DETROIT ‘67
by Dominique Morisseau
Directed by Brian Marable
Produced by Detroit Public Theatre in association with The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Detroit’67 is produced by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals.
Run Time: 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission
Cast
Dani Cochrane* // Caroline
Aja Dier // Bunny
Henri Franklin// Sly
Edmund Alyn Jones // Lank
Carollette Phillips*// Chelle
Creative Team
Brian Marable // Director
Sarah Ackerman* // Production Stage Manager
Moníka Essen // Scenic & Properties Designer
Christopher Vergara+ // Costume Designer
Jarrett Thomas // Lighting Designer
Lumumba Reynolds II // Sound Designer
Cornell Jermaine // Wig and Makeup Consultant
Tech Crew
Desmond Williams // Assistant Stage Manager & Light Board Operator
Cameron Blackwell // Run Crew
Sarah Ackerman* // Makeup Artist & Wig Maintenance // Digital Program Layout
Michaela Tanksley // Costume Alterations
Reyana Patterson // Costume Assistant
Amanda Ewing // Intimacy Choreographer
Jalise Little // Sound Board Operator
Actors' Equity Association (“Equity"), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers. Equity fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors' Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #EquityWorks
*The noted Actors & Stage Manager are members of the Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
+Indicates a member of United Scenic Artists Local USA 829
About Detroit Public Theatre
Detroit Public Theatre produces nationally recognized plays and programs with world-class writers, directors, actors, and designers in the heart of Detroit’s cultural district. We create bold, relevant work that illuminates the thrills, joys, and challenges of our shared humanity.
Detroit Public Theatre is situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe - the homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires including the Ojibwe, Potawatomi and Odawa. We acknowledge them as the past, present and future caretakers of this land which has been stewarded by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years before the arrival of colonial settlers. We welcome you to learn more with us about the land we are on by visiting native-land.ca
The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.
A Note from playwright and DPT Executive Artistic Producer
Dominique Morisseau
I am thrilled to welcome you to my play, DETROIT '67, produced by my theatre company, Detroit Public Theatre, in association with The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.
Doing this play, in this space, is a dream come true for me and my partners, and it is a full circle moment for DPT as we prepare to open our new permanent home at 3960 Third Ave in the fall.
In DPT's first season, DETROIT '67 was produced in partnership with Baltimore Center Stage, and we hosted an event right here at The Wright featuring Blaire Underwood, Andre Holland, and Ruben Santiago Hudson, who came to Detroit at my invitation to speak on the importance of telling our own stories. That production was the first time my work was professionally produced in my beloved hometown. Since then, my work has found a home with all of you.
The Wright Museum has meant so much to me throughout my life—I got married here, on this stage! This institution defined me as an artist and appreciator of art. This is a play about Detroit history being done inside Detroit's preeminent cultural institution dedicated to Black history. To have my work done on this stage, at this moment, is both necessary and urgent.
Thank you for coming! We hope you will consider coming back again and again by subscribing to Detroit Public Theatre and making our new home your home for professional theatre!
Dominique Morisseau
Playwright
Executive Artistic Producer, Detroit Public Theatre
A Note From The Director
I'm honored to be directing Dominique Morisseau’s phenomenal play Detroit ‘67 for my Detroit Public Theatre directorial debut. This play is also the first Dominique Morisseau piece that I performed in. In 2016 I made my DPT and Baltimore Center Stage acting debuts in Detroit ‘67 and that production brought my career to new heights and new places. To now be directing it now for Detroit Public Theatre at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is a wonderful full circle moment. I will forever be grateful to DPT and Dominique Morisseau for trusting me with this huge responsibility now and also back in 2016 when we first brought this incredible play to Detroit.
This play holds a SPECIAL place in my career, my life, and my heart. I'm a native Detroiter and my 80-year-old father often explains to me what it was really like in July of 1967. Race relations in this country, specifically between white and Black America, were flammable - just as they had been since the beginning. The avenues for business and property ownership were lopsided in Detroit and throughout the country. These inequities and issues form the backdrop for this play. And much like today, these issues combined with a spark, the #1 Beef–the abuse of power and authority coming from those sworn to protect and serve–to ignite Detroit’s historic 1967 summer uprising.
I know you will feel nostalgia when you experience this play - in the costumes, the music, the characters! I know you will feel how DETROIT this play is, because it is all that and a bag of Better Mades. But I also hope this play will make you stop and think and ask “Is it 1967 or is it 2022”? Because outside of the nostalgia, it’s really hard to tell.
