WHAT TO SEND UP WHEN IT GOES DOWN

by Aleshea Harris

Cast (Listed Alphabetically)

Photo by Tom Wallace

AIMEE K. BRYANT* (COMPANY)
Aimee K. Bryant has built a lengthy resume performing on stages throughout the Twin Cities since she graduated from Howard University. Most recently, she appeared in Dining With the Ancestors at the Guthrie, Riddle Puzzle Plot with Park Square, and Promise of America with MN Jewish Theatre. In addition to being an actor, Aimee is a teaching artist, songwriter, and vocalist. Her debut CD, Becoming, is now available online. Aimee was named City Pages 2015 Actress of the Year, and was a McKnight Theatre Artist Fellow for 2015-2016.

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Photo by Dena Denny

ALEXIS CAMILLE (COMPANY)
Alexis Camille is an actor, storyteller, and educator living in Minneapolis, MN. They began studying theater and improv in Oakland, CA after serving in the U.S. Marines. They work with HUGE Improv Theater, The Theater of Public Policy, and internationally known Blackout Improv, and are thrilled to be part of the Pillsbury House Theatre community. Alexis made their film debut in the award winning short “Bathroom Break,” which premiered at the Montreal Feminist Film Festival in 2020. Alexis Camille especially appreciates contributing to endeavors that create a culture of self-expression, inclusivity, open dialogue, laughter, and healing via the arts.

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Photo by Brandon Dahlquist

RYAN COLBERT* (COMPANY)
Ryan Colbert is born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. Cedar-Riverside and Southside. REPRESENT. After graduating from the University of MN/Guthrie BFA Acting program, he has worked with various theaters around Twin-Cities. His first production with Pillsbury House + Theater was a new work by Tracy Scott Wilson (Prep). Other theaters include: Mixed Blood theater (Charm, Colossal), The Guthrie theater (Choir Boy, Frankenstein – Playing With Fire, As You Like It, Born Yesterday, A Christmas Carol), Ten Thousand Things (Sins of Sor Juana), Park Square Theater (Great Expectations, Romeo and Juliet, The Color Purple, Calendar Girls, Agatha Christie’s Rule of Thumb), Children’s Theater Company (The Lorax, The Sneetches, The Abominables), and more.

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Photo by Ben Saefke

JUCOBY JOHNSON* (COMPANY)
JuCoby Johnson is truly honored to be making his Pillsbury House Theatre debut. He has been seen onstage at The Guthrie Theater, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Jungle Theater, Theater Latté Da, Theater Mu, Ten Thousand Things Theatre Company, and many more. His plays include How It’s Gon Be (Underdog Theater, 2019), …but you could’ve held my hand (Developed at the 2020 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference), 5 (2021 O’Neill NPC Finalist, Seven Devils Finalist), I’ll Be Seeing You Again (Jungle Serial Audio Series, 2021) and Revelations (Playing On Air, 2021). He is a 2021-2022 McKnight Fellow in Playwriting.

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Photo by Ben Saefke

RAJANÉ KATURAH* (COMPANY)
Rajané Katurah is delighted to be making her Pillsbury House debut! Select theatre credits include Cinderella with Children’s Theatre Company, Smokey Joe’s Cafe with Ordway Center of Performing Arts, Thunder Knockin’ At the Door with Ten Thousand Things and Marie & Rosetta with Park Square Theatre. She earned a B.A in Theatre from Spelman College and has also trained at The British American Drama Academy. Thank you to AEA for guiding us back home!

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Photo by Rob Demery

DARRICK MOSLEY* (COMPANY)
Darrick Mosley is delighted to be making his debut at Pillsbury House Theatre. His credits include A Raisin in the Sun with Park Square Theatre, Highwaymen with History Theatre, Choir Boy with The Guthrie Theater, and The Ballad of Emmett Till with Penumbra Theatre. Darrick is a native of Mansfield, Louisiana. He received his BA in Speech & Theatre from Grambling State University.

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Photo by Sarah Morreim

MIKELL SAPP* (COMPANY)
Mikell Sapp is delighted to be returning to Pillsbury House Theatre. Some of his credits include Broke-ology with Pillsbury House Theatre, The Ballad of Emmett Till with Penumbra Theatre, The Agitators with Park Square Theatre and The Snowy Day with Children’s Theatre Company. He is a proud graduate of Alabama State University and a native of Phenix City, AL.

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Artistic & Production Staff

Photo by R. J. Eldridge

ALESHEA HARRIS (PLAYWRIGHT)
Aleshea Harris’s play Is God Is (directed by Taibi Magar at Soho Rep) won the 2016 Relentless Award, an OBIE Award for playwriting in 2017, the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award in 2019 and was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.

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SIGNE V. HARRIDAY (DIRECTOR)
Signe V. Harriday is a director, multidisciplinary artist, and performer. She is co-founder of MaMa mOsAiC and an Associate Company Member of Pillsbury House Theatre. She earned her MFA in Acting at the American Repertory Theatre/Moscow Art Theatre Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University.

