Sanctified
Written and Directed By Javon Johnson
Composer: Rollo Dilworth
Musical Director: Dwayne Fulton
March 8th – 30th 2025
Madison Arts Center
Sanctified celebrates the trials and triumphs of the African-American church, gospel choirs, today’s hip-hop and R&B and how music ultimately brings unity to the church and community.
Cast
| Old Man / Sir | Sam Lothard |
| Boy / Mister | Dionysius Akeem |
| Thelma | Brenda Marks |
| Clara | Cheryl El-Walker |
| Deacon | Charles Timbers |
| Sarah | Willa Catherine Cotten |
| Bobby | Mils James |
| Harold Jones | Emir J. Hardy |
| Sis Pauletta Jones | Karla C. Payne |
| Jamal | Manny Walker |
| Monique | Marissa Lily |
Setting
A small black church in rural South Carolina, present day. The performance runs 2 hours & 45 minutes including a 15 minute intermission.
Musical Numbers
| Hear Our Prayer | Choir |
| I’ll Be Mister, You’ll Be Sir | Mister & Sir |
| Early In The Morning | Bobby & Choir |
| Early In The Morning (Blues reprise) | Sir |
| Swing Low | Sir, Mister, Bobby |
| Time For A Change | Pastor, Choir |
| Stand Still Jordan | Sister Jones |
| Hold To His Hand | Sister Jones, Choir |
| Blessed Assurance | Sarah, Pastor |
| Come To God In Prayer | Monique |
| Come Out The Wilderness | Sister Jones & Pastor |
| Just A Little Talk With Jesus | Bobby & Choir |
| Tougher Than My God | Jamal & Monique |
| DOUBTS | Mister |
| A Miracle In Your Eyes | Monique |
| Come Holy Spirit | Clara, Bobby |
| Revival Time | Monique & Choir |
| Sanctified… | Sarah, Choir |
| Just A Closer Walk (Remix) | Sister Jones & Pastor |
| Hold To His Hand | Sister Jones, Pastor, Choir |
| A Miracle In Your Eyes | Monique & Mister |
| Bass | Lorenze Jefferson |
| Drums | JohnKarl Council |
| Chorus | Michele Bankole |
Playwright’s Statement
Sanctified was birthed out of a collaborative adventure with the late brilliant composer Ron Metcalf. Commissioned by Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the project set out to explore the traditional world of gospel music as it has been twisted, turned and constantly revolutionized by hip-hop and the R&B sound. The phenomenal success of the “megachurches” and celebrity-like bishops has forced the traditional black church to reexamine its old ways of worship. Sanctified digs deep into this conflict in hopes to exhume some insight and hopefully some unified rationale of the “then” and “now” of gospel music that, at its best, represents all of who “we” are and should celebrate.
These outrageously charismatic characters were selfishly based on those good ole southern church folks I have experienced during my Baptist church years in my hometown of Anderson, SC, where the old and the new are in constant battle. I have seen those with innovative fervor come and go… and the old still hang around. The young folks yearn for something to shake them up. The old folks just want their old habits. These characters’ personalities are real; their psyches are as solid as unmovable bricks, their passion and love for representing God and their church cannot be unbound. However, it may need to be adjusted slightly.
Sanctified is meant to entertain, bring joy and laughter into the hearts and minds of all who bear witness. It is anointed; it is a gift I hope you all receive with open arms. Thank you for your support and may we all leave the theatre a little more… SANCTIFIED!
– Javon Johnson, Playwright
Producer’s Note
It’s not too often someone’s mentor is younger than them. Although Rob Penny and August Wilson were mentors of mine as an aspiring writer, as a young college MFA student at the University of Pittsburgh, Javon Johnson was as well. It was he who read a letter I wrote as if it was a poem and brought a profound beauty to my words that unearthed a hidden talent that I never knew existed. I remember the day as if it were yesterday. We were performing together for Kuntu Rep theater in Pearl Cleage’s “Blues for an Alabama Sky”.
Backstage he read my letter and it changed my world and set me on a path to explore my writing through poetry which eventually led to playwriting. Even though this is the second time we’ve produced one of Mr. Johnson’s plays (the first, during our inaugural season) it still feels like a full-circle moment as we welcome Javon back to Pittsburgh and his Pittsburgh theatrical roots and family. I’m sure you will enjoy this performance and we hope that you will spread the word so that others can enjoy his brilliant writing.