Brian Marable
DPT Leadership & Staff
Courtney Burkett // Founder & Producing Artistic Director
Sarah Clare Corporandy // Founder & Producing Artistic Director
Dominique Morisseau // Executive Artistic Producer
Sarah Winkler // Founder & Producing Artistic Director
Frannie Shepherd-Bates // Director of Shakespeare in Prison
Naytarsha Berry // Box Office Associate
Holly Gilbert // House Manager
Patrick Hanley // Production Manager
Lacey Holmes // General Manager
Melissa Johnson // Bookkeeper
Katherine Nelson* // Resident Production Stage Manager
Madelyn Porter // Connectivity and Engagement Manager
Kyle Stefek // Grants & Individual Giving Manager
Matthew Van Meter // Assistant Director of Shakespeare in Prison
Board of Directors
Nina Essman // Chair
Sarah Prues // Vice Chair
Susan Gordon // Treasurer
David Jaffe // Secretary
Wendy Batiste-Johnson
Debbie Erb
Noah Haidle
Niki Johnson
Sonya Mays
Felicia Eisenberg Molnar
Christie Peck
Allan Rothfeder
Peter Van Dyke
Jamie Kaye Walters
Boyd White, III
Advisory Board
Zak Berkman
Christopher Burney
Kathleen Chalfant
Aaron P. Dworkin
Nicole Eisenberg
Celia Keenan-Bolger
James Kuhl
Maureen S. Martin
Marsha Miro
Erik Rönmark
Lisa Rothe
Ron Russell
Rachel Sussman
Heather Ann Thompson
Curt Tofteland
Cast Bios
Dani Cochrane* // Caroline
[she/her] is a Detroit based stage and screen actor, as well as an experienced voice over artist, director and stage manager. She holds an MFA in acting from the Hilberry Repertory Company at Wayne State University, has studied abroad at the Moscow Art Theatre School, is a proud member of Actors' Equity, and comes to us having just directed the world premiere of The Baxter Sisters at Tipping Point Theatre. DPT credits include: Cry it Out, and the world premiere of Birthday Candles. Other select credits: Blithe Spirit and Stick Fly at Meadow Brook Theatre, Safe House at Williamston Theatre, and Anatomy of a Hug at Tipping Point Theatre for which she won a members choice award for best actress. DaniCochrane.com
Aja Dier // Bunny
[she/her] is thrilled to be making her Detroit Public Theatre debut! She is an ensemble member at A Host of People and has collaborated and performed in AHOP's original works: Cleopatra Boy, Neither There, Nor Here and Re-Release Party: The Golden Record, performing locally and touring nationally. She has most recently appeared in HBO's Random Acts of Flyness. She is a 2020 Kresge Artist Fellow and a 2018 Gilda Award winner in live arts awarded by the Kresge Foundation. She holds a BFA in Acting from the State University of New York at Purchase College and is a proud alumnus of Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit. She creates and performs music as Salakastar. Connect with Aja on Instagram: @salakastar.
Edmund Alyn Jones // Lank
[he/him] is an alum of Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, The University of Michigan, and Wayne State University’s Hilberry Repertory Theatre. Edmund is an award-winning playwright, and essayist. Born in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, Edmund is now a resident of Detroit.
Henri Franklin // Sly
[he/him] is a SAG- AFTRA actor based out of Detroit, MI. After obtaining his Bachelors Degree from Wayne State University’s Theater Program, he went on to work professionally in the fields of stage, film, television, commercials and voice over. Some of his notable career accomplishments include Days of Our Lives and Chicago P.D. on NBC, Detroiters on Comedy Central, Low Winter Sun on AMC, Batman Vs Superman for Warner Bros., commercial and voice work for Ford, Chevrolet, G.U.M., T. Rowe Price and many others plus productions of Dominique Morisseauʼs Pipeline, Detroit ‘67, and Paradise Blue at Detroit Public Theatre. He recently starred as Danté in the world premiere of Wrong River by Josh Wilder at the Flint Repertory Theatre. You can see him as Ahmed in Richard Wesley's Black Terror (produced by Tina Knowles - Lawson and directed by Richard Lawson) coming soon. Henrí looks forward to continuing to do work that changes lives for the better. You can follow his journey at www.henrifranklin.com and @henrifranklin on social media platforms.
