Skeleton Crew, February 2024
By Dominique Morisseau
Directed by Dr. Nadia Bodie Smith
February 9-25, 2024
Umstead Park United Church of Christ, 8208 Brownleigh Drive, Raleigh
EVENTS:
Friday, February 9th: 6:30 pm Meet the Director reception. 7:30 pm show
Saturday, Feb 10th, 7:30 pm show
Sunday, February 11th: 3:30 pm show
Friday, February 16th: 7:30 pm show
Saturday, February 17th: 6:30 pm 2024-25 Season Launch preview! Pop the champagne as we reveal next season. 7:30 pm show.
Sunday, February 18th: 3:30 pm show, (sold out) Post-Show Discussion “Labor, Deindustrialization, and the Great Recession” with History Professor David Zonderman, an expert in American labor history and reform.
Friday, Feb 23 7:30 pm
Saturday, Feb 24 7:30 pm
Sunday, Feb 25 3:30 pm SOLD OUT
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The third play in Dominique Morisseau’s cycle of plays called The Detroit Projects, Morisseau’s undertaking to examine the socio political history of Detroit, Skeleton Crew explores the effects that the Great Recession had on the people of Detroit.
Skeleton Crew focuses on three workers, Faye, Shanita, and Dez, and their fear of being laid off when there are rumors of their auto-plant closing. Faye, who is coming up on 30 years at the plant, has to decide where she will live and how, Shanita has a baby on the way and nobody to help her support it, and Dez must figure out how to follow through with his ambitious dreams. Reggie, the manager of the plant, has to support himself and his family while simultaneously trying to soften the blow for his workers.
The factory’s downfall doesn't only affect the futures of these workers we get to know and love, but we see how it brings people closer or begins to tear them apart.
The desperate decisions that they have to make gives audiences a first hand view of how the economy affects a hardworking, blue collar community such as the auto-plant workers of Detroit.
The experiences of the characters in Skeleton Crew can be applied to many industry towns in America that struggled through the Great Recession of the 2000s.
The Cast:
Faye: Kalimah Williams
Reggie: Moses T. Alexander Greene
Dez: Malcolm S. Green
Shanita: Camryn Sherer
SKELETON CREW features 4 actors in an intimate and captivating show about workmates who friendships and loyalties are tested when their factory begins to shut down, putting their livelihoods are in peril.
TONY AWARD nominee for Best Play, and TONY AWARD winner for Best Actress, Phylicia Rashad.
Malcolm Green portrays Dez, a young man who is savvy, street wise, playful and flirtatious. Somewhere deep inside he’s a sensitive soul who is worried about this skeleton crew of workers that remain on the job during the factory's final year of production.
Why were you interested in being a part of The Justice Theater Project's production of SKELETON CREW? What drew you to the show?
With all shows for me, the work is the initial draw for me and that's followed up by the director, their interpretation of the work and their vision for the production. Dominique Morisseau's work reads extremely vivid for me. Her usage of language and colloquialisms resonate with me deeply. The way she articulates the black experience so is reminiscent of the Richard Wright, Toni Morrison, August Wilson and Sister Souljah. The ability to embody and speak through so many dynamic personalities and perspectives while having the finished product be masterfully cohesive is nothing less than divine craftsmanship. Ms Morisseau's work with Dr Bodie-Smith at the helm? I would have been upset with myself had I missed out on this opportunity.
How did you get into acting?
My freshman year of college at North Carolina Central University I took Drama Appreciation course and my instructor Mr. Irving Truitt had me and my classmates select a monologue of our choice from TV, Film or the stage. I'd done an Easter play in church as a child but this class is what sparked my love of theatre. I had a village of educators, friends & family here at NCCU who helped to foster my love of theatre along the way.
How would you describe your character?
Dez is direct, he doesn't hesitate to speak his mind. Many may see him as one who doesn't think before he speaks but I see him as quite the opposite. He processes information quickly and speaks on what and how he feels, as he feels.
Moses T. Alexander Greene portrays Reggie, the unit foreman who is burdened with protecting the skeleton crew of workers that remain on the job during the factory's final year of production.
Why were you interested in being a part of The Justice Theater Project's production of SKELETON CREW? What drew you to the show?
2024 marked 7 years since I had been on the Justice Theatre Project stage and inwardly, I felt it was time to return. What drew me to this show was a) the play was a Dominique Morisseau work; b) It reflected the lived experiences of blue collar African American workers in a way that resonated strongly with me; and c) it is a tribute to my late grandfather Harvey Gorham, a native of Beaufort County, NC and a factory worker in Brooklyn, New York for over 40 years. He knew the struggles of these workers though the setting and time were different. I wanted to feel that, be that.
How did you get into acting?
The summer after sixth grade my family enrolled me in my public school system's five-week music program and I literally stumbled into one of the great loves of my life: theatre/musical theatre. The production that year was "Oliver!" and I landed the lead role. Though I had studied tap dancing for about five years by that time--and was a pretty good "hoofer", there was something about becoming "Oliver Twist", learning lines, music and choreography that opened me up to me. From there I acted in junior high and high school, in college, community theatre on Long Island, and ended up being an extra on two episodes of COSBY and the film The Best Man. Earlier this year I received the BroadwayWorld Award for "Best Supporting Performer in a Musical" (Raleigh) for my portrayal of Pa'/Ol Mister in NCT's The Color Purple. (I portrayed Grady in the same show with Justice Theater years ago.)