– Mark Clayton Southers, Producing Artistic Director
About the Cast
Dionysius Akeem (Boy / Mister) returns to Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre after playing in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone and Jitney at the August Wilson House. Dionysius studied theatre at CCAC and has since worked in film and T.V. Most recently he has been part of Gold Pyramid Screen and Stage’s compelling drama The Awakening as Jason. The play delves into the life of a young man caught in the grip of gang influence struggling to find a way out. It explores Jason’s intense pressures and choices as he battles between loyalty to his gang and the love of his family. Dionysius welcomes Javon Johnson to Pittsburgh’s Hill District and is honored to be part of this incredible ensemble for his vibrant and comical show!
Willa Catherine “Katy” Cotten (Sarah / Assistant Costume Designer) is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From 2003 to 2008/2015 she was cast in several small roles in the Langston Hughes play entitled Black Nativity, directed by Oronde Sharif, and in 2006 was nominated by the AACTA (African American Council for The Arts) Onyx Awards as best supporting actress in a musical or revue. As a part of the Kuntu Repertory Theatre under the direction of Dr. Vernell Lillie, Katy was cast as Sarah Vaughn in a Rob Penny production entitled Clean Drums (2009) and was also cast as the wife of the great Negro Baseball League pitcher Satchel Paige in Among the Best (2009). Katy was cast in several roles in Raisin, the musical based on Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun (2010); her roles included an understudy for Beneatha, Althea the bar proprietor, and several dance numbers. She was cast as an ex-wife in the play entitled I Gotcha, The Story of Joe Tex and the Soul Clan (2010), a New Horizon Theatre production. Katy also experienced her first Pittsburgh Playwrights Black and White Festival in a lead role in 2014. In 2018, as a part of the Washington Community Theater production of Hairspray, she was cast as Motormouth Maybelle. And in 2024 she was cast as Grandma Sadie in The Awakening by Lorenzo Boone, a Gold Pyramid Screen and Stage production. Her most recent production with Pittsburgh Playwrights was Dinah, a musical about the life of Dinah Washington.
Cheryl El-Walker (Clara/Costumes, Makeup & Hair) is an award-winning costume designer and makeup artist who is also a veteran stage actor from Pittsburgh. She is the resident costume/makeup artist for the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company. Her creative work in various venues has earned her several Onyx awards from the African American Council of the Arts (AACTA): Best Make-up Artist (2007); Best Costume for a Musical for Christmas Is Coming Uptown (2008); Best Leading Actress for Freeman (New Horizon Theatre, 2008); Best Costume Design for a Play (Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012) and the PPTCO 2012 Legacy Award. In 2013, Cheryl debuted another one of her skills and received PPTCO’s Theater Festival in Black and White Award for Best Director. Most recently, Cheryl handled costumes, makeup and hair for both Dinah and Radio Golf in PPTCO’s 2024 season, while also performing in the former, and appeared in The Nacirema Society for New Horizon. Cheryl is an alumna of Point Park University and is pleased to announce that she has done costume, makeup and special effects for all ten August Wilson plays.
Emir J. Hardy (Harold Jones) is a rising singer & songwriter from the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is a 2020 graduate of Pittsburgh CAPA and a recent 2024 graduate of Norfolk State University where he has obtained a Bachelor of Music degree in Media & Vocal Performance. Emir has had the honor and privilege of being a member of the NSU Concert Choir, NSU Gospel Choir, NSU Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and the NSU Theatre Company. He is also a Spring 2022 initiate of the “Ruthless” Rho Mu Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America Inc. Emir wishes to thank the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company for their consistent support and guidance throughout the years. He would also like to thank his loving family and friends for their never-ending love and encouragement as he advances in his career aspirations.