Carollette Phillips* // Chelle
[she/her] is a native Detroit artist who is thrilled to return to DPT. She has a BA in Mass Communications from Miami University and an MFA in Theatre from Wayne State University, including studies abroad at the Moscow Art Theatre School. Carollette is a two-time recipient of the Louise Heck-Rabi Playwriting Award and also received Best Actress awards from the Opificer Media Film Festival and the Rogue Critic. Carollette has appeared onstage as Pumpkin in Paradise Blue by Dominique Morisseau (Detroit Public Theatre), Camae in The Mountaintop by Katori Hall (Performance Network Theatre), Nina in The Seagull by Anton Chekhov (Hilberry Theatre) and numerous other works, ranging from classical to contemporary. She has appeared on screen many times including a recurring character on Comedy Central’s Detroiters. Carollette is an alumna and long-time choreographer of Mosaic Youth Theatre as well as the founder of the LSODance Foundation (www.LSODF.org)
Creative Team Bios
Dominique Morisseau // Playwright & DPT Executive Artistic Producer
[she/her] is the author of The Detroit Project (A 3-Play Cycle): Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company), Paradise Blue (Signature Theatre), and Detroit ’67 (Public Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem and NBT). Additional plays include: Confederates (Signature Theatre), Pipeline (Lincoln Center Theatre), Sunset Baby (LAByrinth Theatre), Blood at the Root (National Black Theatre), and Follow Me To Nellie’s (Premiere Stages). Her Broadway production of Skeleton Crew (Manhattan Theatre Club) is TONY nominated for best play and she is also the TONY nominated book writer on the Broadway musical Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations (Imperial Theatre). TV/Film projects: She has served as Co- Producer on the Showtime series “Shameless.” She’s currently developing projects with Netflix and HBO, and wrote the film adaptation of the documentary STEP for Fox Searchlight. Awards include: Spirit of Detroit Award, PoNY Fellowship, Sky-Cooper Prize, TEER Trailblazer Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, Audelco Awards, NBFT August Wilson Playwriting Award, Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama, OBIE Award (2), and the Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, named one of Variety’s Women of Impact for 2017-18 and a recipient of the 2018 MacArthur Genius Grant.
Brian Marable // Director
[he/him] is a native Detroiter. He is a graduate of Cass Tech Performing Arts Department and attended the Wayne State University Theatre program. He is a father, a son, and a brother. Theater Credits include: Detroit 67 (Baltimore Center Stage/Detroit Public Theatre,) Skeleton Crew (Old Globe/People’s Light/Detroit Public Theatre/Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati,) Pipeline, Paradise Blue (Detroit Public Theatre) and most recently as Thurgood (Chautauqua Theater Co./ Detroit Public Theatre). He is honored and thrilled to be making his directorial debut with this show and this dream team.
Sarah Ackerman* // Production Stage Manager // Makeup Artist/ Wig Maintenance // Program Layout
[she/they] is a freelance stage manager from Warren, Michigan. She is thrilled to be back stage managing and creating makeup magic for DPT, as she previously was the PSM for Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Sarah has a BFA in stage management from Michigan State University. She travels the country stage managing musicals, operas, concerts and events with her most recent credits being Tosca (Utah Opera), Favorite Son (Nashville Opera) and The Honky Tonk Angels (ArtisTree Music Theatre Festival.) Her event stage management credits vary with clients such as Mastercard, Ford, Civic and The Detroit Jazz Festival. She acts as the Director of Technical Theatre for the Stoney Creek Theatre Company teaching stage management, prop design, electrics, sound, wig/makeup design and scenic art to high school students. Sarah also freelances as a scenic painter, makeup artist, theatre educator and vocalist. Proud member of Actors Equity. Many thanks to Mom, Dad, Charlie, and the DPT Staff. sarahmackerman.com
Moníka Essen // Scenic & Props Designer
[she/her] is an award winning, nationally recognized artist and designer. The recipient of the prestigious Lawrence DeVine Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theatre, she studied Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at Parsons School of Design NYC and received her MFA in Scenography from the renowned Hilberry Repertory Co. Ms. Essen has designed over 250 productions in theatre, opera and film, and is currently the Resident Designer at the Michigan Opera Theatre where she has just recently designed their highly acclaimed productions of Frida, and Bliss. Her designs have also be seen onstage at the Atlanta Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Cincinnati Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. Some local favorite productions include The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Impossibility of Now, and A Christmas Carol at Tipping Point Theatre and Murder Ballad, American Hero, Paradise Blue, and Detroit ‘67 here at Detroit Public Theatre. Additionally, she creates art, furniture, museum exhibits, interiors and full sensory, multi-media environments for residential and commercial clients, including the Detroit Zoo. All her design work can be viewed at www.studioepoque.com.
Christopher Vergara // Costume Designer
[he/him/él] is making his Detroit Public Theater debut with Detroit ’67. Selected credits include Cendrillon, Junk, Rise to Freedom, Hair (University Productions), Girlfriend, She Talks to Beethoven, The 17th Chapel, the bull-jean stories, Unfuckwithable (Drama League); A Survivor’s Odyssey, a live virtual opera (White Snake), Bodas de Sangre (Phoenix Theater); Once (VinWonders, Vietnam); References to Salvador Dali… (Juilliard); Macbeth (Lewis Center for the Arts); Shadows (Connelly) In the Heights (Orlando Shakes); Kidnap Road (La Mama); The Golem of Havana (Miami New Drama); The Last Word, What Do Critics Know? (NYMTF); Texas in Paris, Last Dance (York); Danza-de-Fernando (somedance company); like the eagle (DASH); Madame Butterfly, Kiss Me Kate, La Traviata (Brevard); Harlequinade, Walpurgisnacht, Majisimas (Ballets Trockadero). He is the Designer-in-Residence of the University of Michigan's Department of Theatre and Drama. He is an alumnus of The Professional Internship Program of The Juilliard School and a member of IATSE-USA 829, Wingspace, and La Gente: The Latiné Theatre Design Network.