How would you describe your character?
Reggie carries conflict, duty, and a need to find answers for problems he didn't create and are beyond his ability to control for the entire play. I think he embodies an internal struggle that many African Diasporic men (African American, Afro-Latinx, Caribbean, African, etc.) understand as they walk the tightrope of being in middle or upper management in their respective fields while simultaneously juggling perceptions of their Blackness/in touch-ness with their community by their community + the expectations of their superiors + finding a way to provide for their families + pursuing "the American dream"--which only includes their dreams to a point. When that man can no longer juggle it all, watch out.
Without giving anything away, what's your favorite line of dialogue?
"You tell me how to do one without the other! You tell me how to fight and stand on some kind of ground in this industry without putting something massive on the line to do it. Ain't no way to do it without jumping on the [bleep] grenade! Ain't no other way and you know it!"
Anything else I didn't ask that you want to say?
I didn't know it would be the final play before Melissa Zeph's retirement, but I am so grateful my spirit led me to audition again for JTP and that I landed the role.
"Thank you for all you've done for JTP, Melissa." Also, it is a joy to work with Dr. Nadia Bodie (who is teaching me to tap into the "life behind the lines") and with Kalimah (Faye), Camryn (Shanita), and Malcolm (Dez). Hear me: each of my castmates hold their own on that stage, you hear me? (LOL). Finally, help us (cast, crew, director, creative team) sell-out each show. This work deserves it. This story deserves that.
Meet Kalimah Williams, who portrays Faye, a tough, working-class woman, with a lifetime of dirt beneath her fingernails and a deep compassion for her coworkers.
Why were you interested in being a part of The Justice Theater Project's production of SKELETON CREW? What drew you to the show?
I love a good story. Especially ones that revolve around the Black experience. There is a complexity to Dominique Morrisseau's work that is relatable to the human condition in all forms. In "Skeleton Crew" we experience struggle, triumph, growth, hope and love.
How did you get into acting?
I have always written and directed. As the singer Kelis says, "I'm Bossy!". I never saw myself as an actor, until I decided to switch career paths in early 2022. I worked in the medical field knowing it wasn't my forever job. My original plan was to major in Theatre Education at North Carolina Central University, but a chance call to the registrar's office set me on another path. It was the best decision of my life. It's an honor to be able to portray Faye in my first professional production.
How would you describe your character?
Faye is the matriarch of the Skeleton Crew's hodgepodge family unit. She is no nonsense and not to be trifled with, but her heart is the biggest fixture in the breakroom. She's proud, she's smart, she's stubborn and she's wounded in a way that's not easily seen, but will be universally felt.
Without giving anything away, what's your favorite line of dialogue?
"Ain't no tragedy. Just is what it is."
What's a surprise element about this show?
There's a love story buried under all that sheet metal.
Anything else I didn't ask that you want to say?
Come out and see this show. You will not be disappointed. "Skeleton Crew" has an awesome director, stellar cast and guarantees a good time.
Camryn Sherer plays Shanita, a young pregnant woman who is hardworking, disciplined, loves working at the plant, and speaks of the artistry and satisfaction she gets from putting the cars together to create memories for other people.
Shanita and her coworkers struggle with how to move on after the plant closes, and still be loyal to each other.
Why were you interested in being a part of The Justice Theater Project's production of SKELETON CREW? What drew you to the show? What initially interested me in joining this production of Skeleton Crew was seeing the show on Broadway in 2022. I was enamored by the performance given by Phylicia Rashad and Chante' Adams; their roles were vulnerable, dimensional and so transformative that it left the actors almost unrecognizable. The show itself tells a story of 4 factory workers who have become more family then friends and take on each other's hardships as their own. As a person who grew up with a very small nuclear family, the crew's bond strongly resonated with me, as I have often created "family" out of people who were once strangers. The story gives power to the mundane and reflects many of the people we know in our own communities, which is what I always strive to do in my own art.
How did you get into acting? I started acting when I was 7 years old and attended my first performing arts camp at North Carolina Central University in 2009. From there, I began to correlate the fun dance moves and songs we were learning in camp to the musical numbers in my favorite shows like "That so Raven" and "Camp Rock" and realized that it was what I wanted to do as a career. It's the one thing I've always come back to, always challenged me and has fueled my confidence.
How would you describe your character? Shanita is a determined, hard working young lady who is also nearing the end of her pregnancy. She takes pride in her work, as it offers her purpose and a connection to her father. I would describe her as a dreamer, who despite her current environment and condition, aspires for peace. She represents hope in an unclear future.
Without giving anything away, what's your favorite line of dialogue? "Workin' in the industry is what I do. Uncertainty is always there. But it's the work I'm made of."
What's a surprise element about this show? I think the most surprising thing about the show is how unfortunately relatable it is. People in the working class are still experiencing uncertainty about job security now, but this time the shift is more technological than industrial.
Anything else I didn't ask that you want to say? Please come out and support the cast of Skeleton Crew!!!!