Mils James (Bobby/Choreographer) is an actor, singer, dancer, choreographer, director and teaching artist. He is a graduate of Point Park University and Pittsburgh CAPA. He is founding artistic director of Reflections Theatre CO-OP in NYC and has performed all over the world in such productions as Chicken and Biscuits, Blues Is The Roots, Memphis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Once on this Island, and Do Lord Remember Me, and he has danced for the Jacob/Campbell company and Forces of Nature in New York. He has also worked alongside Sherman Hemsley, Reggie Kelley, Eileen J. Morris, Renn Woods, Walter Rutledge, Vivian Reed, and Tony award-winners Hinton Battle and Billy Porter to name a few. “I’m overjoyed to be back in Pittsburgh with my PPTCO Family. Mark Southers: Thank you for creating such a special place for stories to be told. Thank you for this journey. I dedicate this show to my cousin Marcia Patton. My newest angel.🕊️”
Marissa Lily (Monique) is a Musical Theatre graduate from the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York City. She is an entertainment creative and lover of the arts. She has an equal passion for producing behind the scenes and entertaining in front of the camera. Her most recent film credits include Paramount’s Mayor of Kingstown starring Jeremy Renner, Netflix’s Rustin and Lee Daniels’ The Deliverance. Marissa’s most recent theater credits include New Hazlett Theatre’s Underland, Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s Diving Within & Heavy is the Crown, Legacy Arts’ Legend of Kadiatou and many more. When she’s not on stage or working on a film set you can find her giving back to the youth teaching theater history, dance and performing arts classes at the Brashear Association and Sarah Heinz House. She is so blessed to bring Monique to life at the Pittsburgh Playwrights this season! She thanks her family for their unconditional support. You can contact and keep up with her at itsmarissalily@gmail.com and @itsmarissalily on Instagram.
Sam Lothard (Old Man/Sir) aka Big Sam is from Youngstown/Campbell Ohio. Sam is SUPER EXCITED to work with Javon for the first time and be a part of an already award-winning production. Sam is a veteran of Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater, having done over twenty shows through the years with them while sharing the stage with most of the cast of Sanctified. Sam considers it a blessing to have performed with many theater companies throughout Pittsburgh, tackling roles from writers such as Shakespeare, Dr. Maya Angelou, John Steinbeck, Harper Lee, and of course August Wilson. Sam’s next venture is to become a household name by taking on some TV and even more film roles. Please send good vibes and love and prayers as he manifests his Dreams into Reality. Put God First. Shoot your shot. Chase your Dreams. (Cedar Point)
Brenda Marks (Thelma) has had the privilege of performing within the greater Pittsburgh area for several decades, from the early groundbreaking work of Kuntu Repertory Theatre (founded, led, and directed by the late Dr. Vernell Lillie), to Homewood/Brushton Renaissance Players. She has worked with Starlight Productions, Mountain Playhouse and in last year’s New Horizon production of The Nacirema Society by Pearl Cleage. She is extremely happy to be working with the trailblazing Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre.
Karla C. Payne (Sis Pauletta Jones) is an actor, voice-over artist, and poet who has appeared in countless productions for several theater companies, including The Barnstormers Theatre (New Hampshire), City Theatre Company, New Horizon Theater, and Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Company, where she most recently appeared as Mame Wilks in the 2024 production of August Wilson’s Radio Golf. Karla also notably portrayed Beverly Jenkins in Chicken and Biscuits, produced by New Horizon Theater in spring 2023, and was featured in a film short entitled As I Please, scored by the Grammy Award-winning Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. In 2023, Karla launched her company, InnerVizions Coaching &Wellness LLC, providing performance and life coaching for actors. She has also written an ebook entitled The Zen Actor’s Guide: Unleashing Your Inner Confidence for Fearless Performances. Karla is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and the Pittsburgh chapter of The Pierians, Incorporated.
Charles Timbers (Deacon) has been a performer for more than 35 years; appearing in over 30+ plays in Pittsburgh, and across the country, and he is an active member of SAG/AFTRA. When he is not acting, Mr. Timbers is a full-time Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner with greater than 40 years’ experience. Chuck is a collective member and board member of the Demaskus Theater Collective. Mr. Timbers has been seen in multiple productions with Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Co., most recently in The Bluegrass Mile, which was also selected and performed at the International Black Theater Festival this past summer 2024 in Winston-Salem N.C. Charles also played the role of Cutler in the production of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at the Short North Stage Theater in Columbus, Ohio where he received the Excellence in Acting Award 2016 from the Theater Roundtable of Columbus. He has performed with New Horizon Theater Co. and Kuntu Repertory Theater Co. He was seen in The Summer King with the Pittsburgh Opera. He has also appeared with the Mendelssohn Choir in the production of Let My People Go: A Spiritual Journey Along the Underground Railroad as the narrator. Charles was also executive producer and narrator for the short film documentary Black Mary. His film credits include several local and national TV commercials, industrial and student films, Rehabilitation of the Hill, and Dead and Alive. He played the role of Dr. Hayes in the ABC TV movie The Jacksons: An American Dream. Charles also was seen in the award-winning tribute to Martin Luther King Spirit Everlasting with the August Wilson Center here in Pittsburgh. Charles also performed in The Bold and the Sanctified in Chicago with Sherri Lynn.