Jarrett Thomas // Lighting Designer
[he/him] is thrilled to be returning to DPT after 5 years away from Detroit. Lighting Design: Everybody’s Talkin (Mosaic Youth Theatre), Concert of Colors (Charles H. Wright), Much Ado About Nothing (Park Players), The Crucible (Mosaic Youth Theatre), Urinetown (Park Players). After having a show halted by the pandemic, he is excited to again be surrounded by the magic of live theatre.
Lumumba Reynolds II // Sound Designer & Audio Technician
[he/him] is native of Detroit, born in 1967 a few weeks after the uprising. His family house is off 12th street just 1.7 miles from the epicenter of this story. He considers it a close, very personal honor, and responsibility to help tell this story. Lumumba was educated in the Detroit Public Schools. During the summers, he studied stagecraft and public speaking under renowned entertainer, Motown artist Kim Weston's Festival For The Performing Arts. After graduating from Cooley High School he went on to earn a degree from Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts. Lumumba has a passion for mentoring youth, and is very entrenched in the Detroit community. He is a master teacher of sound, videography, photography, stage management and production. Hundreds of young students have benefited from his instruction at Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, Fellowship Chapel, UCC, and Detroit School of the Arts.
Desmond Williams // Assistant Stage Manager & Light Board Operator
[he/him] is an actor, musician, stage manager, fashion designer, film maker, writer, poet, activist, and director from Detroit, MI. He briefly studied at Oakland Community College and Academy of Art in San Francisco for theatre. He recently worked on a rap album in Atlanta. He started producing, mixing and mastering his own music, which launched his music career. He later found his way into other creative ventures through connections and friendships. Desmond has worked with multi-platinum producers, filmmakers, and musicians around the country. Much thanks to Mom, Dad, Brian Marable, and Ron Recasner.
Cam Blackwell // Run Crew
[he/him] is an actor, theatre educator, and graduate of Wayne State University (BFA class of 2020). He is ecstatic to be on the DPT team again and is looking forward to assisting backstage for such a powerfully written story that captures the essence of Detroit.
DPT Leadership and Staff Bios
Courtney Burkett // Founder & Producing Artistic Director
[she/her] is a member of the artistic leadership team at Detroit Public Theatre, where she regularly directs productions. In her role as Producing Artistic Director she oversees production and marketing at DPT. Prior to founding DPT Courtney was the Director of Theatre Programs with Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, directing the internationally-acclaimed Mosaic Acting Company. Burkett was a founding Artistic Partner with Breathe Art Theatre Project. She also served as the Managing Director of the CRLT Players at the University of Michigan and Business Manager for the University of Detroit Mercy Theatre Company. Courtney is a fourth generation native Detroiter and holds a BFA from Webster Conservatory of Theatre Arts in St. Louis, and her MFA from Wayne State's Hilberry Theatre program.
Sarah Clare Corporandy // Founder & Producing Artistic Director
(she/her): An original founding member of DPT in 2015, Sarah Clare is a Michigan (Ypsilanti) native, and after moving about the country to find the best places and ways to create live theater, found herself called back home to Detroit (first figuratively, later literally). After training in both theater and voice at Hope College, she transitioned to the administrative end of art-making and received an MFA in arts administration from Wayne State University’s Hilberry Theatre program. During that time she worked with companies such as Breathe Art Theatre Project, Barrington Stage Co., and New York Stage and Film. Sarah Clare acted as Managing Director of Philadelphia’s Pig Iron Theatre Co. from 2008-2009 and for 13 years since then she has worked as Company Manager (3 years) and Managing Director (10 years) of Chautauqua Theatre Company. During her time there she was the line producer for the Chautauqua Institution’s innovative inter-arts collaborations, The Romeo and Juliet Project, and Go West!. From 2009 - 2021 she served on the faculty at Savannah College of Art and Design. She has also taught at University of Kentucky and Wayne State University. At DPT, the unique “producing sight-unseen'' commission of Noah Haidle’s Broadway-bound Birthday Candles at DPT was the brainchild of Sarah Clare, and she was the lead producer on the televised remounts of From Broadway to Obscurity (Eric Gutman) and No Child… (Nilaja Sun), in collaboration with PBS stations, in Buffalo, NY and Detroit, MI, and with Chautauqua Theater Co. In her role at DPT she heads up the move to DPT’s new building, leads strategic planning for the company, and shares artistic leadership with Sarah, Courtney, and Dominique. She made a return to performing in DPT’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane, a project close to her heart. Overall, she specializes in creating opportunities for artists on the projects close to their hearts, and bringing them before audiences who can share in and gain something from their offerings.
