“What we create on stage can either be forward thinking about the way we shift our narrative in our lives and in our communities, or it can contribute to the chaos that has led us to this moment…When we continue to give each other opportunities to find those connections, and if we're forward thinking about that in the theatre, on the American stage, then we can have the impact that art has always had the ability to make. We have lost our way in becoming so literal that we are affirming our differences, but art can actually be the thing that connects us and creates the change and the opportunity for humanity to lead once again. We just have to be brave enough to do it.”
Another season finale has arrived! For our final season six episode, we welcome director, actor, author, and Black Theatre United co-founder Schele Williams, who leaves us with gems of wisdom to carry us forward until we meet again!
She may be the first Black woman to direct a Broadway musical in 50 years, but she certainly isn’t interested in being the last. We talk about the power of mentorship and peer fellowship, her epic Broadway debut in Rent, and the rewards that came from helming The Wiz and The Notebook during her rookie year as a Broadway director.
Recommendation: Toni Morrison's books—like The Bluest Eye, Jacqueline Woodson, bell hooks
Shout out: Ava DuVernay, Jacqueline Woodson, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Roxane Gay, Debbie Allen, Phylicia Rashad
Follow her on Instagram.
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