Manny Walker (Jamal/Sound Design) aka “BrothaMans” is from the East Side of Pittsburgh. He is a self taught songwriter, producer and poet, with musical theatre and marching band (drumline) background. He uses energy-infused rap lyrics & soulful emotional melodies to create a sense of creative duality to his music. This helped carve out a lane in the independent music industry with his own unique take on songwriting, beat production & expression. BrothaMans also runs and operates a media company @Manmadestudios, providing affordable digital media services for fellow local recording artists and businesses; including directing music videos, photography shoots, and producing custom instrumentals. He is also a 3rd season professional ensemble member of Alumni Theatre Company.
Creative Team & Staff
| Playwright & Director | Javon Johnson |
| Musical Director | Dwayne Fulton |
| Composer | Rollo Dilworth |
| Production Stage Manager | Michele Lee Betts |
| Asst. Stage Manager | Ashley Renee Southers |
| Choreographer | Mils James |
| Intimacy Coach | Tomé Cousin |
| Scenic Designer | Mark Clayton Southers |
| Costume, Make-Up & Hair Designer | Cheryl El-Walker |
| Assistant Costume Designer | Willa Catherine Cotten |
| Lighting Designer/Electrician | Jason Kmetic |
| Assistant Lighting Designer | Marcus Carl Southers |
| Sound Designer | Manny Walker |
| Scenic Construction | Mark Clayton Southers, Marcus Carl Southers, Momar Milliones, Kaleb Delouvpre, Jaymir Cansler |
| Scenic Painting | Ernest Bey, Marcus Carl Southers |
| Scenic Woodworker | Ernest Bey |
| Prop Master | Sarah “Gracie” Jackson |
| Set Dresser | Austin Sills |
| Lighting Technician | Ashley Renee Southers |
| Greeter | James Howard |
| Crew | James Howard, Justus Payne, Charlie Gray |
| Concessions | Andre Joseph Clayton Southers, Neicy Southers, Marcus Carl Southers, Charlie Gray |
About the Creative Team
Javon Johnson (Playwright & Director) Acclaimed actor, writer, director, producer, Javon Johnson is a native of Anderson, S.C., as well as the founding Artistic Director of Bear Fruit Conservatory and founding ensemble member of Congo Square Theatre Company in Chicago. He is an MFA graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and BA recipient from S.C. State University. Johnson has also appeared on Broadway and has a long list of regional and national tour credits, both as an actor and playwright. He currently stars as Richard Hallsen in Tyler Perry’s hit BET drama The Oval. Other credits include NCIS, BET’s American Soul and The Quad, Boo! A Medea Halloween, Let the Church Say Amen, Barbershop 2, The Mob Doctor, Prison Break, Someday at Christmas, A Christmas Wish, House of Payne, My Valentine Wedding, and many more. Johnson is the executive producer, director and co-writer of the feature film Once in a Valentine, which hit #1 on STARZ. His second feature, The Stuttering Preacher, will be released soon. His short film Heaven, directed by the late great Chadwick Boseman, was nominated for the Africa Movie Academy Award. Johnson is a highly sought-out acting coach and screenwriting consultant and instructor.