Dominique Morisseau // Executive Artistic Producer
Please see Creative Team Bios for full bio
Sarah Winkler // Founder & Producing Artistic Director
[she/her] A proud co-founder of Detroit Public Theatre, Sarah has more than thirty years experience as a theatre and film producer, performer, and teaching artist. Prior to her work with DPT, Sarah was a Producing Artist with the Obie, Drama Desk, and Lucille Lortel award-winning Off-Broadway Epic Theatre Ensemble. While at Epic, she both oversaw the company’s development department during a period of rapid growth as the budget nearly quadrupled in size, and was also a member of Epic’s acting ensemble, where she performed in more than a dozen Off-Broadway productions, workshops, readings, and Shakespeare Remix productions, and was a Teaching Artist in Epic’s programs in the New York City Public Schools. In 2013, Sarah relocated to Metro Detroit and worked as an actor with a number of Michigan theatres while developing Detroit Public Theatre alongside DPT’s artistic leadership team and founding board. It was her great honor to have worked as a facilitator in the Shakespeare in Prison program at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and to have played a role in the program choosing DPT as its home. Sarah has produced and performed in numerous critically-acclaimed films and plays in New York City and around the country, and was a founder of Step Up Women’s Network in New York City where she developed the organization’s arts education programming. Sarah earned her Bachelor of Science in Theatre from Skidmore College.
Patrick Hanley // Production Manager
[he/him] This is Patrick’s fourth season as Production Manager. He has previously worked with DPT as a stage manager (Skeleton Crew) and house manager, and continues to be involve with DPT’s Shakespeare in Prison program as a facilitator and fight choreographer. He previously served as the Education Director for Water Works Theatre Company, directing both the Teen Ensemble and KidsAct! programs. Patrick holds a BFA in Acting from Wayne State University. His selective performance and stage management credits include productions with Matrix Theatre Company, Shakespeare in Detroit, the Elizabeth Theatre at the Park Bar, and numerous shows with Planet Ant Theatre.
Lacey Holmes // General Manager
[she/her] is thrilled to be the first General Manager of Detroit Public Theatre, and has more than 10 years of experience in performing arts management. Prior to DPT she worked in administration at Steppenwolf Theatre, The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago Children's Theatre, and Actor's Equity Association. She spent five years as a Senior Romance Sales Specialist with Lover's Lane Corporation, and holds a BA in Theater Arts from Alfred University and a Master's of Arts Management from Columbia College Chicago.
Frannie Shepherd-Bates // Director of Shakespeare in Prison
[she/her] Frannie is the founder, director, and lead facilitator of Shakespeare in Prison, Detroit Public Theatre's signature community program. She has also served as DPT's Director of Programs, and as Director of Education and Development for Water Works Theatre Company. Frannie has directed and/or designed many productions at Metro Detroit theatres, including Detroit Public Theatre, Tipping Point Theatre, Williamston Theatre, Shakespeare in Detroit, Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company (which she co-founded), and Planet Ant Theatre, among others. Frannie has been recognized for her work as an artist and arts advocate by the Wilde Awards (Critics' Choice 2013; Best of the Bard 2015; Best Play nomination 2016), the Pulsar Awards (Best Play 2017), and CBS Detroit, and she accepted an Arts Achievement Award on behalf of MGT from WSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance. She has spoken about prison theatre at conferences such as Shakespeare in Prisons (2013), Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed (2017), Art X Detroit (2015), and Human Rights Through Education (University of Michigan, 2013), as well as the 2019 Theater of War reading of Promethea Bound at Michigan State University She has been featured numerous times in local, regional, national, and international media for her work in prisons and as an artist.
Kyle Stefek // Grants & Individual Giving Manager
Kyle is a proud member of the Detroit Public Theatre team, having first joined DPT as Development & Grants Associate in August 2018. A resident of Detroit, Kyle holds a BA from the University of Michigan and performs annually in the city’s Shakespeare in the Arb productions, most recently as Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet. Outside of his work in the theatre community, Kyle also facilitates workshops for adolescents on relationship and sexual health and for their guardians on effective communication techniques for having the good ol’ fashioned “talk."
Madelyn Porter // Connectivity & Engagement Manager
Madelyn Porter has worked as a professional storyteller/actor for the past forty years, and is a member of Actor’s Equity Association. She is a recipient of the 2019 Kresge Arts in Detroit - Creative Non-Fiction - Literary Arts Award. Porter recently performed in Flint Repertory Theatre’s Wrong River, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds, and with DPT in Dot and in the DPT/Harlem9 - 48Hours in…Detroit festival. Porter works as performer, and advisory board member for Carrie Morris Arts Production (CMAP). Currently, she performs historical reenactments and storyliving at the Detroit Historical Museum, The Henry Ford/Greenfield Village, and Troy Historical Village. She is lead drama instructor for Michigan Opera Theatre’s Create and Perform, and Youth Arts Alliance. Porter also writes and creates stories on commission.