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QUEEN DREA (COMPOSER, DJ)

Queen Drea creates conceptual soundscapes. By applying a poetic and often metaphorical language to her lyrics and compositions, she tries to approach a wide scale of subjects in a multi-layered way and likes to involve the audience in conversation as they accompany her on her musical journey. Her performances directly respond to the surrounding environment and use everyday experiences from the artist as a starting point.

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Photo by Ryan Volna

LYNDSEY R. HARTER* (STAGE MANAGER)
Lyndsey R. Harter (she/her) is grateful to be joining this brilliant ensemble for her first production with Pillsbury House Theatre. Pandemic credits include Dining with the Ancestors at Guthrie Theater and Today Is My Birthday with Theater Mu. She also served as the Production Stage Manager for two of Theater Mu’s virtual new play festivals, TwentyPho Hour Playfest and New Eyes Festival 2021: (Un)Scene. In the Before Times, she also collaborated with Minnesota Opera, Theater Latté Da, New Dawn Theatre, Playwrights’ Center, History Theatre, Park Square Theatre, and Great River Shakespeare Festival. Lyndsey is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and serves on Equity’s Twin Cities Liaison Committee and National Stage Managers Committee, in addition to her work with the Minnesota Theater Accountability Coalition.

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Miesha Williams

STERLING MILLER (COVID SAFETY OFFICER)
Sterling is very grateful to be making his debut at Pillsbury House Theatre as the CSO for the company. He is a recent graduate of Dillard University and believes wholeheartedly in black liberation for ALL black folks.

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SEITU JONES (SET DESIGNER)
Seitu is a St. Paul visual artist. Working on his own or in collaboration with other artists or communities, Seitu Jones has created over 30 large-scale public artworks. As a scenic designer, he has created sets for Penumbra Theater (where he is a company member), Minneapolis Children’s Theater, the Guthrie Theater, the Illusion Theater, Ananya Dance Theater, Pangea World Theater, and Park Square Theater.

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PETER MORROW (SOUND DESIGNER)
Peter moved to the Twin Cities from Dublin, Ireland in August 2012.  He is a composer, sound & video designer and is technical director for New Native Theatre. He has worked with companies, theatres and artists including Exposed Brick, Pilsbury House, Stages Theatre, Daleko Arts, Red Eye Theatre, Tru Ruts, Yellow Tree, Interact, Mixed Blood, zAmya, Pangea World Theatre, Macalaster College, Augsburg University, Threads Dance Company, Hiponymous, Ifrah Mansour, Akiko Ostlund, Artistry, Theatre Latte Da, Park Square and The Guthrie.  He performs with the band Bella Yaga and as a solo artist.  In Dublin he worked primarily with the award winning company Brokentalkers, devising new works as composer and sound designer.  Peter has a Masters in Music and Media Technology from Trinity College Dublin.

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Photo by Matthew Jurek

ABBEE WARMBOE (PROP DESIGN)
Abbee Warmboe is making her Pillsbury House Theatre debut. Recent work includes Handprints with Ten Thousand Things Theater and Freestyle Films, Today Is My Birthday with Theater Mu, La Boheme, Bernarda Alba, Chicago with Theater Latte Da, The White Card, Pipeline, benevolence with Penumbra Theater, Dixie Swim Club, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder with Old Log Theater. She also frequently collaborates with Mixed Blood Theatre, History Theater, Ordway Center, Interact Center, University of MN among others. Abbee is a 2020-2021 McKnight Theater Artist Fellow at the Playwrights’ Center.

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Photo by Brett Dorian

KATHY KOHL (COSTUME DESIGN)
Kathy Kohl worked with Pillsbury House years ago on Splash Hatch on the E Going Down, and has helped to realize young peoples’ amazing costume visions in the Chicago Avenue Project. Last shows before the pandemic shutdown were Frank Theatre’s The Convert, Walking Shadow Theatre’s The Ugly One, Penumbra’s (unproduced) How Black Mothers Say I Love You. This year she provided costumes for Open Eye Figure Theatre’s current production, Log Jam! Kathy has an MFA from the University of Minnesota and has worked as a freelance costumer in the Twin Cities for over three decades.

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JORDAN HAMILTON (SCENIC PAINTER)

Jordan M. Hamilton (b.1989) is multi-disciplinary visual artist. His work explores embodiment of spirit & expression of cosmic & elemental energy through semi-abstract narratives. Immersed in the arts from a young age, Graffiti art propelled Jordan into an artistic practice in 2003, followed by branching into mural making & studio arts, exploring painting, sculpture, collage, installation, digital arts, puppetry, performance, adornment & mixed media. Since 2005, Jordan has contributed to & led dozens of community murals & public arts. His work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, streets & stages throughout the Twin Cities. Jordan’s work is deeply woven with community, informed through ancestry & influenced by spirit, with an affinity for the abstract. Infinite aspects.

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FAYE M. PRICE (PRODUCER)

NOEL RAYMOND (PRODUCER)

ELIZABETH R. MACNALLY* (PRODUCTION MANAGER)

KENJI SHOEMAKER (ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER)

MAJE ADAMS (SOUND ENGINEER)

KATIE DEUTSCH (HOUSE TECHNICIAN)

LEVI HOUKOM (RIGGER)

AMBER BROWN (WARDROBE)