Dwayne Fulton (Music Director) has over 30 years experience in theatre and musical performance. He is the founder and Chief Executive of Kingdom People Productions (1999) and the SouLyfe Cafe (2003). He has produced and co-produced more than seven musical projects in genres from Country to Hip Hop to Pop. He is also an accomplished pianist, and has had the honor of accompanying such great musicians as Grover Washington, Jr., Roger Humphries, Sean Jones, and Nathan Davis. In 2011 he was hired as the Musical Director for the opera Gospel at Colonus (Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh), and in 2012 he composed his first short opera for their Summer Festival, entitled Bridal Suite. In 2017, Fulton composed his first full-length opera, A Gathering of Sons, which met with such success that it was filmed to be aired nationally on PBS. He currently serves as the Minister of Music/Director of Fine Arts at The Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, the largest church in the Pittsburgh area, serving over 8000 members. Fulton continues to mentor young musicians, song writers, and actors in the Pittsburgh area. He says the world is longing for music and creative arts that speak to the total man: body, soul, and spirit. Music that matters! He and his wife of 30 years are the proud parents of Brennon (33), Zachary (19), and Zoé (16).
Dr. Rollo Dilworth (Composer) is currently Vice Dean and Professor of Choral Music Education at Temple University’s Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts in Philadelphia, PA. He has served on the faculty since 2009. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses in choral music education, Dilworth serves as Conductor for the Temple University Singing Owls Campus/Community Chorus, as Artistic Director for Singing City, and as Principal Conductor for the School District of Philadelphia’s High School All-City Chorus. Over 200 of Dilworth’s choral compositions and arrangements have been published, and many are part of the Henry Leck Creating Artistry Choral Series with the Hal Leonard Corporation. He is an active clinician and frequent guest conductor of all-state, honors, festival, community, church and professional choirs. He has researched, lectured, and presented extensively on various topics including African American choral music, composing/arranging for choirs, social justice, social emotional learning, cultural appropriation, urban music education, community engagement, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dilworth serves on the national boards of Chorus America and the Presser Foundation. He holds memberships with the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).
Michele Lee Betts (Stage Manager) is known as the People’s Stage Manager. She has stage managed over 200 theatrical, musical, contemporary and African dance performances. Michele has worked with national, international and local companies, such as Legacy Arts Project, Balafon West African Dance Company, Kelly Strayhorn Theatre and Pittsburgh Playwrights. Her favorite saying : “WE ARE AT PLACES.”
Michele Bankole (Chorus) is an African-American soprano of Creek descent raised in Eufaula, Oklahoma. Her soprano voice has been described as stunning and beautiful. Ms. Bankole has performed with Red River Lyric Opera, Tulsa Opera, as well as the Pittsburgh Festival Opera. She has also performed with Prime Stage Theatre in its production of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and its most recent production of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. Her most recent endeavor is co-founding The Colour of Song: A Vocal Arts Company and writing her first libretto. She lives with her husband in Wilmerding.
JohnKarl Council (Drums) is a professional musician passionate about creating pathways for growth through education, music, and community engagement. With a background in business administration and pursuit of a Master of Divinity at Virginia Union University, he combines faith, education, and leadership to inspire transformation. Mr. Council also serves as an administrator at LIFE Male STEAM Academy, where he provides leadership in student admissions and data coordination processes. He is a proud graduate of Pittsburgh Obama Academy HS and serves as percussion Instructor for the Obama Academy Marching Band. He is honored to participate in the music ensemble for Sanctified with The Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company.
Tomé Cousin (Intimacy Coach) An “interdisciplinary artist”, heavily influenced by his eclectic range of creative mentors: Susan Stroman, Martha Clarke, George C. Wolfe, Ruth Maleczeh, Wendell Harrington, Luigi, Fred Rogers, John Weidman, Bertrum Ross, Miquel Goudrou, Hector Mercado, Judith Leifer, Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, Hope Clarke, Charles Mee, Pina Bausch, Theo Bleckmann, Blondell Cummings and Meredith Monk, Tomé views the divisions of the performing arts to be artificial. As a result he has molded an award-winning international career that includes collaborations in dance, theatre, music, film, photography, television and literature. He holds a Bachelors of Arts in Dance History and Choreography from Point Park University and a Masters of Fine Art in New Media Art and Performance from Long Island University. Additionally he studied at the Museum of Fine Arts (Baltimore), The Bauhaus School (Dessau, Germany), The Alvin Ailey School of American Dance, and The Martha Graham School.