Support for DPT
Annual Support
In Detroit Public Theatre’s seventh season, your gift of any size grows and sustains our artistic and community programs. As a not-for-profit theatre, our work is made possible by generous donors like you.
Detroit Public Theatre produces nationally recognized plays and programs with world-class writers, directors, actors, and designers in the heart of Detroit’s cultural district. We create bold, relevant plays that illuminate the thrills, joys, and challenges of our shared humanity for diverse audiences.
DPT is deeply committed to community engagement. Our student programs began in our first season with a pilot program that brought our artists to Detroit Public Schools, and Detroit Public Schools students to matinees of Detroit ‘67; since that first season, we have connected with thousands more Detroit Public Schools students in their classrooms and at the theatre, we have toured Detroit ‘67 to schools and parks and community centers, and we continue this commitment to community with our current production.. DPT is also the home of one of Metro Detroit’s signature community arts programs, Shakespeare in Prison (for more details, see below).
Please take a donation envelope in the lobby to make a tax-deductible donation today, and join us in building and sustaining Detroit Public Theatre. You may also donate online at http://www.detroitpublictheatre.org/support/.
Detroit Public Theatre is deeply grateful to our donors for their generous support of our programs and productions.
Support for The Next Stage
Detroit Public Theatre is building a warm and welcoming performance hub for Detroit artists and audiences and a permanent home for DPT’s own programs and productions. In September of 2022, DPT will launch our eighth season in our new home - 3960 Third Avenue. The historic Third Avenue Garage is being transformed into a state-of-the-art performance space and we cannot wait to welcome artists and audiences to create and experience bold stories, relevant to Detroit, told with inspiring artistry! Our $5 million Next Stage Comprehensive Campaign has raised more than $3.3 million in pledges to support capital expenses, investment in community programming and accessibility, artistic excellence and organizational sustainability. If you would like to get involved or learn more about the building and the campaign please email Kyle Stefek at kyle@detroitpublictheatre.org
Thank You to Our Donors!
Architects of DPT’s Next Stage Campaign
We recognize with profound gratitude the extraordinary generosity, leadership, and vision of the earliest supporters of Detroit Public Theatre’s Next Stage Campaign, which will fund and sustain a new state-of-the-art theatre that will be a warm and welcoming performance hub for artists and audiences.
$250,000 - $500,000
Debbie & John Erb
Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation
Carol & Peter Walters
$100,000 - $249,999
Mona & Dick Alonzo
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
Nicole & Stephen Eisenberg
The Forbes Company/Somerset Collection & The Detroit Shoppe
National Endowment for the Arts
Erica Peresman & David Jaffe
Bobby Taubman
Sarah Winkler & Simon Leopold
$50,000 - $99,999
Anonymous
David Carroll
Gretchen & Ethan Davidson
Mary Ann & Robert Gorlin
Annmarie & Neil Hawkins
Arlene & John Lewis
Michigan Arts & Culture Council
Christie Peck & Buck Baker
Martie & Bob Sachs
TCF Bank
$25,000 - $49,999
3Mission Partners
Celia Keenan-Bolger & John Ellison Conlee
Marjorie & Maxwell Jospey Foundation
Anessa & David Kramer
Rebecca & Jack McNaughton
Maeva & Xavier Mosquet
Barbara & Lou Prues
Nancy & Allan Rothfeder
Brian Young
$10,000 - $24,999
Anonymous
Courtney & Adam Burkett
Nina Essman & Jon Freeman
Dorothy & Larry Fobes
Susan & Bobby Gordon
Niki & Bobby Johnson
Julia Keim
Knight Foundation
Bonnie Larson
Lois & Gene Miller
Ann & Jim Nicholson
Sarah Prues
Peter Van Dyke
$2,500 - $9,999
Artspace Projects, Inc.
Denita Banks-Sims & Glenn Sim
Wendy Batiste-Johnson & Rodney Johnson
Jill & Reginald Brack
Sarah Clare & Chris Corporandy
Jocelyn Lee & Brian Urquhart
Maureen Martin
Felicia Molnar
Dominique Morisseau & Jimmy Keys
Libby Robinson
Jamie Kaye Walters
Gifts up to $2,499
Mike DelBene
Brian Demkowicz
Dave & Maria Duey
James Fisk
Paula Gribbs
Mickey Guisewite & John DiCerchio
Noah Haidle
Gerald Lieberman
Lisa & Hannan Lis
Rebecca Marcus
Brandy Joe Plambeck
Allen Salyer
Susan Whitlock
Founding Donors
We are profoundly grateful for the visionary support of the DPTFounding Donors who pledged multi-year gifts of $10,000 - $25,000 annually in our earliest seasons. The leadership, advocacy, and extraordinary generosity of these donors helped bring Detroit Public Theatre to life.
