April E. Carter, Property Mistress. T.W. Starnes Master Electrician. Kameshia Monique Duncan, Assistant Director. Sybil Roberts, Dramaturg
Stage/Production Management: Candace Jackson, Stage Manager. Kai Green, Assistant Stage Manager. Stephanie Mayfield, Production Manager. Kamilah Forbes, Assistant Production Manager

Designed & painted by Researcher Denise J. Hart. Spring 1996.

The Howard Players News

One of the other things I'm really proud of is the launch of the "Howard Players News" during my presidency. Below, you can see the special commemorative issue of the newsletter distributed during the Student Festival of New Plays.

Even in 1996 I was intensely curious about the history of the Howard Players. I visited the Moorland Spingarn Research center multiple times to look at the Howard Players archives. One gem I discovered was the 1933 copy of the Howard Players news magazine, "The Dramatic Pro-mo-ter". I thought it would be extra special for our commemorative newsletter issue to include articles written by students and faculty and reprint articles from the 1933 Dramatic Pro-mo-ter. The issue continues to hold a special place in my heart.

Newsletter designed, edited and printed by researcher Denise J. Hart. Spring 1996.

1996 Special Howard Players Newsletter Commemorative Issue. honoring the 1933 Howard players Dramatic Pro-Mo-Tor

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