Lorenze Jefferson (Bass) graduated from Duquesne University with a Bachelor of Music degree in sound engineering and music technology with a minor in French horn and bass performance. While in college, Lorenze studied French horn under Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Zachery Smith, and upright and electric bass guitar under Duquesne University’s Jeffrey Mangone. After college, he played for Capital Jazz Cruises, gigged and taught privately before working for a small youth-focused non-profit organization called The Pittsburgh Project. While there, he worked as their sound engineer and high school coordinator. Lorenze currently works for a different youth-focused non-profit called The Urban Impact Foundation where he serves as the Instrumental Coordinator for the Performing Arts Department. He works with children and teens leading their Jazz Band Ensemble and Orchestra in and out of the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Lorenze’s performance credits include electric bass guitar at two local churches and French horn player in The East Winds Symphonic Band. Lorenze resides on the Northside of Pittsburgh with his beautiful wife Sherese and son David. Lorenze also continues to teach privately and freelances playing jazz, classical and gospel music.
Jason Kmetic (Lighting Designer) has been working in theater for 20 years. He has worked for Disney, and other production companies in California. Jason has recently returned to Pittsburgh to go back to his passion of theater! Some of Jason’s credits include: The Long Road Today/El Largo Camino Del Hoy (Lighting Technician/First Assistant Stage Manager), Apsis Requiem (Lighting Designer/Stage Manager), Gypsy (Lighting Designer), Jack and Rochelle: A Holocaust Love Story (Lighting Designer), Of Mice and Men (Assistant Stage Manager), 15 Min of Fame (Assistant Director/Stage Manager), 1984 (Assistant Stage Manager), Animal Farm (Assistant Stage Manager/ Master Electrician), The Mousetrap (Assistant Stage Manager/Master Electrician), The Boxcar Children (Stage Manager), The Miracle Worker (Stage Manager), Fifth Feeling: A Performance Ritual (Lighting Designer/Stage Manager), Westfield Mall Holiday Show 2014 (Lighting Designer/Stage Manager), and most recently Prime Stage Theatre’s High School Drama Awards (Production Stage Manager)
Ashley Southers (Assistant Stage Manager & Lighting Technician) has always had a passion to pursue the arts. She loves working alongside her family at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Company. She considers herself a D-I-A-P (Do-It-All-Person). She graduated from Point Park University in 2018, with a Bachelor’s Degree in English/Creative Writing. In her free time, she loves writing, watching movies, and hanging out with family, friends, and her dogs Cocoa and Bentley. She would like to thank her father Mark Southers for being an inspiration for her upbringing. She always enjoys challenging herself, and expanding her creativity through the arts.
Mark Clayton Southers (Producing Artistic Director, Scenic Designer) and his family reside in Pittsburgh’s historic Hill District. He is an award-winning playwright, stage director, scenic designer, photographer and theatrical producer. He is the founder and producing artistic director of the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company where he has produced well over 175 full-length and one-act plays, including August Wilson’s complete 10 play Pittsburgh Century Cycle. Favorite directing credits include Paul Robeson for the Griot Ensemble Theatre Company, Pill Hill for New Horizon Theatre, Dutchman for Bricolage Theater Company, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The Piano Lesson for American Stage Theatre, Gem of the Ocean for Human Race Theatre, Angry Black Man Poetry for Theatre Śląski, Passing Strange for Short North Theatre, Papa Doc for Trilogy Opera Company, Sty of The Blind Pig for The Banyan Theatre Company, A Soldier’s Play for Phoenix Black Theatre Troupe, and Dorothy Six, Seven Guitars, VALU-MART, The Battle of Homestead, Jitney, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, The Bluegrass Mile, and Dinah for The Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company. His play The Coffin Maker premiered at Pittsburgh Public Theatre in May, 2024. He’s also the resident August Wilson Cycle director at Pittsburgh’s CAPA. For more info please visit www.markclaytonsouthers.com
PPTCO Staff and Board
See our staff and board members here.
Special Thanks
Darlene Ferris
Domonique Hickman
Momar Milliones
Kaleb Delouvpre
Jaymir Cansler
Eric Donaldson
Marcus Carl Southers
Charlie Gray
Ashley Renee Southers
Steven Doerfler
KDC Printing
Matthew Southers
Brother Ash
Delores Southers
Lorill Readie-Southers
Andre Joseph Clayton Southers
Michelle Belan
Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company thanks the following for supporting our season of plays and special projects:
We also thank our donors! Click for a complete list, and learn how to become a PPTCO donor.
Printed program design and editing by Michelle Belan.
Online program design and editing by Steven Doerfler.