Robert A. and Maggie Allesee
Julie and Peter Cummings
Nicole and Stephen Eisenberg
Debbie and John Erb
Lauren and Phillip Fisher
Catherine and Nathan Forbes
Tom Hulce and Ira Pittelman
Danialle and Peter Karmanos, Jr.
Maeva and Xavier Mosquet
Ann V. and James B. Nicholson
Lisa A. Payne
Martie and Bob Sachs
Jeffrey Seller
Julie and Bobby Taubman
Sarah Winkler and Simon Leopold
Leadership Donor Levels
Leading Player - $25,000
Debbie and John Erb
Julie and Bobby Taubman
Carol and Peter Walters
Sarah Winkler and Simon Leopold
Best Supporting Player - $15,000
Mary Ann and Robert Gorlin
Maeva and Xavier Mosquet
The Peck Foundation
Ensemble Player - $10,000
Anonymous
Robert A. and Maggie Allesee
Nicole and Stephen Eisenberg
Jeffrey Seller
Sustainer Donor Levels
$5,000-9,999
Anonymous
Mona and Richard Alonzo
Gretchen and Ethan Davidson
Annmarie and Neil Hawkins
Rebecca and John McNaughton
Erica Peresman and David Jaffe
Sarah Prues
Martie and Bob Sachs
Dr. Brian Young
$2,500-4,999
Wendy Batiste-Johnson
Katherine Bradford and Greg Leopold
Andrew L. and Gayle Shaw Camden
Michelle and David Carroll
Nina Essman and Jon Freeman
Brooke and Alfred Fisher
Susan and Bobby Gordon
Anessa & David Kramer
Mickey Guisewite and John DeCerchio
Linda Dresner and Ed Levy, Jr.
Christie Peck and Buck Baker
Bobbi and Stephen Polk
$1,000-2,499
Anonymous
Denita Banks-Sims and Glenn Sims
Daniel Bates
Courtney and Adam Burkett
Kathleen Chalfant
Sarah Clare and Chris Corporandy
Jan and Chris Heaphy
Stephen Henderson
Mary Ellen Hoy & Jim Keller
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$500-999
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Marsha Ashley
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Anne Magreta
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Ronald Northrup
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$1-249
Joan Abbey
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Diane Akers
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Paul Loos
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Annette Madias
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Vivienne Manwaring
Marsha Martin
Quincy Marr
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Des McAnuff
Anita McCabe
Cassandra McCarthy-Fogle
Lisa McDonald
Gabrielle McKee
Jenn McKee
Kathleen McMahon
Molly McMahon
Benjamin Meeker
Nicole Mehelich
Eric and Carla Messing
Alexander Meyer
Dorie Miller
Mike Miller
Karen Minard
Eric Minni
Chrysteen Moelter-Gray
Susan Moiseev
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Andrew Morton
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Patrick Nelson Hanley
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Heather O’Hara
Steve and Michele Ondersma
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Maureen Paraventi
Sean Paraventi
Tina Paraventi
Edward Parks
Jay Pather
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Patricia Patterson
Maggie Patton
Caleb Paull
Lynda Paull
Tamar Paull
Kate Peckham and Chris Korte
Michael Perreca
Helen Peters
Travar Pettway
William Pielemeier and Sue Webster
Becky Pierce Goodman
Jake Pittman
Kate Powers
Amy Proctor
Linda Rabin Hammell
Yolanda Ragland
Jada Raines
Romina Ramirez
Rahme Rayes
Natalie Redmond
Jillian Reese
Marie Reichard
Elizabeth Rexroat
Lisa Rich
Courtney Riddle
Kristina Riegle
Colleen Robar
Julie Robertson
Sean Rodriguez Sharpe
Janice & Michael Rolnick
Jill Rosenbaum
Marcia Ruff
Susan Ruma
Robert Ruskin
Michael Rycus
Loretta Ryder
Kate and Randy Safford
Guy Sanville
Harriet and Alvin Saperstein
Christine Sass
Vanessa Sawson
Krista Schafer Ewbank
Philip Schloop
David Schon
Keyona Shabazz
Gigi Sharp
Cynthia Shaw
Matthew Turner Shelton
Michael Shelton
Wendy Shepherd and Ken Hershenson
Karen Sheridan
Susan and Patrick Shields
Karen Siegel
Josette Silver
Csaba Skultety
Riley Smith
Spencer Stanford
Beverly Stein
Susan & Dan Stepek Jennifer Stevenson Eric Strachan
Jackie Strez
Laura Strobel Chiles
Margaret Strobel-Donofrio
Kathryn Sussman
Joe Tangari
Loida Tapia
Megan Tavel
Paul Tavianini
Maria Tejada
Emily Thornton
Margaret Thorp
Curt Tofteland
Hilene Topper-Bricker
Cara Trautman
Lynch Travis
Paula Trilety
Marjorie Trivich Carrie
Leslie V. Tyus
Matthew Van Meter
Jeannie Vanzo
Paige Vanzo
Edward Vaughan
Dr. Eliot Wagenheim
Whitney Wakimoto
Yolonda Walker
Deborah Wallace
Patrice Walsh
Christopher Watkins
Katie Michele Weatherwax
Emily Weinstein
Linda West
Steven West
Bonnie White
Josie Whittlesey
Barbara Widener
Maddie Wieczerza
Pamela Williams
Amelia B. Winkler
Corey Wolfgang
Stephanie Woods
Deborah and Doug Wood
Susan and Bob Yashinksy
Norine Zimmer
Jeff Zimmerman
Marshall Zumberg
Corporate, Foundation, and Government Funders
Detroit Public Theatre is also deeply grateful to our past and current Corporate, Foundation, and Government funders for their generous support of our programs and productions.
A Beautiful World Fund of the Maine Community Foundation
Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan
Awesome Foundation-Ann Arbor Chapter
Beaumont Health
Chemical Bank - A Division of TCF National Bank
Comerica Charitable Giving
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
The Detroit Shoppe at Somerset Collection
Doner Advertising
Downtown Detroit Partnership
The DTE Energy Foundation
Eileen Fisher
The Emily List Fund for Performing Arts Therapy
Flagstar Bank
The Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation
The Forbes Company
The Ford Motor Company Fund
Greenleaf Trust
Hudson-Webber Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Kenwal Steel
Kresge Foundation
The Marjorie and Maxwell
Jospey Foundation
Mercantile Bank
MGM Grand Detroit
Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs
Michigan Humanities Council
Midtown Detroit, Inc.
National Endowment for the Arts
The Peck Foundation
PNC Foundation
Quicken Loans
The Shubert Foundation
The Skillman Foundation
Somerset Collection
St. John Providence
TCF Bank
Union Joints
Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation
WeWork
Shakespeare in Prison // DPT’s Signature Community Program
“Shakespeare seems like the impossible for some people. And once you conquer the impossible, you know that anything is possible.” - SIP Ensem- ble Member
Shakespeare in Prison empowers incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people to reconnect with their humanity and that of others; to reflect on their past, present, and future; and to gain the confidence, self-esteem, and crucial skills they need to heal and positively impact their communities.
Through a combination of working on the play and collaborating with each other, SIP ensemble members discover new ways of defining themselves and moving through the world, as well as goals—personal and profession- al—that they previously would not have dreamed of.
The core of SIP’s programming is its work with incarcerated women; at times, it has also included programs with youth and incarcerated men. In 2018, SIP extended its mission beyond prison walls with Shakespeare Re- claimed, a post-release extension offering SIP alumni ongoing mentoring for personal and professional development.
Throughout the pandemic, SIP has sent incarcerated ensemble members Shakespeare-based activity packs every two weeks. Each pack consists of a piece of Shakespeare’s text and prompts for intellectual stimulation, creative expression, and self-reflection. We are also currently seeking a publish- er for RICHARD III—IN PRISON: A Critical Edition—the first critical edition of a Shakespeare play written by incarcerated people; namely, members and alumni of the SIP women’s ensemble.
For more information about Shakespeare in Prison, please visit www.detroitpublictheatre.org/shakespeareinprison.
Shakespeare in Prison is made possible in part by a grant from Michigan Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the NationaL Endowment for the Humanities or Michigan Humanities Council.
SPECIAL THANKS
Detroit Public Theatre is deeply honored to be producing Detroit ‘67 in association with The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in the General Motors Theatre. It is a gift to be with audiences and artists in one of Detroit's most venerable cultural institutions in the heart of Detroit's thriving cultural district.
DPT exists because a small army of committed people and companies have given countless hours of their time and energy to bring it to life! A special thank you to all of you who have advised, advocated, introduced, created, and collaborated with us, including:
Benjamin Bailey
Christopher Ballard
Neil A. Barclay
Joe Benghauser
Adam Burkett
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Curt Catallo and Ann Stevenson
Chris Corporandy
Patty Cosgrove
The Detroit Shoppe
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Doner Advertising
Nate Forbes
Anne Gahagan
Mandy Hackett
Bob Hoida
Nicki Inman
Yolanda Jack
Helen and Marty Katz
James Kuhl
Eric Larson
Simon Leopold
Mary Littell
Jenny Locricchio
Leslie Luciani
Juston Markell
Linda McIntosh
Eric McClellan
Scott Meyer
Jim Miller
Marsha Miro
Sue Mosey
Maeva and Xavier Mosquet
Scott Myers
Maggie Patton
Lisa Payne
Bina Reid
Erik Rönmark
Jennifer Scott
Julie Gaus Smith
The Somerset Collection
Bobby Taubman
Tipping Point Theatre
Monica Tysell
Peter Van Dyke
Union Joints
Union Adworks
Cari and Joe Vaughn
Martin and Erika Vecchio
Linda Weir
Lindsey Wendland
Shawn Wilson